Posted on 06/19/2017 11:40:21 AM PDT by Enlightened1
U.S. pilots over Syria will defend themselves if attacked by Russians, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday, following a report that Russia will treat U.S. or coalition aircraft as targets if they fly over areas in western Syria controlled by Russia.
The Russian Defense Ministry made the threat Monday after a U.S. F/A-18E Super Hornet shot down a Syrian Su-22 after that plane bombed U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces that are working with the U.S. to defeat the Islamic State on Sunday.
"Any aircraft, including planes and drones of the international coalition, detected in the operation areas west of the Euphrates River by the Russian air forces will be followed by Russian ground-based air defense and air defense aircraft as air targets," the Defense Ministry said.
"We are aware of the Russian statements," Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said Monday morning. "We do not seek conflict with any party in Syria other than ISIS, but we will not hesitate to defend ourselves or our partners if threatened," Davis said.
A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said the Russian statement has had no effect on the operations in support of U.S.-backed Syrian fighters moving against ISIS in Raqqa in western Syria.
"Coalition aircraft continue to conduct operations throughout Syria, targeting ISIS forces and providing air support for coalition partner forces on the ground," said Col. Ryan Dillon, chief U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad.
He also appeared to indicate the U.S. is avoiding the parts of Syria where Russia said U.S. planes would be tracked as potential targets or providing additional airpower to counter threats.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
Interesting story. Anything behind it other than your imagination?
I have no opinion on the Syrian operation one way of the other, not enough information available.
Yeah. Didn’t Trump run on NOT getting involved in a war in Syria?
It’s not President Trump..... It’s the Deep State.
Wait a minute! I thought the administration was colluding with Russia? Why would there be any problem? Imagine if they weren’t friendly?
> I know, let’s run away if Russia barks. <
Russia aside, we should not be there in the first place. Syria has not asked for our help. And we are not at war with Syria. Countries that feel they must be engaged everywhere eventually collapse. The old Roman Empire is a good example of that.
May I suggest (again), that we exit the AO and let Ivan kill the jihadis?
Background: Who is killing who? The Turks and ISIS are killing the Kurds (both factions). Syria (Assad) are killing McCain’s SDF and ISIS. The Iraqis are killing ISIS.
The Persians are killing SDF and ISIS.
Most all of those factions / players have no problem killing Americans.
Give peace a chance? I say give Ivan a chance.
5.56mm
Can we get out of there already before some idiot starts a war that will only benefit Moslems and Chinese?
Excuse me, your rational sounds like one that I would hear from a liberal. At some point in life you have to stay your ground against bullies otherwise they will keep pushing you.
Didn’t you learn this principle in school?
This failure to understand basic human nature was demonstrated by Obama after he failed to own up to the Syrians crossing the “Red Line”. Now, the Russians knew Obama was a wimp and they pushed us out.
What would you be willing to support the same next time Russia, Chinese, North Koreans, or Iranians take a position like that against the US.
Short views don’t help a long term vision.
If he summons and reprimands the general who ordered the shoot down or indicates that US or NATO troops were being attacked then that will be a different story.
How are we being bullied?
What results have we achieved that justify our remaining there?
Do you really think we need to spend more lives and treasure in that septic tank?
We have effed this up from the beginning. We need to pack it up and let the Russians and Syrian government mop up. They aren’t squeamish about what needs to be done, and they don’t have stupid ideas about ‘democracy.’
You sound like insane McCain. You want Americans to die for some Middle East Dictator that needs a pipeline in the Middle East.
Bullies? This jet was not threatening our jet. It was attacking ISIS.
We are flying over Syria uninvited. Can you imagine another nation flying their jets over our country and shooting down our aircraft? You are telling me that is not provocative and dangerous?
We are at war with ISIS/Al-Qaeda/Al-Nusra. There are no good rebels over there. They are all radicalized Islamic operating under the same black flag of no surrender.
As for the Syrian government there is no imminent threat from the Syrian government towards the United States. There is no clear and present danger from the Syrian government too. We have no business playing the policeman of the world.
However, if we get into a shooting war with Russia, who is invited by the Syrian government, then that could eventually lead to a nuclear conflict.
Did you forget Russia has nukes? They have them on their Subs too that parked off our coasts. You can’t win a thermo-nuclear war.
I am all for taking out ISIS/Al-Qaeda/Al-Nusra/”The Rebels” quickly, but we have no business shooting down Syrian jets. Let’s finish ISIS and leave.
After all we won World War II faster, than the current never ending war.
” That awkward moment when US pilots celebrate shooting down a Syrian pilot in Syria while he was attacking ISIS, and call it self defense”
To be continued
Exactly!
I don’t understand why we just can’t give the ISIS targets to the Syrian Air Force. Let them do the fighting.
Perhaps we can even do a side by side mission with them to kill off ISIS?
Just coincidences I suppose.
No, the jet was endangering the lives of AMERICAN advisors that are providing assistance on the ground.
I served as a combat advisor they bring a value added benefit to the indigenous forces they mentor and train. This concept allows training and our fire power to be utilized most effectively. It is cheaper than sending thousands of forces to do the fighting for them.
American servicemen are also in other continents around the world defending our security regardless of your knowledge and understanding of the issues and campaigns they are conducting. Their only request from folks like you is not to make matters worse for them over there.
The tides of history clearly reside against those who appeased or turn in fear from our adversaries. Chamberlain learned this lesson in WWII with Hitler. Thank God there was a Winston Churchill.
The guy on the battlefield called to sweat and shed blood is not a war monger, on the contrary, it is he who will suffer the pains of war and therefore, we warriors who have served in combat on foreign lands stand tall when the time for sternness arises.
No, American cannot afford to have an adversary like Russia force us to abandon our support or our forces. China has declared the South China Sea their territory and demanded that our ships leave the sea lanes to the. We have partnerships with Japan, Philippines, and South Korea. Using your gauge, we abandon the merchant sea lanes of the South China Seas and retreat.
Our military experiences demonstrate to us that short term gains in facing a bully, rarely produces the long term objectives desired.
Russia has nukes and so do we. Neither would use them at this point. Now North Korea is a different matter.
There is another good example of failed leadership that now has produced a lethal dictatorship that soon will be able to strike at the home of the US. Allowing situations to metastasize before action is taken because of fear or overly refrain will come back to bite you in a real way some day.
It will not go away.
We can either fight this war now or later when the enemy is stronger.
No one likes war...and we didn't declare this war. It was declared by an enemy...on us.
If we give up, we and our way of life dies.
This is a long war and their will be no peace until it is over (if even then).
Better to fight than appease the alligator.
Pretending we are not at war is not an option.
Remember how those dirty Muslims bombed our cities & our allies 50 years ago?
Me neither.
Gee, I wonder why they hate us. Must be our “freedom”.
“the jet was endangering the lives of AMERICAN advisors that are providing assistance on the ground.”
AMERICAN advisors that are providing assistance on the ground
TO WHOM?
The South China Sea situation with China is about shipping and Maritime law. It is without a doubt a clear and present danger to U.S. shipping. IMO a bigger threat than Syria.
Syria on the other hand is about a gas pipeline for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. It serves no strategic purpose for the U.S. We already have many bases U.S. bases all around the Middle East. Most not even listed. If the dictators in the Middle East want a war over this, then fine let them fight it out with their own people.
Our country is over 20 Trillion dollars in debt. We can’t afford another major war. Much less a war against Russia to a country like Syria that is not a threat to the United States. We need to be focus on China and North Korea that are the real threats. Finally, I don’t want to gamble a nuclear conflict over Syria. It’s not worth it!
I’m well aware of the history of U.S. advisors in combat theaters. I don’t agree with your point that it has worked out so well. Perhaps because it has a lot of politics like in Vietnam and Korea?
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