Keep Calm and Kill the Bastards - TTG

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described as correct the offer of French President Francois Hollande to take steps to close the Syrian-Turkish border. He said as much while talking to reporters on Wednesday.

"Going back to the news conference of Presidents of France and the United States Francois Hollande and Barack Obama in Washington, I noticed that the French president suggested taking steps to close the Turkish-Syrian border to stop both the flow of militants and terrorist financing," the Russian minister said. "It is significant that President Obama did not respond to this in any way, but I think it’s the right suggestion."

"I hope that President Hollande will brief us on the issue tomorrow (during the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin)," the Russian foreign minister said. "We would be ready to seriously consider the steps necessary for this."

"Many say that, by closing this border, we will effectively curb the terrorist threat in Syria," Lavrov added.  (TASS News Agency)

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This guy Lavrov, like his boss, is a pretty cool character. He made an astute observation concerning yesterday’s Hollande-Obama news conference. I think the Russians are going to push hard for a joint declaration calling for the closing of the Turkish-Syrian border when Hollande sees Putin tomorrow. At that point, it is my opinion that both Obama and Erdogan will not know whether to sh*t or go blind.

The R+6 are already pushing to accomplish this border closing with vigorous and violent pushes further north towards the border. Convoys of any kind are being struck if they move to or from the border areas. The SAA seized control of the Raqqa-Aleppo road just east of Kuweires Airbase and cut an IS supply route.

R+6 forces are operating near the border crossings according to a description of the rescue of the SU-24 navigator. An 18 man Syrian commando team linked up with a 6 man Hezbollah already sitting near a border crossing point to effect the rescue. That Hezbollah team was performing a SICTA (strategic intelligence collection and target acquisition) mission. Such teams are probably all along that border right up to Jarabulus. 

Syrian Kurds are ready to start cooperating with Russia. Salih Muslim Muhammad, the leader of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), said, “Until now we haven’t had the opportunity to establish cooperation with Russia. But we would be happy if such opportunity appears. Russia hasn’t yet approached our region as it is active in the west. I think in the future we’ll be able to establish a dialogue on military cooperation with the Russian side.” It’s only a matter of time. 

Closing the border and neutering Erdogan’s ability to support IS and the unicorns is the best revenge for the deliberate downing of the SU-24 and the execution of Lt Col Oleg Peshkov. It is also the most effective COA to eventually destroy IS.

TTG

Comments

[Babak Makkinejad]

No doubt about local politics in London or elsewhere, the difference being that the English have a 1000 years of statehood behind them and another 1000 years of empiricist rationalism.

[turcopolier]

Emad

Somehow I have lost your comment in which you ask me what person from the past I would replace Carter with as SECDEF. That would be George C. Marshall of course, but Obama would never appoint such a man. pl

[Deray]

Hi Babak,

I agree with your view here. It just seems that Obama represents just one of many factions - albeit the "reluctant warrior" faction - with respect to foreign/defense policy vis-a-vis Iran, Russia or Israel. Even with this compromised position he has managed to get the Iran nuclear deal done, and in the process draw the open ire of Israel

I don't remember what the issue was now, but I recall Obama challenging the people who wanted him to do something to get actively engaged in the political process and in effect "force me to do it" (paraphrasing here). Not having such a domestic constituency, it appears he has found the "partner" in Putin to create the sort of facts on the ground that would give him political cover to turn the focus directly onto ISIS. If he were so inclined.

The more worrying issue is that - beyond Obama the person - the Presidency itself may be too structurally compromised. The die may be cast irrespective of who sits in the oval office. I can't think of any of the current aspirants to the office who would be willing to execute a "neutral" Iran or Russia policy. There is no obvious domestic political constituency for any such re-think.