Russia invades ...
POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 05:41
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Einsteinian Insanity: US, Saudi Arabia Pledge To Provide More Guns, Ammo To Syrian Proxy Armies
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You have to hand it to Washington. When it comes to foreign policy blunders, the US certainly isn’t afraid to double and triple down.
As a leaked diplomatic cable from 2006 definitively shows, the US has actively sought to stoke sectarian violence in Syria for at least the last ten years and part of that effort has involved coordinating with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey to support Sunni extremists. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-21/secret-cable-reveals-us-plan-
overthrow-assad-exploiting-extremist-groups
That support led directly to what has to be considered the most absurd foreign policy outcome in the history of modern statecraft and we never tire of calling it out: Washington, Ankara, Riyadh, and Doha trained and equipped a group of fighters, told them to go and destabilize the Assad regime, and somewhere along the way, that group of fighters went rogue and metamorphosed into a insane band of black flag-waving, sword-wielding, white Nike-wearing, desert bandits hell bent on establishing a medieval caliphate....
...despite the sheer ridiculousness of that “train and equip” exercise, the US and its regional allies went on to arm and fund still more Sunni extremists hoping against hope that they might manage to find the rebel Goldilocks zone and finally back a group that is all at once effective at fighting to overthrow the regime and not prone to going absolutely nuts in the process.
... The effort to rearm the rebels [with anti-tank weapons?- SIGNY] is now more urgent than ever thanks to the fact that Russia and Iran are advancing on Aleppo. If Aleppo falls to the regime, it’s game over. Assad will effectively be restored and Putin and Soleimaini will turn their eyes west [east- SIGNY] to ISIS and then, once Raqqa falls, they'll march and fly right on into Iraq. Amusingly, Moscow even offered to provide air cover for the Free Syrian Army if the US would be so kind as to point Russia to the group’s “patriots” who are defending the country against extremists. The FSA declined to accept help from The Kremlin. ...
From the WSJ .... Secretary of State John Kerry and Saudi King Salman
Is this the same Salman who was recently hospitalized for dementia? Or his son, who seems to have taken over the throne?
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agreed to increase support for Syrian forces fighting Islamic State militants while backing international diplomatic efforts to begin a political transition in Damascus, U.S. and Saudi officials said.
The U.S. diplomat and Saudi monarch also coordinated on their countries’ joint efforts to fight the Islamic State terrorist organization that has gained control over large sections of Syrian and Iraqi territory in recent months.
“The secretary thanked the king for Saudi Arabia’s support to multilateral efforts to pursue a political transition in Syria … and reaffirmed our mutual goal of achieving a unified, pluralistic and stable country for all Syrians,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said after Mr. Kerry’s meeting on Saturday night with the Saudi monarch....
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia provide arms and training to rebel armies fighting in Syria. Washington, though, has refrained from backing insurgents who are directly fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. - WSJ
Well, I guess I cross the WSJ off my list of reliable sources, since they keep printing demonstrable lies.- SIGNY
There are several groups that the USA COULD provide arms to who are reliable anti-ISIS fighters, and those are the Kurds. Apparently, they were the recipients of the last 50-ton arms paradrop.
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Tony Blair concedes link between Islamic State and Iraq War
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Tony Blair has apologised for mistakes made over the Iraq War - and said there were "elements of truth" in claims that it caused the rise of Islamic State.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-34630380
Ya think????
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"Russia's Mid-East Takeover Continues as Afghanistan Requests Military Assistance From Moscow"
http://russia-insider.com/en/important-afghanistan-requests-military-a
ssistance-moscow/ri10752
Interesting, if true.
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In the four weeks since Russia entered the conflict in Syria, Moscow has waged a fierce campaign for the hearts and minds of ordinary Russians.
Public support for the Syria intervention was initially limited. But as Russian war correspondents have filed patriotic reports from the urban front lines, and the defense ministry has posted bombing videos on social media, support has increased, according to polls from Levada Center, an independent Moscow-based pollster.
Part of Moscow's propaganda war has also been an effort to obscure the number of its own military casualties.
On Tuesday, Russian officials gave the first official confirmation of a Russian military fatality in Syria. But the statement to the press said the soldier in question hadn't been killed but had committed suicide.
However, the parents of 19-year-old Vadim Kostenko told Reuters they didn't believe their son had killed himself.
"I will never believe this version," Kostenko's mother, Svetlana, told the news agency. "We spoke every day by phone for half an hour. He was cheerful, happy, and he laughed."
A banner showing portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad side by side is displayed in Aleppo, Syria, Oct. 17, 2015.
Since Russia began its military involvement in Syria four weeks ago, there have been reports of at least four other Russian servicemen being killed in action. Those reports, however, have not been confirmed by Moscow.
Moscow has a history of concealing fatalities during times of war or conflict.
"Russia is a state that for long time has treated its soldiers as ammunition rather than human beings," "Russia is a state that for long time has treated its soldiers as ammunition rather than human beings," Mark Galeotti, a professor at New York University and an expert on Russia's security services told Mashable.
When Russia lost troops during recent fighting in neighboring Ukraine, where the Russia covertly supported separatist militias, Moscow first claimed the soldiers had died in training exercises on Russian soil or denied they were active-duty troops, and even held secret burials of the dead. 
Empty coffins stand in front of a morgue in Donetsk, Ukraine, May 29, 2014. The next day they would be filled with the bodies of Russian fighters who were secretly repatriated under the cover of darkness.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in May that outlawed the disclosure of Russian deaths in "special operations," classifying them as military secrets.
Russian officials fear the erosion of public support for the Syrian intervention if soldiers start coming home in body bags, said Galeotti.
And to many Russians, Syria evokes memories of the Soviet Union's disastrous 1980s war in Afghanistan during which thousands of troops came home in cheap zinc-lined coffins.
http://mashable.com/2015/10/27/russian-casualties-in-syria-secret/#XMd
HSLbkEEqa
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By Pepe Escobar, who is sometimes too wordy, but always worth reading
ISIS at the Gates of Vienna
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History has a jolly habit of repeating itself as surrealist farce. Is it 1683 all over again, with the Ottoman Empire laying siege to Vienna just to be defeated by the “infidels” at the last minute?
No; it’s 2015 and a Caliph simulacrum – Ibrahim, a.k.a. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — has prompted a gaggle of world powers, lesser powers and assorted minions to converge to Vienna to discuss how to defeat him.
Westphalians, we got a problem. None of this makes any sense if Iran is not at the table discussing a solution for the Syrian tragedy. Moscow knew it from the start. Washington — reluctantly — had to admit the obvious. But the problem was never Iran. The problem is the ideological matrix of goons who metastasize into Caliphs: Saudi Arabia.
Back — inevitably — to surrealism. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stated, “The view of our partners … was that we should test the intentions of the Iranians and the Russians in arriving at a political solution in Syria, which we all prefer.”
Translation: “Our partners” means “His Masters’ Voice,” Washington; and the beheading-addicted oil hacienda does not “prefer” a political solution; they want regime change and a House of Saud satrapy.
Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, the EU, France and even Qatar — whose mini-emir wanted to launch his own military campaign for regime change before someone told him to shut up — are keeping company to Iran in Vienna, alongside the US, Russia, Turkey and the House of Saud.
Talk about parallel lives. One thing is a polite altercation inside a gilded Vienna palace. The shifting military sands across a Sykes-Picot-in-shambles “Syraq” tell a very different story.
Beware the new Global Jihad
The ideal solution is tempting; Russia dispatches the Spetsnaz and some extra commandos; beheads the ISIS/ISIL/Daesh goons from a C4i point of view; surrounds them; and wipes them out.
Yet it won’t happen, as long as Sultan Erdogan in Turkey, petrodollar GCC minions and the CIA persist to “support” and/or weaponize assorted Salafi-jihadi goons, “moderate” or otherwise.
The fake “Caliphate” will be a very tough nut to crack because they don’t – and won’t – care about their own mounting casualties. The “4+1” alliance – Russia, Syria, Iran, Iraq plus Hezbollah – already knows it, and has already experienced trouble in their ranks.
Hezbollah took casualties. So did Iran’s Quds Force – as in reliable mid-level commanders. Iran has around 1,500 fighters on the ground – many of them Afghans – on the “4+1” side. On the opposite side we have the House of Saud funneling a lot of cash and TOW anti-tank missiles to the Army of Conquest, which is nothing but an al-Qaeda-led coalition of the willing displaying relatively overlapping agendas (first regime change, then Caliphate or Muslim Brotherhood reign).
There’s no evidence – yet – that ISIS/ISIL/Daesh has been depleted of the bulk of their shoulder-fired anti-aircraft plus anti-tank guided missiles.
So while Vienna talks, what is ISIS/ISIL/Daesh really up to?
They are about to choose between two different strategies.
Firstly, the dig in in Raqqa – the former capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, before Baghdad – waiting for a Mother of All Battles. After all they can’t afford to lose it, as Raqqa, geostrategically, is the ultimate crossroads in Syria. Former Ba’athist military and a cluster of Arab nationalists are lobbying for this strategy.
Secondly, forget about digging in. The best is to expand the frontline, into the deeper desert, to the max. This means no clusters of targets available to the Russian Air Force, with the added benefit of the “4+1” – as in the Syrian Arab Army (SAA)/Iran/Hezbollah ground units supported by the Russian Air Force — overextending their lines of communication/supply and being faced with extra logistical problems. Hardcore Turks, Chechens, Uyghurs and Uzbeks are lobbying for this strategy.
Arguably the ISIS/ISIL/Daesh command is leaning towards optNOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
WAR ON THE GROUND
Russian air support can only go so far. Because of the satellite-guided release-of-dumb-bombs technology that they employ, they can only target fixed points with precision. And since Russia refuses to use imprecisely-released dumb bombs on civilian areas (so far), fighter- and ground-support jets can only go so far in chasing down Toyota pickup trucks, informal supply-lines, and temporary communications-centers. I suppose attack helicopters would work better. I think Pepe Escobar's situation report (sitrep) sums up the ISIS/ al-Qaida decision: Dig in, or hit-and-run?
Truly local rebellion against Assad would probably choose to dig in and defend their homes, but al Qaida, al Nusra, Jabhat, ISIS, and the rest of the Sunni jihadists/ mercs aren't local, I guess I agree that they would choose hit-and-run guerrilla tactics.
And finally
RUSSIAN AIRLINER CRASHES OVER EGYPT, ISIS TAKES CREDIT
The plane was 10,000 meters (30,000 feet, about 5 miles) in the air when it broke apart. That speaks to an unlikely mechanical failure, or a sophisticated anti-aircraft missile of considerable range ... not just a shoulder-fired missile (MANPAD). But, we should wait for the evidence to come in before giving possibly undue credit.
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Both the Russians and the Egyptians have said that ISIS doesn't have such weaponry. (Even if true, that doesn't rule out the Saudis or even the Israelis.) If it turns out to be terrorist-inspired, Russians have experienced terrorism before, including at the Moscow Theater and when 200 children were massacred in Beslan. I think this will just piss them off. Again, if true, it could indicate that ISIS (and Saudi and USA backers) have been stung enough in Syria that they're willing to go to the mat.
ETA: But as more info comes in, apparently the tail section was found quite a bit farther from the debris-field, and the plane had a history of seriously damaging the tail in 2001 during a botched landing. So maybe mechanical failure is the cause after all. We should wait for further evidence.
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With no comment on its veracity
Moderate Syrian Rebels Using Caged Civilians as Human Shields
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Beirut, November 1 (AFP) - A major Syrian rebel group is using dozens of captives in metal cages as “human shields” in the largest opposition stronghold on the outskirts of Damascus, a monitor said Sunday.
Jaish al-Islam, regarded as the most powerful rebel group near the capital, has put regime soldiers and Alawite civilians it was holding in metal cages, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/moderate-syrian-rebels-using-cag
ed-civilians-human-shields/ri10893
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No comment on its veracity because it is quoted without verification from another source
( http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/u-s-backed-moderate-rebels-put-ala
wite-women-in-cages-to-protect-themselves-from-airstrikes/#prettyPhoto)
'Moderate' Syrian Rebels Put Women in Cages to Protect Themselves From Airstrikes 
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In order to deter the Syrian and Russian Air Forces inside the East Ghouta (collection of farms) region of rural Damascus, the U.S. backed moderate rebels from “Jaysh Al-Islam” (Army of Islam) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) have placed kidnapped Alawite women in cages to protect themselves from airstrikes.
The U.S. backed Syrian Opposition’s social media activists posted the photos of the six kidnapped Alawite women on Twitter, adding their extra commentary that included sectarian insults to degrade the helpless women and taunt the Syrian President Dr. Bashar Al-Assad.
This is not the first time that the U.S. backed moderate rebels have used the Syrian people as human shields in order to deter airstrikes; however, this blatant disregard for human life has contradicted their alleged ethos to protect the Syrian people and put an end to the government of Dr. Bashar Al-Assad.
http://russia-insider.com/en/syria-moderate-rebels-put-women-cages-pro
tect-themselves-airstrikes-updated-w-video/ri10925
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The USA military has invested heavily in its projection of power via aircraft carriers, and the Russian military has invested heavily in figuring out defensive weapons systems which will make (have already made) those aircraft carriers obsolete.
Report: U.S. aircraft carriers could become ineffective (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/03/politics/aircraft-carriers-report-future/
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The Pentagon's focus on developing a "jack of all trades, master of none" aircraft, while rival countries build technology capable of sinking American carriers, could make these expensive warships ineffective in the coming years, according to the naval expert who authored the report.
I realized that when, during the first Russian-American standoff over Syria, when Russian destroyers anchored athwart the Syrian coast, all American military ships skedaddled right out of the eastern end of the Mediterranean. Looking around the world, do you see American aircraft carrier groups projecting power anywhere at all risky? Near the south China Sea, for example? It seems to me that aircraft carriers are (as China said) just big floating targets: Good for projecting air power over nations that don't have effective anti-aircraft missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, but that's about it.
A new Chinese anti-ship ballistic missile is bad news for US aircraft carriers (Business Insider)
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In a time when China wants full control of the disputed South China Sea, Beijing has developed a potential carrier-killer: an anti-ship missile called the Dong Feng-21 (CSS-5) that could deal catastrophic damage to US vessels.
http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-growing-military-power-may-make-
us-aircraft-carriers-obsolete-2015-10
The Mideast? Those cruise missiles, launched from the Caspian Sea and demonstrating an unexpected range, caused our aircraft carrier to backpeddle right out of the Persian Gulf!
As Russia Bombs Syria, U.S. Pulls Aircraft Carrier Out of Persian Gulf (NBC)
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-bombs-syria-u-s-pulls-aircraf
t-carrier-out-persian-n440731
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As Russian warships rain down cruise missiles as part of its military strike in Syria, there's now a glaring absence in the region: For the first time since 2007, the U.S. Navy has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.
Yanno, instead of constantly launching personal attacks against ME, why don't you pay attention to actual facts and trends around the world once in a while?
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You can't build a nation with bombs. You can't create a society with guns.
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