Russia has begun its military intervention in Syria - Plan attacks against Rebels and ISIS

originally posted by: Skywatcher2011
a reply to: infolurker

Russia is doing what Trump was planning to do...nuff said

You mean nothing? Even if Russia does manage to deploy a few aircraft it will be a drop in the bucket compared to what the US and allies are already doing. So yes like Trump, Russia would be all talk and no action.

this is exactly what the USA wants Russia and China to do...

they want to draw them in on ISIS so they can mess them up proper...

Suckers...

Let us hope that others around will join up actually destroying those devils and restore peace over there, this could mean much wider case peaceful movement in ME if succeed. Many will doubt Russia can do anything over there just because west have been failing so far for all this time but how will west look a like after Russia kills them off with swiftness compared to west have been "trying" and will we see west allies intervene, namely Netandyahoo/Turkey and so draw rest of the west protecting their investments ?

Might turn the ww3 on full gear/make the war visible for all of us or might be the best thing yet towards actual peace and give a Russia much more respect around the world.

a reply to: romilo
Russia will be embarrassed as history repeats itself...

Although I would much rather have you be correct...

a reply to: MrSpad

I wonder if maybe moving troops to Syria would be Putin's way to save face in Ukraine. Leave for a good reason but say a stern "you're lucky this time." type message. Russians would buy it without a doubt.

originally posted by: babybunnies
If the Russians manage to stop the ISIS threat and clear our Assad, American foreign policy in the Middle East will be set back DECADES.

It would show that the Russians can take out enemies while Americans spend years just debating over the best way to deal with them.

A successful Russian military intervention in Syria would be a huge boost for Putin on the World stage, and a massive slap in the face to Obama foreign policy.

It's great to dream, but that will never happen. Russia isn't that bad-ass.

originally posted by: 5StarOracle
a reply to: romilo
Russia will be embarrassed as history repeats itself...

Although I would much rather have you be correct...

Russians like to refer to Russian winters as a natural defence, No One ever refers to Arab Summers as just as well a natural defence.

To be honest, ISIS is such a evil force that any help will be good.

Let's not forget that Russia has good form in quelling unrest - look to Chechnya where their antics resulted in the deaths huge numbers of civilians - a point oft neglected by the people who think Russia is a force for good.

Russia's aim is to keep their naval base. If Assad falls then they may lose this tiny toe-hold of influence. Who knows, Russia may hold a referendum and annex a bit of Syria!

originally posted by: paraphi
To be honest, ISIS is such a evil force that any help will be good.

Let's not forget that Russia has good form in quelling unrest - look to Chechnya where their antics resulted in the deaths huge numbers of civilians - a point oft neglected by the people who think Russia is a force for good.

Russia's aim is to keep their naval base. If Assad falls then they may lose this tiny toe-hold of influence. Who knows, Russia may hold a referendum and annex a bit of Syria!

They have a seaport base there too, I wonder where the referendum votes in Syria will be held

*telephone rings*
hi putin, it's obama! please stop fighting isis asap!! we need them as a threat to destabilize this region and europe!
you may drop some cosmetic bombs like we do but please let them advance!

Russia had no choice and it's something they had to do

The western backed Syrian freedom fighters we originally funded could not make any gains and their back was broken by The Syrian army

So somehow ISIS comes into existence and is for some reason beating the Syrian army and taking ground

The plans for Syria were to be the repeat of Libya with air superiority taking out the military chain and clearing a path to Damascus for the rebels we backed

Russia and china I believe said no to this plan

a reply to: paraphi

Russia also wants to stem the western backed financed and trained murderous holocaust of Christians in the middle east and north Africa. Britain and USA by funding the rebels and training them have done what they did in Iraq and Libya by destroying another Secular state that protected its Christians and have contributed to this holocaust. In this manner I applaud Russia for taking a stand for Christianity in its homeland of the Middle East

I find myself not caring, the fsa was a populist movement, but that ship sailed some time ago.

The only fighters on the rebel side worth talking to now are the kurds, and for political reasons we can't.

If Russia wants to try and stabilize it, I wish them luck.

a reply to: ufoorbhunter

I don't think Russia turning up in Syria are there for the Christians and I don't think Britain or the US are guilty in creating Islamic extremism - something that has existed for centuries. Russia has been the victim of Islamic extremists and terrorism, so it cuts both ways e.g. Beslan and Nord-Ost to name but two.

If Russia sends military to overtly intervene in Syria, then it'll be done to keep Assad in power and to ensure their military bases in Tartus, Syria are not compromised. If Assad is toppled then the legitimacy of Russian's presence in Syria is questioned. A new regime (God knows what that will be) in Syria won't want Russia around as they have supported Assad.

Perversely, the US and others are helping Assad by killing-off ISIS. As ISIS are the epitome of evil at the moment any help to finish the job would be welcome.

a reply to: paraphi

Russia is interested in the defence of the Christians in the Middle East, as it can see beyond the next oil deal/pipeline etc, unlike the West. British and French foreign policy has been to overthrow the leadership of Middle Eastern countries through war as in Iraq and Afghanistan or through pushing protests then revolution through the Arab Spring. This is so short sighted as by backing this foreign policy we have directly contributed to the holocaust of Christians in their homeland of the Middle East. We have backed an extermination of the secular Middle East. I remember seeing that Syrian minister Makdad saying to the media on RT that the west is backing the wrong side. Looking at the disintegration of what was a functioning state for people to live in with general safety and the millions flooding into the EU with horror stories of what was happening at the hands of the rebels, I think he is right.

originally posted by: Vector99
a reply to: MrSpad

I wonder if maybe moving troops to Syria would be Putin's way to save face in Ukraine. Leave for a good reason but say a stern "you're lucky this time." type message. Russians would buy it without a doubt.

Russia is simply not capable of of sending and supporting any size of troops that would make a difference. 75% of Russia's military is 1 year conscripts that can not be deployed. The remainder are professional soldiers and have a hard time supporting the war in Ukraine and keeping elite units at a decent level or readiness. Not to mention Russia would have no way to support those troop. Even a small deployment of say 6 planes would be hard for the Russians to pull off and support.

Any Russian support to Syria, and I seriously doubt they are offering any, would be to small in scale to be anything but, symbolic and do nothing to harm ISIS or help Assad.

a reply to: ufoorbhunter

Do you have a link to any reliable source that Russia's foreign policy in the ME is about preserving Christians? They are a bit late, considering the Muslims in many countries in North Africa and the Middle East have a habit of persecuting any minority, including their fellow Muslims.

Jews used to have healthy populations in most ME countries, but the Muslims put an end to that. Tragically, the Christian populations - and smaller Muslim denominations - are the target for Islamic intolerance and extremism. ISIS is the current culprit, but let's not forget the persecution of the Christians in Egypt by Muslims.

But, like I said. If Russia overtly support Syria they will be doing it to keep Assad in power and their naval base intact. Protecting Christians is not policy, unless you prove it!

a reply to: infolurker

Good.

About time some actual action was taken in Syria to actually help Syria and not purely as an aid to Global hegemony and propaganda.

Now we'll probably finally see the back of so-called ISIS 'issue' pretty soon methinks...Russia, unlike the West, has nothing to gain from a continued threat in the region from ISIS..so their number is soon to be up.

a reply to: paraphi

Yes there is lots of correspondence between Russia and the Christians in Syria. Read lots over the years, Russia and Syria are close, Russia is obviously interested in Tartus and keeping an all in the region plus a big buyer of Russian weapons. But Russians do care about their bretheren in the region. Britain has given up on that by destroying by various means the secular states in the region. Now we watch secular Syria being destroyed and the Christians on the run again. I'll dig out some (at work when on this site lol) stuff on the Russian care for Christians in Syria, I know they have offered 50,000 Christians in Qallamoon refuge in Russia at some time recently.

Just by not attempting to destroy the secular Middle East is helping Christians. By not agreeing with British and French foreign policy in the Middle East and not backing Islamic groups and training them and supplying them through dodgy Gulf states like the West is doing, the Russians are protecting the Christians.

The Sephardic Jews were treated fairly well in the Middle East until they joined the colonial French in north africa and did their colonial work for them. That's why they left along with the black feet from north africa, setting in France, Canada, plus Israel, as they were allied to the colonials by then. Also the state of Israel's actions never actually helped their ancient precence in these states. Added to which there is plenty of speculation Mossad helped push along the drift to Aliyha through encouraging things along - see Iraq, etc. Muslims treated Jews LOTS better than Christians during the diaspora..... Lots better.