Syria Disintegrating: Part 2

[Grey Fox]

A strong Russia is a good thing for World Security.

NATO needs a real opponent.

[Eddie Teach]

A strong Russia is a good thing for World Security.

NATO needs a real opponent.

Yes, brinkmanship is OSSUM.

[jimmy olsen]

Looks like the Russians are going to finally inspire Obama to get off his ass and expand operations in Syria, but if the US and Russians are bombing at cross purposes is it really going to do anything but prolong the suffering and accelerate the country's descent into a post-apocalyptic wasteland?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kerry-warns-of-grave-concerns-about-russias-intent-with-air-strikes-in-syria/2015/09/30/ccab60be-6792-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html

[mongers]

Primarily Russian actions expose the wishful thinking that has been the Obama administration's 'policy' on Syria; just because you want Assad to be replaced by a western leaning liberal democracy, doesn't mean it's one of the 'real' choices in Syria.

[MadBurgerMaker]

The Russians may have already lost an Su-25.

[mongers]

OK vox pops from within a country rule by a dictator aren't to be trusted, but just seen this one on the news, interviewed in Tartus an elderly man said of Russia's involvement "If Satan came to Tartus to save us from those terrorists, then I'd welcome him"

[mongers]

Russians mentioning supporting the Kurds and some talk of arming them. 

[KRonn]

Russians mentioning supporting the Kurds and some talk of arming them. 

No surprise there. Russians are bulling their way in with an "in your face" especially to the US but also to UK, French, Aussies and others who have been operating in the region for a while.

[mongers]

Reuters reporting, Iranian ground units are arriving in Syria:

Iran troops to join Syria war, Russia bombs group trained by CIA

BEIRUT/MOSCOW  | By Laila Bassam and Andrew Osborn

Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria to join a major ground offensive in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government, Lebanese sources said on Thursday, a sign the civil war is turning still more regional and global in scope.

Russian warplanes, in a second day of strikes, bombed a camp run by rebels trained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the group's commander said, putting Moscow and Washington on opposing sides in a Middle East conflict for the first time since the Cold War.

Senior U.S. and Russian officials spoke for just over an hour by secure video conference on Thursday, focussing on ways to keep air crews safe, the Pentagon said, as the two militaries carry out parallel campaigns with competing objectives.

"We made crystal clear that, at a minimum, the priority here should be the safe operation of the air crews over Syria," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.

Two Lebanese sources told Reuters hundreds of Iranian troops had reached Syria in the past 10 days with weapons to mount a major ground offensive. They would also be backed by Assad's Lebanese Hezbollah allies and by Shi'ite militia fighters from Iraq, while Russia would provide air support.

"The vanguard of Iranian ground forces began arriving in Syria -soldiers and officers specifically to participate in this battle. They are not advisers ... we mean hundreds with equipment and weapons. They will be followed by more," one of the sources said.

So far, direct Iranian military support for Assad has come mostly in the form of military advisers. Iran has also mobilised Shi'ite militia fighters, including Iraqis and some Afghans, to fight alongside Syrian government forces.
....

Full article here:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/10/01/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-idUKKCN0RV3YH20151001

[jimmy olsen]

Reuters reporting, Iranian ground units are arriving in Syria:

Iran troops to join Syria war, Russia bombs group trained by CIA

BEIRUT/MOSCOW  | By Laila Bassam and Andrew Osborn

Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria to join a major ground offensive in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government, Lebanese sources said on Thursday, a sign the civil war is turning still more regional and global in scope.

Russian warplanes, in a second day of strikes, bombed a camp run by rebels trained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the group's commander said, putting Moscow and Washington on opposing sides in a Middle East conflict for the first time since the Cold War.

Senior U.S. and Russian officials spoke for just over an hour by secure video conference on Thursday, focussing on ways to keep air crews safe, the Pentagon said, as the two militaries carry out parallel campaigns with competing objectives.

"We made crystal clear that, at a minimum, the priority here should be the safe operation of the air crews over Syria," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.

Two Lebanese sources told Reuters hundreds of Iranian troops had reached Syria in the past 10 days with weapons to mount a major ground offensive. They would also be backed by Assad's Lebanese Hezbollah allies and by Shi'ite militia fighters from Iraq, while Russia would provide air support.

"The vanguard of Iranian ground forces began arriving in Syria -soldiers and officers specifically to participate in this battle. They are not advisers ... we mean hundreds with equipment and weapons. They will be followed by more," one of the sources said.

So far, direct Iranian military support for Assad has come mostly in the form of military advisers. Iran has also mobilised Shi'ite militia fighters, including Iraqis and some Afghans, to fight alongside Syrian government forces.
....

Full article here:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/10/01/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-idUKKCN0RV3YH20151001

That kind of Iranian escalation is probably just going to whip up more outrage and support for the rebels by the Gulf States. Don't think it will work in the long run.

[11B4V]

What a shitfest.

[Monoriu]

So this is what the Arab Spring has come to. 

[KRonn]

That kind of Iranian escalation is probably just going to whip up more outrage and support for the rebels by the Gulf States. Don't think it will work in the long run.

I read something in the BBC on line that Syrian rebels have about 100k fighters against the Assad regime, not including ISIS. Also that the enmity that Assad has created with the ruthlessness and barbarity has created a situation where there really isn't likely to be any negotiated settlement that leaves Assad in power. So if true then the Iranians and Russkies have a lot of fighting to do and it's not going to be easy. That said, I'll reserve judgment since a while back when Iran and Hezbollah got involved they made some progress.

[Admiral Yi]

Primarily Russian actions expose the wishful thinking that has been the Obama administration's 'policy' on Syria; just because you want Assad to be replaced by a western leaning liberal democracy, doesn't mean it's one of the 'real' choices in Syria.

Perhaps we should emulate the British, and just not mention it.

[Razgovory]

That would be a step in the right direction.  I see no material gain for the US and little in the way of moral gain.  It's like Lebanon in the 1980's.  If we try to intervene we'll just get burned.  The only right move is not to play.