Russia Moves Its First Tactical Fighter Jets to Base in Syria

[Purveyor]

WASHINGTON—Russia has moved its first fighter jets to a growing base in Syria, defense officials said Friday, raising new concerns Moscow is preparing to play a direct role in helping embattled President Bashar al-Assad against Islamic State militants.

Moscow’s military moves came as U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter spoke to his Russian counterpart about Russia’s deepening role in Syria, ending a long pause in high-level military ties between the two countries.

Defense officials said at least four tactical fighter jets had arrived at the rapidly expanding airfield on the Syrian coast south of Latakia. Over the past two weeks, defense officials said, Russia has dramatically stepped up development of the airfield by sending in housing for up to 2,000 people, attack helicopters, choppers to transport troops around the country, and artillery.

The arrival of the jet fighters is the most concerning development for the U.S., which regularly flies surveillance flights and airstrikes against Islamic State forces in Syria.

Middle East Crossroads: Inaction on Assad Takes Toll
Defense officials said they weren’t certain how Russia planned to use the jets, but noted that the Soviet planes are designed for air-to-air combat.

more...

http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-defense-secretary-discusses-syria-with-russian-counterpart-1442589965

[randys1]

1. How is President Donald Trump or Ben Carson going to react to this? How about Scott Walker?

[Agnosticsherbet]

2. Either air defense for thebase, or a way too shoot down

Jets from nations that are not welcome in Syrian airspace.

[leveymg]

3. A trip wire. Not enough to have a military impact, but enough to deter others who otherwise would.

Kinda like the 20,000 US troops on the 38th Parallel in Korea.

Unlike the various "red lines" and "lines in the sand" we've put down, don't cross either wire.

[Cosmic Kitten]

4. So Russia is helping fight ISIS?

What's the problem?

Shouldn't we all be seeking to
obliterate those Sunni fundamentalists?

ISIS, Saddam Hussein, Al-Qæda, Boko Haram, Caucasus Emirate, taliban....
Those are the bad guys, right?
And Russia is fighting those guys, right?
And the problem is???

[leveymg]

6. The problem is Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis, Qatar and the GCC have become so untouchable through 35 years of joint black-ops against the Russians that the petrofied elites are able to freely blackmail us at any time, and are now so invested in the Western economy that they can greenmail us if we don't continue to "cooperate" with their Islamic State program.

I think we should let them know that we won't be blackmailed. Now is the time to tell the American people what really happened 14 years ago and release the 28 pages. Another Clean Break.

[Cosmic Kitten]

9. Ohhhhhh! I see. The Saudi Royals are Sunni too

In fact it seems they are
Sunni Wahhabi fundamentalists!?

The same fundamentalists who still whip and flay
people for religious & political dissent or violating
sexual taboos.

Geez, I wonder what other humanitarian
violations those people are implicate in

[Matrosov]

8. The problem is

Just like when President Obama says something and the right-wingers think they need to take the opposite stance, whenever Russia does something, the RW chickenhawks that think it is still the 1950s feel the need to take the opposite stance.

That and having Russia and Syria defeat ISIS too quickly would mean the US military-industrial complex wouldn't get to sell enough arms and munitions.

[Ichigo Kurosaki]

10. I was at a local

tavern for lunch and the news was on TV.
4 of your typical rednecks started spewing off about how Obama was out flanked by Putin's move and laughing about how Obama can't touch Assad now.
It seems they are more anti-Obama than they are anti-Russian.

I didn't say a word being outnumbered, just shook my head as I was walking out.

[Rex]

5. NP! We have this awesome TFJ the F-35!

http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/7/the-american-militarys-trillion-dollar-boondoggle.html

[lpbk2713]

7. Are they going to strafe refugees?

[Kotya]

11. Why would they?

It's not like any of them are trying to get in to Russia.

[LittleBlue]

12. We should be assisting them

Our weapons (and those of our allies like Saudi Arabia) helped ISIS while we simultaneously weakened Assad politically. This was a catastrophe largely of our own making.

We should reestablish Assad's government. It's brutal but nowhere near what we got in its place. This whole debacle reeks of CIA foolishness. The media has given the Obama administration a pass on this by refusing to connect the dots between our open meddling in mid 2013 and the humanitarian and political disaster that followed.

The whole time Putin warned us we were creating a shitstorm, but Obama continued the great American tradition of jumping in with both feet without listening to anyone.

[davidn3600]

15. Too many old cold warriors in both governments

Neither government trusts each other at all.

And the CIA seems to be lost these days. If Bush and Obama have been following their advice for the past 15 years, then they are an agency that is a disgrace that need serious changes. Seriously, nothing the CIA has their hands in has worked out. Nothing!

[LittleBlue]

16. I know, right?!

eriously, nothing the CIA has their hands in has worked out. Nothing!

It's like we give the CIA billions to create problems for us. Feels like they're all double agents attempting to destabilize the US and Europe.

[Marrah_G]

13. Because Assads fight jets haven't turned enough homes to rubble?

[TwilightGardener]

14. More about controlling/defending the airspace against other countries' fighters.

Like ours. Or Israel's.

[jamzrockz]

17. Hopefully

This puts an end to Israel coming in to attack Syrian and Hezbollah positions. Every single time the legitimate Syria forces have an upper hand against the terrorists, Israel comes in and bombs them.

If anything, this move should give them something to think about before interfering with another country's civil war.