Air to surface Russian Missiles in Syria just tells the world that Russia plans to kill off all opposition to Assad in Syria. I think this is the message Russia is sending here. So, whether they are U.S. or NATO Trained or ISIS or Al Nusra Al Qaeda or whatever, I think it is wise to consider that Russia plans to wipe them all out there in Syria.
Russian missiles raise questions over Syria plans
| Financial Times | - |
The new details about Russia's presence in Syria
are important because the capabilities are of little military use
against jihadi groups such as Isis, which is Moscow's stated reason for
its increased intervention in the Syrian conflict. However, the ...
September 20, 2015 7:17 am
The Obama administration believes that Russia has sent air-to-surface missiles to Syria, raising “serious questions” about the purpose of Russia’s rapid military build-up in the country.
US secretary of state John Kerry said on Saturday that the increased
Russian military presence in Syria also included fighter jets with
air-to-air capabilities that would allow them to engage with other
combat aircraft.More
On this story
- US says Assad must go
- US and Russia hold talks on Syria war
- Coalition frets over stalling Isis fight
- Netanyahu to meet Putin over Syria
- Putin’s aims in Syria a mystery, US says
On this topic
- Cameron set to push for Syria air strikes
- Hammond argues for UK bombing in Syria
- Obituary Khaled al-Asaad, archaeologist, 1932-2015
- Vote delayed on bombing Isis in Syria
IN Middle Eastern Politics & Society
Sign up now
The
new details about Russia’s presence in Syria are important because the
capabilities are of little military use against jihadi groups such as Isis,
which is Moscow’s stated reason for its increased intervention in the
Syrian conflict. However, the new weapons do increase the risk of some
form of confrontation between Russian forces in Syria and aircraft from
either the US-led anti-Isis coalition or Israel.
“Clearly, the presence of aircraft with air-to-air combat capacity as
well as surface-to-air missiles raise serious questions,” Mr Kerry said
in London on Saturday. “That is precisely why we are engaged in further conversation about answering those questions and about de-conflicting the Russian activities from ours.”
Speaking last week before the new details about Russia’s military presence were revealed, a US official said that one of the key barometers of Moscow’s intentions would be if it sent weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles that had little obvious use against Isis.
Until now, the material that has been observed at the airfield near Latakia being used by Russia has included attack helicopters, artillery and tanks, as well as more troops.
Mr Kerry also said on Saturday that the US was prepared to negotiate the timing and conditions for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to step down from power.
The US secretary of state repeated the US position that Mr Assad
needed to step down as part of any effort to bring the country’s civil
war to an end, but he indicated greater US flexibility about the way
that the Syrian leader might leave office.Mr Kerry also called on Iran and Russia, which has significantly stepped up its military presence in Syria in recent weeks, to push Mr Assad to the negotiating table.
“We’ve said for some period of time that it doesn’t have to be on day one or month one or whatever,” he said. “We’re not being doctrinaire about the specific date or time. But right now, Assad has refused to have a serious discussion.”
He added: “Is Assad prepared to negotiate? Really negotiate? Is Russia prepared to bring him to the table and actually find the solution to this violence?”
His comments came after Ashton Carter, US secretary of defence, held direct talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Friday to discuss the war in Syria, amid mounting concern in the west over Russia’s growing military support for the Assad regime.
The talks started as Moscow indicated it could send combat troops to Syria to support the Syrian military. The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia was prepared to consider supporting the Assad regime with troops in combat if the Syrian government asked for that, in the clearest indication so far that it is prepared to step up its military involvement in the Syrian conflict.
“If such a request comes, then it will, in the framework of our bilateral contacts and our bilateral dialogue, naturally be discussed and looked at,” said Dmitry Peskov, spokesman of President Vladimir Putin.
He was commenting on remarks by Syria’s foreign minister, Walid Muallem, that Damascus would request Russian troops to fight alongside the Syrian army if the need arose.
The sharp build-up of Russian military presence in Syria in recent weeks has put the Obama administration on the back foot at a time when its own strategy in Syria is coming under renewed criticism.
However, amid the uncertainty over Russia’s plans in Syria there is also the possibility that Moscow’s increased intervention could open space for an international effort at finding a political settlement to the four year-old civil war.
The Friday phone call with Mr Shoigu was the first time Mr Carter had spoken to the Russian defence minister since he assumed office in March and ended a long period of almost no communication between the two militaries as the result of the conflict in Ukraine.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2015. You may share using our article tools.
Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.
end quote from:Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.
No comments:
Post a Comment