Russia's Syria force grows to 4,000, U.S. officials say

[Little Tich]

Source: Reuters

Moscow's military force in Syria has grown to about 4,000 personnel, but this and more than a month of Russian air strikes have not led to pro-government forces making significant territorial gains, U.S. security officials and independent experts said.

Moscow, which has maintained a military presence in Syria for decades as an ally of the ruling Assad family, had an estimated 2,000 personnel in the country when it began air strikes on Sept. 30. The Russian force has since roughly doubled and the number of bases it is using has grown, U.S. security officials said.

The Russians have suffered combat casualties, including deaths, said three U.S. security officials familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting, adding that they did not know the exact numbers.

The United States has extensive intelligence assets in the region, along with satellite imagery and electronic eavesdropping coverage and contacts with moderate Sunni and Kurdish rebels on the ground in Syria.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/04/us-mideast-crisis-russia-syria-idUSKCN0ST2G020151104#htgrgJzejLv7XujX.97

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Note: In-depth article

[Sunlei]

1. Jets believed to be Russian bomb areas under local ceasefire

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/04/us-mideast-crisis-syria-warplanes-idUSKCN0ST22P20151104?mod=related&channelName=worldNews

[EEO]

2. I don't understand what the hell is going on there beyond arms manufacturers making tons of money.

Satire...

"Islamic State" Sends U.S. Letter of Thanks for Weapons

The letter of gratitude is the Islamic State's third message of appreciation to the United States, which has announced it will stop "helping" Iraq until the Iraqis stop losing custody of the weapons they are gifted.

WASHINGTON (The Nil Admirari) - Earlier today, the White House received a letter from its enemy the Islamic State expressing the Islamic extremist group's gratitude for additional American military equipment, which it had easily captured from the fleeing Iraqi military. President Obama quickly responded to the letter of thanks from the Islamic State by warning Iraq "the arms gift shop is closed until Iraqis stop regifting American weapons of war to the Islamic State."

The only winners are the arms manufacturers (aka MIC).

[Heinz_Golderian]

3. it's worse than that

They're not just taking U.S. taxpayer financed weapons from the Iraqis, they're taking them from the 'moderate and vetted' opposition we send into Syria as well.
The whole thing as a goddamn farce.
It makes me sick our Nobel Peace Prize winning president can't help but take his own crack at 'regime change', and without even the explicit support of Congress...