Putin’s New Axis of Resistance: Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Hezbollah

[DKW 86 7,407]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/28/putin-s-new-axis-of-resistance-russia-iran-iraq-syria-and-hezbollah.html

Folks, this might be the best present Putin could ever give us. We walk away and the Russians, etc and ISIS fight it out for the next 20 years.

Thanks Vlad!

[autigeremt 6,560]

True dat!

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

http://www.thedailyb...-hezbollah.html

Folks, this might be the best present Putin could ever give us. We walk away and the Russians, etc and ISIS fight it out for the next 20 years.

Thanks Vlad!

I hope you're right but over that 20 years Russia may also become the major power influencing the middle east. On Obama's watch they have risen from the ashes......getting their way in Ukraine, Syria, etc.Does anyone not believe our influence in the ME has deteriorated and is likely to become even less?

[DKW 86 7,407]

http://www.thedailyb...-hezbollah.html

Folks, this might be the best present Putin could ever give us. We walk away and the Russians, etc and ISIS fight it out for the next 20 years.

Thanks Vlad!

I hope you're right but over that 20 years Russia may also become the major power influencing the middle east. On Obama's watch they have risen from the ashes......getting their way in Ukraine, Syria, etc.Does anyone not believe our influence in the ME has deteriorated and is likely to become even less?

If they want to fight what could be several hundred million people that either are or soon will be armed with nuke weapons, i say let them relearn the lesson of the first Afghan War. Getting the focus of ISIS etc off of us and on someone else is not going to be a bad thing. Anyone's influence in the ME will soon be nothing more than how many young folks they are willing to send there and die. These people are religious zealots. Rational sane people have nothing in common with them. Read Josephus.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

http://www.thedailyb...-hezbollah.html

Folks, this might be the best present Putin could ever give us. We walk away and the Russians, etc and ISIS fight it out for the next 20 years.

Thanks Vlad!

I hope you're right but over that 20 years Russia may also become the major power influencing the middle east. On Obama's watch they have risen from the ashes......getting their way in Ukraine, Syria, etc.Does anyone not believe our influence in the ME has deteriorated and is likely to become even less?

If they want to fight what could be several hundred million people that either are or soon will be armed with nuke weapons, i say let them relearn the lesson of the first Afghan War. Getting the focus of ISIS etc off of us and on someone else is not going to be a bad thing. Anyone's influence in the ME will soon be nothing more than how many young folks they are willing to send there and die. These people are religious zealots. Rational sane people have nothing in common with them. Read Josephus.

As I say, I hope you are right. But Putin is no fool. I think he knows what he wants and is doing what it takes to get there. I am in fact glad he is supporting Assad and not ISIS. Assad may be a ruthless dictator but he has left Christians in Syria alone for the most part.

I would just note that:

1. On numerous occasions over the the last several years Obama has said "Assad has to go" and "Assad's days are numbered" yet Assad is still in power and Obama has done nothing.

2. In spite of Obama and Putin apparently having a cozy talk at the UN just Monday, Obama, Kerry and SECDEF were ALL caught offguard by the Russian airstrikes this morning.

Bottomline....our foreign policy and ME strategy (if there ever was one) are in shambles. Putin will do whatever he wants to and we will do nothing.

[tgr4lfe 220]

Do we think/know if Russia's strategy is to take down ISIS or just gain a foothold in the ME for their own sake? I fear the latter. I seriously doubt ISIS is going to take their eyes off the U.S., they might shift focus to Russia for a short time, if Russia is in fact trying to take them down for the greater good. Not sure what to make of all this with Russia conducting airstrikes.

[AUUSN 823]

Here's a good article to get you up to speed:

http://warisboring.com/articles/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-russias-surge-into-syria/

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Here's a good article to get you up to speed:

http://warisboring.c...rge-into-syria/

I agree it gets us up to speed. The key line in the whole article is peter Cook saying " at this point we don't have a clear picture of what the Russians are hoping to do in Russia," Wow!! begs the question,,,,,do we know what we are hoping to do in Syria and what our strategy is? I would note that I learned a long time ago that hope is not a strategy.

[autigeremt 6,560]

Russia is for Russia. The US is known for the same kind of approach.

However, I'm fine with them spilling blood and treasure in the region....it's time someone else made the same mistakes while we continue to float about.........unsure of the wind or the current.

[AUUSN 823]

Anyone who thinks Russia is there to fight Daesh, should get up to speed.....quickly.

"Videos posted online showed huge clouds of gray

into the sky while

in Talbiseh, a district on the outskirts of Homs, far from any ISIS stronghold.

The areas targeted were mostly strongholds of Jaish al-Fatah, a coalition of rebel groups that includes the Al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, but also the popular Ahrar al-Sham, a hardline Islamist rebel group backed by Turkey and Qatar. All the targets were far to the west of ISIS strongholds in eastern and northeastern Syria, but key to protecting Assad’s dominion in the country’s northwest and the capital, Damascus.

“It means that Russia is really in Syria to defend its own interest,” said Horowitz. “These are targets meant to protect the northern coast where Russia has has a naval base, and they’re not there to target ISIS.”

http://www.buzzfeed....-con#.lyVO3jD9O

[channonc 466]

Russia is for Russia. The US is known for the same kind of approach.

However, I'm fine with them spilling blood and treasure in the region....it's time someone else made the same mistakes while we continue to float about.........unsure of the wind or the current.

Agree.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Interesting coalition building up. Does anyone think this is the best interests of the U.S. and our future influence in the ME?

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/10/01/cia-backed-rebels-civilians-reportedly-targeted-by-russian-airstrikes-in-syria/?intcmp=hpbt1

[tgr4lfe 220]

Here's a good article to get you up to speed:

http://warisboring.c...rge-into-syria/

Thanks, interesting and concerning.

[autigeremt 6,560]

Here's a good article to get you up to speed:

http://warisboring.c...rge-into-syria/

Thanks, interesting and concerning.

"surface-to-air missile batteries."

Why do they need these???? No one else in the region has air power assets of any kind except the US and other coalition forces.

[homersapien 11,336]

It's clear that Putin is there to back Assad, period. The people they have been bombing are Syrian citizens.

I think he perceived an opening and acted compulsively. This has a lot of potential to backfire on him.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Just my opinion but I think Putin could csre less about Assad. His strategy is to become the kingmaker in the ME

[homersapien 11,336]

Just my opinion but I think Putin could csre less about Assad. His strategy is to become the kingmaker in the ME

Well of course I didn't mean he cares for him personally, but Russia has been allied with the Assad regime for decades. It's the only foothold they have in the region.

Not sure what you mean by "kingmaker" but they can't control the politics of area any more than they were able to in Afghanistan (or for that matter, no better than we can.)

Now he has doubled-down on Assad as the only legitimate ruler of the country. I just don't think this is going to work out well for them.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Just my opinion but I think Putin could csre less about Assad. His strategy is to become the kingmaker in the ME

Well of course I didn't mean he cares for him personally, but Russia has been allied with the Assad regime for decades. It's the only foothold they have in the region.

Not sure what you mean by "kingmaker" but they can't control the politics of area any more than they were able to in Afghanistan (or for that matter, no better than we can.)

Now he has doubled-down on Assad as the only legitimate ruler of the country. I just don't think this is going to work out well for them.

We shall see in due time.

[DKW 86 7,407]

Just my opinion but I think Putin could csre less about Assad. His strategy is to become the kingmaker in the ME

Some have suggested it might be to get a naval base in the Med.

I think it is much simpler than that. Putin might just see that it will be better to beat ISIS now. To Re-install the Secular Arabs (Baathists?) into Iraq and maybe even Iran. That keeps the Caliphatists out of Mother Russia and puts things back to pre-Carter, pre-Bush41, pre-Bush43 when the area was at least stable.

One last thought. if you have read Josephus, you will find out how to deal with Zealots. You eventually come to the conclusion you have to kill them. The Romans did just that. That takes butchers. We Americans, for all the complaining on the Left are not that. The Russians? Oh hell yea, they can do that real well. Just ask pre-WWII Russians about it. Stalin may have killed more before WWII than Hitler did in WWII. I say stand back and let this play out. And if Kerry gets a Noble Prize for it all, I will just go puke in the backyard and go on with life. Maybe he can put it on the mantle next to Obama's NPP for 11 Days in Office.