Despite Russia’s warning of great “consequences” should Western powers intervene in Syria, the United States, Britain and France managed to thread the needle with an air strike on Friday that did not prompt any immediate military response from Russia.
In fact, Syrian media reports to the contrary notwithstanding, coalition forces said that not one of the missiles fired in the operation was successfully engaged by Russia’s much-touted defense technology. “The Syrian response was remarkably ineffective,” according to the Pentagon. The US may have helped achieve these results by fooling Russia with a decoy destroyer – the only destroyer in the region’s waters – which didn’t fire a single missile.
One Russian expert said that the strikes were also effective on another level. “The three-member coalition has partially achieved one of its goals by driving a wedge between Russia, Turkey and Iran. The Turkish authorities predictably supported the strikes on targets in Syria,” Vitaly Naumkin of the Russian Academy of Science was quoted by Russia’s TASS news agency as saying.
But the “one-time shot” strike, as US Defense Secretary James Mattis called it, did not mark the end to tensions in Syria. Far from it, headlines hyping “World War III” only multiplied after the air strike, as fears grow of Israel’s and Iran’s mostly proxy battle turning into a direct, all-out conflict, while Russia reinforces its dominant position.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron hailed his success in persuading his US counterpart to stay in Syria for the long haul. “Ten days ago, President Trump was saying ‘the United States should withdraw from Syria.’ We convinced him it was necessary to stay,” Macron said in an interview with French media. “We convinced him it was necessary to stay for the long term.”
Whether the US digs in with its Kurdish allies – who dominate a US-aligned swath of more than 20% of Syrian territory – or decides to leave, Russia is not going anywhere.
Mosow is stepping up supplies to Syria this week, with Turkish media posting photos of a Russian warship heading through the Bosporus:
Reinforcement for Russia’s campaign continues amid rising international crisis in #Syria: #ВМФ Project1171 #ЧФ BSF Tapir class LST Orsk transits Med-bound Bosphorus en route to #Tartus carrying BTR80 APCs, Ural4320tanker,ambulance,KamAZ trucks & AirborneTroops VDV’s IVECO 4WDLynx pic.twitter.com/rmfsRRVxnJ
— Yörük Işık (@YorukIsik) April 15, 2018
UK tabloid The Sun chose more colorful language, declaring in absurdly exaggerated term that “Vlad’s Armada” was on its way. “Russian warships laden with tanks, Alligator ships and armored patrol boats sail towards Syria as the world waits for Putin’s response,” the headline continues.
Others cautioned that the air strikes are a “great distraction” from the real collision course between Iran and Israel, which Thomas Friedman agreed on Sunday in The New York Times was far more dangerous than Russia-US tensions. “This is not mere speculation. In the past few weeks – for the first time ever – Israel and Iran have begun quietly trading blows directly, not through proxies, in Syria. And this quiet phase may be about to end.”
Asia times report is a piece of shit.70% missiles were brought down by the Syrians with ancient Soviet SAMs.
Art Valentin , AMERICA ALWAYS LOOK FOR TROUBLE, ITS THIER ONLY CHANCE TO SURVIVE,, FOR THE RECORD AMERICA IS TOTALLY DEBT AND NO MONEY,,
TO THE WORLD
Permissive will but not directive will..man’s sinfulness is very much of bigger part!
Boying Manuel Since i have Syrian blood ,i can tell you 2 words
F Y!!!
Sir… War is a multi-billion dollar industry and Syria has the means and resources to purchase weapons, ammunitions etc from Russia. BTR80 APCs, Ural4320tanker,ambulance,KamAZ trucks & AirborneTroops VDV’s IVECO 4WDLynx they ain’t for free Assad probably ordered them from Russia. Even those Tomahawks Missiles fired on Syria is not for Free. Someone somehow paid USA, France and UK to spend their military assets to strike Syria and use the issue of chemical attack by Assad on his citizens as an excuse so they can exercise International Laws so they can intervene in the Civil War happening in Syria.
The "dictator" is buying ths equipment.
Business for russia
If assad is given some more time he will throw out all terrorists out of his country which west doesnt like. That’s why they striking with missiles. Cowards
Mikey Turcotte u r too harsh in ur utterances.
US has unresolved issues with its slaughter of endless millions of Native Americans, Latin Americans, Hawaians and Filipinos. In guise of liberating Filipinos from Spain’s 400 years of slavery, Americans invaded Philippines, murdered our aged, the children, raped our women (they called it pacification) STOLE our lands and fatten their industries from Ph riches.
USA neverr Apologized to Filipinos. It erased from American textbooks the atrocities and impunities it committed against peaceful and freedom loving Filipinos and it MEDDLED and heavily influenced Presidents of Ph UNTIL MAY 2016.
Leo Torres ,you dont know America you are idiot
If there is no war the Americans will die from hunger. Weapon is their only main source of income.
Who is the dictator here and why do you say so
I believe that these missile strikes were agreed to with Russia throwing a bone to Trump to shore up his domestic base .The fact that none of the targets were of any significance should give pause to wonder why $300 million was spent to do virtually no real damage . The Americans claim 100% success but there were apparently two missiles recovered intact and were handed over to the Russians .And the Syrians claimed 70% of the 105 missiles launched were intercepted by older Russian technology . If , as suspected , the Russians are providing S300 systems to Syria , it will be interesting to see how many more incursions will be made by the Israelis for example .We know that the Russians are supplying S300 systems to Iran. Previously apparently, there was an agreement by Russia not to supply S300 systems to Syria. But in light of this missile attack, Russia does not feel obligated to maintain that stance.
So your saying it could takes centuries before they respond?
Idiot, the will of greedy power hungry politics that have no care for the innocents is the the reason, not God.
And what is right is being the aerial arm of of some terrorists groups?
If there would be war, it’s the will of God.
This is is good letvrhe struggling economy of Russia spend money by defending a dictator .. a familiar mistake
The strike exposes the weaknesses of Assad. You can expect Putin to shore up Assad with whatever needed to stand up to the coalition. When evenly matched, Assad is not going to swallow the insult lying down. Expect conflagration within months, years, decades or centuries! Old empires will crumble & new ones take their place.
Vlad hinted S-300’s for Syria,what else do u expect is floating in these transporters.