"Russian troops join combat in Syria" Reuters

"Russian forces have begun participating in military operations in Syria in support of government troops, three Lebanese sources familiar with the political and military situation there said on Wednesday.

The sources, speaking to Reuters on condition they not be identified, gave the most forthright account yet from the region of what U.S. officials say appears to be a new military buildup by Moscow, one of President Bashar al-Assad's main allies, though one of the sources said the numbers of Russians involved so far were small.

Two U.S. officials said Russia has sent two tank landing ships and additional aircraft to Syria in the past day or so and has deployed a small number of naval infantry forces.

The U.S. officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the intent of Russia's military moves in Syria remained unclear. One of the officials said initial indications suggested the focus was on preparing an airfield near the port city of Latakia, an Assad stronghold."  Reuters

 

------------------

 

I am told by my own sources that the dissonance within the Obama Administration's ranks has resulted in what IMO is a mindless decision to oppose Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war.

 

The amateurs at work in the WH, NSC and State Department continue to be incapable of understanding that the disappearance of the structure of the Syrian state will inevitably lead to the creation of a jihadi  dominated state where Syria is now located.  Whether or not that state would be ruled by IS or the Nusra front is unclear, but what is clear is that in either case the resulting cancerous situation will be the beginning of the end of any sort of moderation in government within the region.  The example provided by the triumph of salafist jihadism would exert such a powerful "pull" on the available human potential for recruitment and subversion that IMO no government would be able to stand against it.

 

To prevent that, the Russians seem intent on reinforcing the Syrian government and the US is doing all it can to prevent this.  The US has pressured governments seeking a denial of diplomatic overflight clearances for Russian cargo aircraft en route to Syria.  It has also sought some means with which to deny Russian vessels passage through the Bosporus and Dardanelles.

 

What on earth do we think we are doing?  pl 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKCN0R91H720150909

Comments

[Abu Sinan]

Spot on! We are on the wrong side in this conflict, but what is new? We are helping to destroy one of the only forces that have successfully fought these forces in Yemen.

[jld]

"What on earth do we think we are doing?"
May be you should begin to seriously consider that there is no "we" anymore?
Democracy died somewhere during the 20th century, now is the time for cryptocracy...

[turcopolier]

jld

As they used to say in the South now condemned and reviled, "Bless You." If you wish to take my rhetorical questions as indicative of simple minded oblivion, well, "Bless You." pl

[TommyG]

In the opinion of this patriotic American Christian white male, God bless Russia and Putin, leaders of the free world.

[Kim Sky]

Seems to me the Obama folk want to avoid a repeat of the solve the Syrian conflict that the Russians initiated with red-line/no-bomb-iran chemical weapons scenario... as has been noted Russian attempts to create a world-wide anti-ISIS front. ANYTHING to prevent Russia from organizing again.

[Edward]

"The amateurs at work in the WH, NSC and State Department continue to be incapable of understanding that the disappearance of the structure of the Syrian state will inevitably lead to the creation of a jihadi dominated state where Syria is now located."

They have the example of Libya in front of them. Can they really not understand the implications of their policy?

[jo6pac]

Yep

[walrus]

There is a report in "The Guardian" that Britain, via MI6, has allegedly been funnelling arms to J. Nusra. I cannot believe that Britain would be doing this without American administration permission, if not actual encouragement.

The allegation arises after a trial of a second man on charged with aiding JN was abandoned after it became known that his defence would lead evidence that MI6 was secretly running a "rat line" to JN actively engaged in doing exactly the same thing, resulting in the situation where it would be "an affront to justice" to try someone for doing what his government was also doing.

"Riel Karmy-Jones, for the crown, told the court on Monday that after reviewing the evidence it was decided there was no longer a reasonable prospect of a prosecution. “Many matters were raised we did not know at the outset,” she told the recorder of London, Nicholas Hilliard QC, who lifted all reporting restrictions and entered not guilty verdicts.

In earlier court hearings, Gildo’s defence lawyers argued he was helping the same rebel groups the British government was aiding before the emergence of the extreme Islamist group, Isis. His trial would have been an “affront to justice”, his lawyers said."

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/01/trial-swedish-man-accused-terrorism-offences-collapse-bherlin-gildo

[Trey N]

Well, as we also say in the South: "The chickens are coming home to roost."

The Saudis have Plaxicoed themselves with their engineered collapse of world oil prices and their invasion of Yemen; Erdogan likewise with his attempt to become dictator of Turkey by attacking the Kurds. Meanwhile, the Izzies are still terrified of Hezbollah and too chickenshit to face the consequences of directly taking on that formidable enemy again.

And the death of the petrodollar spells the impending end of world hegemony by Washington, with the worldwide economic collapse now gaining steam only accelerating that process. By now it must be dawning even on the hubristic psychopaths who rule in DC that their fantasy of also ruling the entire planet is rapidly vanishing. Will the realization of their diminishing world power now drive them to take even more irrational decisions, including risking World War III with nuclear powers Russia and China?

The actions taken so far in Syria, Eastern Europe and the South China Sea do not indicate a reassuring answer to that question....

[Tyler]

Which of you cold warriors ever thought a former KGB agent's guile is all that stands between the world and chaos?

[The Beaver]

Colonel,

As far as the Bosphorus, Turkey has to abide by the Montreux Convention, isn't it?

[AEL]

Those with sufficiently large aluminum foil hats will note that Israel found oil in the Golan this week. Coincidence?
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4699008,00.html

[jr786]

It's hard for me to avoid the conclusion that chronic instability in the region, fueled by extremism, is exactly what 'we' want, if we means the neocon ideologues who engineered this policy.

Is that in the national interest? Is anyone speaking out against the actions regarding the Russians?

[The Twisted Genius]

Does anybody remember the Pristina Dash? Russian military capability and political astuteness have increased by leaps and bounds since that bold move in June 1999. I think Russia will methodically build up the sea and air base around Latakia while providing some increased assistance to the SAA. At some point, I will not be surprised if a sizable Russian Airborne Force (VDV) appears overnight to quickly seize the area Turkey wants as a "sanctuary" area for their IS allies. They would then assist the SAA in retaking Aleppo. The polite men in green may even be seen among the YPG and Euphrates Volcano forces as they enter Raqaa.

If this does happen, the best course of action for the US is to just stand by with mouth agape, not knowing whether to shit or go blind. The true crazies will stomp their feet, shake their fists and hurl epithets. We would all be better off if that was the full extent of our reaction.

[The Twisted Genius]

This fellow, Jean-Bernard Pinatel, seems to have some sensible ideas.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/monde/2015/09/06/31002-20150906ARTFIG00076-syrie-la-france-doit-aider-assad-a-combattre-daech.php

[BayStClimate]

why don't you try and express your freedoms in Russia and see what happens?

[VietnamVet]

Colonel,

You are absolutely correct. There is no doubt that Vladimir Putin’s support of the continued existence of the Syrian State will raise the hackles of the roosters in Washington DC. Donald Trump calls them stupid. Not really, they crow and they are very greedy. Also mixed in the flock are true believers who can’t see reality even if it hits them in the face.

Today’s refugee diaspora is caused by the push for regime change from Libya through Syria to Russia. NATO is splintering. Turkey is at war with America’s Kurdish allies. Greece is in an economic stranglehold. The West is in a religious war with Islam yet cannot not recognize the difference between Shiites or Sunnis. The same day a Minnesota Somali teenager made a plea agreement to spend a decade in jail for trying to join ISIL, John Kerry announced that more Muslim refugees will be admitted into the USA.

This at the heart of mankind’s future. Can our institutions be transformed peacefully to end these wars of profit and instead work for the people not the wealthy?

[gemini33]

What happens if they succeed in closing the Bosphorous to the Russians? I don't see how that doesn't provoke a war. It's governed by a Montreaux Convention, not that we pay any attention to those anymore, let alone international law.

From Wikipedia: "The Convention gives Turkey full control over the Straits and guarantees the free passage of civilian vessels in peacetime."

If Erdogan's days in office are numbered, perhaps the new govt (or military junta) will make this happen but would Erdogan do it? I'm seeing things from reporters in Turkey that things are descending into chaos there. It's being compared to the 1990s.

P.S. I know, Col Lang, that you think I don't comprehend the capacity for incompetence of this govt but again, I have a really hard time believing that this administration does not realize what will happen to Syria if they take out the structure of the Syrian govt. After their catastrophic failure in installing their puppet transitional govt in Libya, and given that all over the world experts are warning that Syria will be overrun by jihadists if they do another regime change, even the most incompetent set of policymakers cannot be unware of what the likely outcome will be. If they do another regime change, I believe they are aware of the likely outcome and either that's what they want or they just don't care.

[Medicine Man]

Libya and Iraq. They either cannot put two and two together or simply care more about imaginary geopolitics. Someone should slap the Risk board out of their hands.

[Ishmael Zechariah]

Tyler,
Would that be guile and guts? The DC folks seem to have plenty of guile, no brains and no guts.
Ishmael Zechariah

[Paul Escobar]

BayStClimate,

What a ridiculous comment - from someone who clearly lives in Canada (as I do).

You do realize that both our Canadian Liberal and Conservative parties have imposed thought-crime legislation that persecutes political rivals?

Environmentalists are being investigated, imprisoned, and are compared to terrorists (courtesy of our oil-drunk Conservatives). While Christians are being arrested, fined, and forced into teaching government-imposed definitions of gender and sexuality (courtesy of our pervert Liberals).

I have friends in Russia who work in the arts. We talk and exchange ideas all the time. They live normal lives, and speak as freely as they want. One of my friends has a series of pictures where she sticks up her middle finger at Putin's face at different locations. Another rountinely mocks Russian Orthodox church officials in humorous essays. They don't live in fear, are not persecuted (by the state - or social media, as is the new habit in North America) and go about their lives just as breezily and superficially as we do.

The difference between them and Pussy Riot is that they don't attempt to commandeer sacred spaces for the purpose of hurling abuse at innocents.

smh,
Paul

[different clue]

Kim Sky,

How much of this most current anti-Russia orientation might be driven by Obama's personal sense of humiliated shame and rage over Putin's success against past Obama efforts to attack Syria and overthrow the entire SAR government? I remember Obama's childish spiteful gratuitous public insults against Putin in public forum after public forum after public forum. How much of this is stictly driven by Obama's pathotoxic narcissistic hatred for Putin and how much is Obama deliberately his-own-self empowering the attack-Russia faction within his Administration as much as he feels he can possibly get away with?

[different clue]

The Beaver,

What if the Erdogists decide to flout the Montreux Convention and refuse passage to Russian ships and dare Russia to shoot its way through? What if Erdogan simply decides to dare the "rest of the world" to do something about it?

[different clue]

The Twisted Genius,

In this scenario, I can imagine Russia really rubbing Erdogan's nose in it by turning that area of retaken Syrian Kurdistan over to the Syrian Kurdish militias . . . if Russia feels suitably re-assured that these militias would work with the SAR in supporting overall SAR authority against anti-SAR forces.

[João Carlos]

the irony is killing me...