no last time is was Mcmasters faultOriginally Posted by TheCount
“The Dance”
What just happened this morning in Syria was nothing more than a carefully “choreographed” dance between the US and Russia that allowed both rivals to “save face” and avoid further escalating the situation.
The US launched over 100 cruise missiles at Syria together with its French and British allies, although the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that 71 of them were intercepted by the targeted country’s Soviet-era air-defense systems.
“Superficial” vs. “Substantial”
As predicted, the strike was mostly “superficial” and lacked the “substance” needed to escalate tensions further between the West and Russia over their Syrian proxy war, but so too was the response somewhat “superficial” as well.
It’s difficult to imagine how such decades-old defense systems downed so many state-of-the-art cruise missiles, especially when considering that Iraq’s similar systems were largely ineffective during the 2003 “shock and awe” campaign against comparatively more dated munitions.
It was widely reported in the run-up to this strike that the US intended to target certain facilities in Syria, and this “leak” was deliberately planned in order to “telegraph” the locations to Russia and its on-the-ground partners.
In addition, it has also been confirmed that the US and Russia were communicating this entire time through the so-called “deconfliction channel, so it’s very possible that Washington warned Moscow in advance of the exact targets that it planned to hit and maybe even when.
This would explain why Syria’s Soviet-era air-defense systems were surprisingly more effective against modern-day cruise missiles than Iraq’s exact same ones were 15 years earlier against much more dated weapons at the time.
“Military Statecraft”
Not only that, but this “choreographed” exercise of “military statecraft” allowed both Great Powers to “save face”, with the US being able to prove that it delivered on its threats while Russia can say that its Soviet-era systems indirectly defended Syria.
None of this is untrue either, and each party can therefore claim “victory” while defending themselves from their rival’s accusations that they actually suffered a crushing “soft power defeat” by dismissing such claims as nothing more than “propaganda”, a defense that’s very convincing to their respective publics given the New Cold War tensions and resultant distrust between both sides.
Taking this “show” of “military statecraft” even further, Russia has now suggested that it might sell S-300 missiles to Syria, which on the surface might sound like a “game-changing” development but upon further examination it can be argued that this is just another “soft power” move.
After all, if Syria’s Soviet-era air defenses were already so effective, then Damascus would have little need for anything more advanced, nor would many other countries in the world who have relatively newer defense systems.
The S-300 announcement should therefore be taken very cautiously since it implies that this morning’s events were just a “show” and that Syria’s old defense weapons are in practice pretty ineffective unless the military knows in advance what the targets will be (as is now proven) and potentially (as is speculated) when they’ll be hit.
Preserving The “Balance Of Power” With “Israel”
This sobering realization nevertheless is the reason why so many countries are still interested in Russia’s S-400 air-defense systems precisely because they promise to be exponentially more effective than their decades-older Soviet counterparts.
That said, Russia is reluctant to sell these units to Syria because it doesn’t want to upset the “balance of power” between the Arab Republic and Moscow’s “Israeli” ally, as that would undermine the 21st-century “balancing” act that forms the basis of Russia’s grand strategy by providing much too effective of a deterrent to any future “Israeli” strikes.
In redirecting the Syrian public’s attention away from this “politically inconvenient” — and arguably from Damascus’ perspective, “unpopular” — fact, it can be expected that Russia will resort to hard-hitting but eloquent rhetoric at the UN in denouncing the US’ naked and illegal aggression against a sovereign state that’s doing its utmost to fight terrorism on humanity’s behalf, though these moving words will be ineffective in getting the globalist body to do anything of tangible significance because of the certainty that the US will veto any Security Council resolution.
The Coming “Suggestions” For "Compromise”
Regardless of the public’s personal feelings on this matter, Russia will not sacrifice its servicemen just for the sake of keeping Iran & Hezbollah in Syria when its military mandate has always strictly been to carry out anti-terrorist missions and never to protect either of those two or the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).
Now that President Putin declared on several occasions that Daesh has been militarily defeated, Russia sees no reason to continue committing its military to Syria on the same scale as before, hence the large-scale withdrawal in December of last year and Moscow’s dedicated focus on advancing a so-called “political solution” to the conflict.
To that end, while the US and its allies’ strikes were totally uncoordinated with Russia despite Moscow being made indirectly (and possibly directly via the “deconfliction channel”) aware of where these missiles would hit and speculatively even when, there’s a chance that this morning’s events might actually advance Russia’s peacemaking objectives if they serve to pressure Damascus into “compromising” on its hitherto “obstinate” position in refusing to seriously countenance any of the proposals set forth in the Russian-written “draft constitution” that was first unveiled 18 months ago.
From the author’s personal interpretation of Russia’s developing attitude towards the peace process, Damascus’ “dilly dallying” risks unraveling the elaborating “balancing” act that Moscow is attempting as it seeks to “manage” the Mideast in the wake of the “vacuum” that was left by the US’ “Pivot to Asia”, so it may cynically hope that America’s aggression backfires on it by inadvertently stimulating the Russian-led peace process.
Even so, a “solution” would have to inevitably be found in removing the “trigger” for external aggression against Syria, which has always been predicated on “containing” Iran, but with the SAA and its Iranian & Hezbollah allies unable to conventionally (key word) counter and ultimately put a stop to US-led attacks while Russia & Turkey sit on the sidelines and refuse to get dragged into this dimension of the conflict, Moscow will more than likely “suggest” behind closed doors that Damascus “compromise” on this issue as well unless it “wants” the war to indefinitely drag on.
More at: https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-sy...russia/5636149
Last edited by Swordsmyth; 04-14-2018 at 05:39 PM.
Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.
Robert Heinlein
Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler
Groucho Marx
I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.
Linus, from the Peanuts comic
You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith
Alexis de Torqueville
Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it
A Zero Hedge comment
There's a big difference between pointing out, or even charging them with the crime and lining them up in the street and shooting them. Face it, you have a knee jerk reaction to defend Trump no matter what the circumstances.
"The Patriarch"
That's the kind of thing that you get from prohibition, bad people doing bad things. It's not rocket science, and lining them up in the street and shooting them is the ultimate authoritarian solution. And it still won't stop them. For as long as you've been here you really haven't learned much.
"The Patriarch"
A more accurate reply would have been, "I have to face it, I have a knee jerk reaction to believe people cover for Trump here no matter what the circumstances."
No one here covers for Trump rather it is more like trying to figure out which words out of his mouth are the truth, holding him true to policy and policy aligned with the beliefs here.
I was pretty clear on my beliefs that I am against that and proves you see things that are not in my posts.
Or perhaps Ivanka's.
Well, they aren't likely to ever let that happen again. Congress intervened in the last administration's planned attack on Syria. Any strike beyond this point is not only going to avoid congressional approval, but it will be done without any warning at all, just so there are no chances to stop it.
This is getting silly.T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men
"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." - Plato
We Are Running Out of Time - Mini Me
That's a very good point. Mind you if the SAMs were made right they should not have detonated on the surface after exhausting their fuel and falling ballistically. Of course they are less likely to have collateral damage mitigation tech than we are.
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Dr.3D again.
Mouaz Moustafa was paraded around the, ever so civiLIEzed, NPR - NeoCon Puppet Radio 4/14/18
Mccain and company all buddy-buddy with "progressives"
Congrats you pieces of $#@! !
You and some here gave Hillary policies a free pass and her supporters a free pass. Then instead of attacking Trump on policies you went after people simply agreeing with specific Trump policies including polices that Rand/Ron campaigned on such as health care competition across state lines. The bias in favor of Hillary was obvious and what sounds like the Nazi like National Socialism you subscribe to from your post above.
Last edited by kahless; 04-15-2018 at 11:07 AM.
Former Syrian Ambassador Peter Ford gives his ideas on the attack of Syria, for some reason the video keeps getting deleted by Youtube…
He tells that it is to support Trump and that the whole attack was orchestrated together with Russia.
He tells that they should have waited for the OPCW; they probably bombed Syria because they were afraid that no chemical weapons were found.
There is no evidence besides the social media (that is no evidence).
The interviewer replies that Ford supports Assad using chemical weapons; Ford calls this “twisted” logic.
https://videos2.sendvid.com/e5/80/7x8nea5p.mp4
Do NOT ever read my posts. Google and Yahoo wouldn’t block them without a very good reason: Google-censors-the-world/page3
The Order of the Garter rules the world: Order of the Garter and the Carolingian dynasty
You mean the contradictory statement I made that was obviously sarcasm? This is precisely the reason why I said Trump was the worst, Trump could literally start world war 3 and would still have people like you defending him. We will never beat the establishment with people like you and Trump holding their water.
I defend Trump or a candidate when they pass legislation I support and knock them when they do not. You however support a party or candidate 100% regardless whether their opposition proposes legislation that provides greater liberty. The news media and their respective political think tanks has trained people like you well in that respect.
I support Rand Paul because the neocons spent millions of dollars on attack ads against him, I don't support Trump because he puts those neocons on his cabinet. This is a Ron Paul forum, why is that so weird for me to support Rand Paul, his son and torchbearer?
Do you not understand how government works or are you completely delusional? Why do you oppose Rand working with Trump to get aspects of Rand's legislation passed?
Some of Rand/Ron proposed policies made it into legislation that was either promoted by Trump or crossed his desk. Health care competition across state lines is an example of that. Yet because Trump is President you want me to oppose Trump to the benefit of the Neocons and the far left having a greater voice rather than Rand Paul. That is retarded or shows what your true intentions are here and whom you really do or do not support.
Don't misunderstand me I think Rand Paul knows Trumps vision for America better than Trump does.
It occured to me when Trump appointed Bolton that he would be a great fall guy for any controversial actions. The best.
Will Bolton still be in place when the next election happens? Or will he be gone and taking the blame? One thing Trump is consistent on is putting the blame elsewhere (not as good as Hillary, but close).
"Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
"Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
"Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul
Proponent of real science.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.
Looks to me like the whole thing was cover to give Israel an opportunity to strike Iranian assets in Syria.
Everyone supports Trump on this, don't ya know?
"Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
"Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
"Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul
Proponent of real science.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.
Trump rules:
#1) Always take credit for good things- even if you had nothing to do with it.
#2) Always blame somebody else when things don't work out. Even if you had something do with it.
#3) Attack! Attack! Attack! whether verbally or militarily or sanctions.
Last edited by Zippyjuan; 04-15-2018 at 02:58 PM.
This is what makes a great leader. Always having a fall guy ready.
Prudent move to include that. Keeps the base from calling you an ancommie.
Partisan politics, misleading or emotional bill titles, and 4D chess theories are manifestations of the same lie—that the text of the Constitution, the text of legislation, and plain facts do not matter; what matters is what you want to believe. From this comes hypocrisy. And where hypocrisy thrives, virtue recedes. Without virtue, liberty dies. - Justin Amash, March 2018
Don't forget:
#4) Whenever any meeting or phone calls take place protesting unilateral actions in violation of previous agreements, claim success in "renegotiating" even though nothing changes.
When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble?
When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it? Amos 3:6
Pentagon still maintains ZERO interceptions of shiny new missiles.
What 76 missiles strike on 3 buildings in Barzeh would look like:
reality:
That was thanks to deterrence by a 40 yo S-200 defense.
Now Israel will be getting S-300s for neighbors.
It's what they deserve.
Come at me bro.
I'm happy.
Better deterrence=Stronger Sovereignty=Syrian Security=No Regime Change
MSGA.
Thanks Donald. Time to go home.
Couldn't have worked out better if you had planned it.
You didn't.
France convinced Trump to stay in Syria, says Macron
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp...ys-Macron.html
"Ten days ago, President Trump was saying the United States of America had a duty to disengage from Syria," Macron said.
"I assure you, we have convinced him that it is necessary to stay for the long-term," he told veteran journalists Jean-Jacques Bourdin and Edwy Plenel, charged with the two-hour grilling on BFMTV.
Last edited by kahless; 04-15-2018 at 07:00 PM.
Time will tell. If Mattis is next to be fired we can all kiss our asses goodbye.This is what makes a great leader. Always having a fall guy ready.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Connect With Us