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it is clear that the disintegration of Yugoslavia would have been difficult to prevent even if the Western powers had done everything right. The ease with which Milosevic destroyed the economic reforms instituted by Markovic proves the point: open society is a delicate construct which it is easier to destroy than to develop.
Milosevic, on his own, does not constitute a security threat to Europe or to the rest of the world; but nationalist dictatorships do
originally posted by: vNex92
a reply to: putnam6
Putin didn't see it coming
Did and its why they took action in Syria.
If Russia didn't taken Action in Syria. Syria would have fallen like Libya and there would be thousands and thousands of more migrants to Europe.
What is Russia’s Endgame in Syria?
Lacking better options, Russia appears to be pursuing a 'spheres of influence' model.
Specifically, Russia's endgame in Syria seeks to promote Moscow's interests in three concentric arenas: (1) Syria's multi-layered conflict; (2) Russia's role in regional/Middle East dynamics; and (3) Moscow's broader conception of an evolving global order.
This “spheres of influence” model points to one potential outcome of the Syrian conflict and more significantly illuminates a potential Russian approach for both the region and, what some Russian strategists’ term, a “post-West” order. This order centers on a multipolar, competitive world characterized by a diminished role of the United States and an elevated Russian status. Thus, understanding Russia’s endgame in Syria may unlock insights into Moscow’s strategic posture in a complex 21st-century world, with important implications for the United States.
According to the leaked reports, first reported by the Washington Post, Iran has been arming and training local fighters to use powerful roadside explosives against American armored vehicles on the ground. The remotely detonated bombs, reportedly capable of piercing even tanks, could result in mounting American casualties and lead to inadvertent escalation.
The report demonstrates “the Islamic Republic’s increased leverage over Moscow in the aftermath of its invasion of Ukraine and its dependence on Iran for arms, particularly drones, in its war,” Jason Brodsky, policy director for United Against Nuclear Iran, tells The Dispatch. “Russia having a more permissive attitude for the Islamic Republic to escalate in Syria is something that the U.S. and Israeli governments have been eyeing for some time.”
And as Iranian proxies threaten U.S. forces from the ground, Russia threatens them from the sky. Since March, CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla recently told Congress, there has been a “significant spike” in Russian pilots flying warplanes over U.S. bases in Syria. What’s more—the aircraft have been armed with weapons capable of targeting American troops and equipment on the ground.
The Russian pilots are equipped with “air-to-ground munitions on board, very close to our locations on the ground,” Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of all U.S. Air Force units in the Middle East, said during a CENTCOM podcast released last week. “I think they’re intentionally trying to pressure the United States, and make us worry about the stability of our presence in the region.”
The recent escalations threaten to derail the delicate balance struck by the foreign powers operating in Syria. Like the U.S., Iran and Russia intervened in Syria during its civil war, with the former sending ground troops and the latter providing air support to shore up the Assad regime. Both have stuck around since, but recent reports signal a new, more organized phase in their efforts to rid the country of its U.S. presence.