Russia bombs U.S.-backed Syrian rebels near Jordan border

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) Russian warplanes bombed U.S. backed Syrian rebels near the Jordanian border, Pentagon officials say, causing the U.S. to divert armed aircraft to the scene of the strike.

The strikes, which the U.S. says killed some New Syrian Army troops, occurred about six miles from the Jordanian border, according to a U.S. defense official. The U.S. diverted armed FA-18s to the area after the first round of two strikes, and the pilots then tried to call the Russians on a previously agreed-upon pilot-to-pilot communications channel but did not receive an answer.

As soon as the U.S. jets left the area to refuel, the Russians came back for another round of bombing, the defense official said.

"Russian aircraft conducted a series of airstrikes near al-Tanf against Syrian counter-ISIL forces that included individuals who have received U.S. support. Russian aircraft have not been active in this area of Southern Syria for some time, and there were no Syrian regime or Russian ground forces in the vicinity," a senior defense official said. "Russia's latest actions raise serious concern about Russian intentions. We will seek an explanation from Russia on why it took this action and assurances this will not happen again."

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/17/politics/russia-airstrike-syrian-rebels/index.html

[uhnope]

1. Russia is killing the enemies of Assad that are fighting ISIS

ISIS is surely grateful for Russia's support

[jamzrockz]

3. US backed terrorists

are also attacking the Syrian army attacking ISIS. ISIS must really like the US. No wonder they have been doing everything in their power to get the US military invade Syria.

The US has no business in Syria.

[uhnope]

5. the predictable Kremlin talking point

now you should once again cite us some Infowars and say that NGOs are evil CIA fronts...and we'll be done

[jamzrockz]

6. More like cite

a reporter than wrote one article for infowars a long time ago. Also you helped get my Syriangirl video removed because she mentioned Israel in the description of the video. I mean, you have some serious issues with any info that is not approved by the US state dept.

So you know, I would still be against the US goals for Syria regardless of which country was against it. I hate war and the people who help fuel it.

[uhnope]

7. "I hate war"? you're not believable at all

You constantly made excuses for the Russian war on Ukraine, supporting pro-Russian CT threads that sought to blame the west for Russia's warmaking

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025459029#post4

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024820686#post81

"I hate war and the people who help fuel it." You've fueled it yourself a little by supporting Kremlin propaganda on DU. In fact, your post #4 on this thread is quite pro-war.

About your removed vid, why are you posting links to Youtube channels with anti-Semitic and pro-Trump BS on them? In fact your posts mimic what an actual Putin troll would post. Coincidence?

[jamzrockz]

12. What about the linked post?

There is no way in the world that you find a post of mine indicating that I supported any offensive wars. Defensive wars? definitely yes. I think the Syrian people with their govt have the right to defend their country.

With Ukraine, I sympathize a bit with their desire to separate from western Ukraine. Their elected leader was driven out by a western orchestrated coup. They unlike the folks in Syria and Libya did not try to occupy the whole country, just areas with people who support their cause.

Had they been no foreign backed coup and they just wanted to take over the whole country with help from Russia(or any foreign govt)? then you would see me supporting the Ukrainian govt effort to completely defeat them.

[independentpiney]

14. There's something really creepy about someone who saves 2 year old posts from those

who disagree with them, keeping an enemies list as it were. It seems like something only a paid troll, which you regularly accuse other du'ers of being, or a disturbed person would do. Coincidence?

[uhnope]

20. lol. Let me introduce you to an amazing DU feature

which is the Google site search on the top right hand corner of the DU website.

With this amazing device, we can look up any DUer's posting history (now don't you feel silly?). No need for "keeping an enemies list" by a "disturbed person," which is certainly a trolly thing to say.

With this amazing device, in 30 seconds we can find your posts defending Russia's rape of Ukraine, and making light the ethnic cleansing of the Tartars. And you call others disturbed?

[independentpiney]

23. why did you link to the same post from 2 year ago twice?

Just so you could use the hyperbole in the links? A post which I stand by incidentally. Searching back through years of posts every other time you reply to someone is as creepy as keeping a list and must be awfully time consuming without some sort of aid. I was going to link to one of your more ridiculous posts here from 2014 or 2015, but I don't have time or interest to go through 10 pages of your anti-Russian hyperbole. I almost have to admire your dedication, almost.

[newthinking]

16. "Our Jihadists" are Wahabists. ISIS also came from Wahabism. They protect each other as often as

they fight.

Of course the war narrative tells one story. But if Russia hit them it is because their is more to that story we don't tell.

Just like when they were war narrative was they are "Not bombing ISIS" at the beginning: They were cutting off supply lines to ISIS from Turkey of Mercenaries and weapons.

[pottedplant]

31. the us wants regime change

Nothing more.

[karynnj]

36. What do you mean by "the US"

IF the Obama administration actually WAS working for regime change, why are there 51 neocons whining that they aren't?

That story says two things: 1) Many in the US career foreign policy establishment are neo cons -- and they are protesting that Obama isn't. Note there was no leaked dissent of the charges made by Colin Powell. 2) OBAMA has not approved the regime change they want - though he does want a transition to an inclusive government without Assad.

[pottedplant]

39. Obama was pro regime change from the start

Last edited Sun Jun 19, 2016, 11:36 PM - Edit history (1)

He didn't care that chaos would ensue according to the DIA report leak interview.
The second article gives his history and the first his alignment with the rebel group most equipped to overthrow Assad. He was not able to engage militarily when he met massive public resistance. So rather than simply NOT getting involved he pursued the more covert action of arming and supplying and training the rebels. He never refuted the bogus reports assad used sarin. He never acknowledged turkey's role in bolstering Isis. Russia and the Syrian army are making inroads and even mr. Earnest had to admit begrudgingly that having Syria under Assad was better than Isis. That war Hawks at state are drooling for escalation is in response to the Russia/Syria gains. Clinton will gladly oblige if given the chance.

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/36384-why-the-obama-administration-is-favoring-al-qaeda-s-main-syrian-ally

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/23/the-obama-two-step-on-syria/

[NWCorona]

10. That makes no sense.

[pottedplant]

30. You left out the part where Assad is fighting Isis and the al Qaeda us

Last edited Sat Jun 18, 2016, 05:57 PM - Edit history (2)

backed al Qaeda opposition forces are in turn fighting Assad. Oh yeah and Russia is there with assad's approval. Us intervention is not welcome and has been ineffective in eradicating Isis.

[7962]

2. "did not receive an answer". Anyone surprised? No.

Just more positioning by Putin

[jamzrockz]

4. Good for him

The more the western backed terrorists are eliminated, the better for all Syrians. Good for Russia and Syria these terrorists need to be done with asap.

[ButterflyBlood]

8. Uh this group primarily fights ISIS

Eliminating them would only benefit ISIS.

[focuss]

11. Western supported rebels are ISIS

There are no moderate terrorists.

[uhnope]

13. welcome! and yr very first post is a Kremlin talking point

how special

[independentpiney]

15. Add it to your list, so you can link to it in 2018

[Cayenne]

33. You use State Department talking points

[uhnope]

34. lol

since you're here, could you answer this---

Do you admire Putin's bombing campaign in Syria? It sure looks like it

[Cayenne]

35. More effective than ours

While the coalition was bombing ISIS, they were growing in strength and territory. ISIS was holding large, grotesque, open air spectacles of mass beheadings, torture, slave auctions in the town squares. They were on the eve of sacking Damascus. ISIS had been running oil to Turkey unfettered. That ended abruptly when the Russians entered wrecked ISIS's and al Qaeda's operations.

Why is the US supporting and defending al Qaeda in Syria?

[newthinking]

17. Our freindly extremist Wahabist Jihadis fighting other Wahabist Jihadis

There is more to this story than our war narrative propaganda tells.

[Cayenne]

32. They lie, they are for 'regime change'

[7962]

18. Yes, better to get back to letting Assad kill everyone.

Which as long as they're killing each other they might forget about killing westerners

[jamzrockz]

22. So the west's

solution to Assad killing "everyone" is to help fuel a war that kills everyone? brilliant. What are you talking about killing westerners? when was the last time a Syrian killed a westerner? this whole western intervention has created the terrorists that have killed any westerner.

But then again, I am not surprised you support the rebels in Syria. I guess is that you are fine just as long as the war is fought far away from your home and it is brown people that are dying and not westerners.

[7962]

24. Yes, i'm quite satisfied with it. And it doesnt matter what color they are.

Like they're all "brown" anyway. Some of them are white. Some are black. And no, they're not ALL in Syria

[jamzrockz]

26. Satisfied with the continous warfare?

The killing? the destruction of Syrian society? what exactly are you satisfied with?

[7962]

27. Satisfied that its not happening HERE, like so many want.

Let them have at it. Any help to anyone is usually either wasted or abused. Yet countries like Jordan seem to manage just fine without blowing each other up or killing gays & rape victims
In a perfect world none of it would happen, but the world aint perfect.

[jamzrockz]

28. I understand how you feel this way

I used to live in one of those countries over there and I do feel for them cos it could have been me dying and trying to dodge artillery strikes for US sponsored terrorists.

But Syria was just as secular, safe and stable as Jordan before the Americans sent in the fighters and weapons from Libyan. You break someone's legs and them blame him for walking with a limp. This what you are doing.

[bemildred]

9. Saudi minister rips White House on Syria, talks 2016 campaign

So good to have these foreign despots meddling in our political affairs.

---

A senior U.S. administration official pushed back against the Saudi foreign minister's remarks, however, saying the administration made its decisions based on U.S. interests, not those of other countries.

"There's no question that the Saudis have been pushing us to get more involved militarily since the start of the Syrian conflict, and the reason is simple: They want us to do the fighting for them," the official said. "But if we've learned anything over the past 10-plus years, it's that we must not allow ourselves be drawn into protracted conflicts, especially in the Middle East."

In his remarks to reporters at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in D.C., al-Jubeir also pushed back against criticism from Hillary Clinton and skirted questions about the future of relations with the U.S. under a possible President Donald Trump.

Clinton, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, called out Saudi Arabia this week in Cleveland, saying that "it is long past time for the Saudis, the Qataris and the Kuwaitis and others to stop their citizens from funding extremist organizations. And they should stop supporting radical schools and mosques around the world that have set too many young people on a path towards extremism."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/17/politics/saudi-arabia-foreign-minister-syria-clinton-trump/

[7962]

19. Well, we know where their money has been going...nt

[bemildred]

21. Panama? nt

[7962]

25. Millions to the Clinton Foundation

and not just from the Saudis

[bemildred]

29. OK, lots of possibilities came to mind. nt

[PersonNumber503602]

37. Russia is just backing their ally.

I suppose in a way one can say that these bombings help ISIS in a roundabout way, but that same thing can be said about arming/funding non-ISIS forces that are anti-assad is also helping out ISIS in a roundabout way.

The entire country is a cluster fuck. But I don't think it's fair to criticize Russia for attacking its ally's enemies. There's plenty of other things that seem like more legitimate criticism to throw at Russia.


a senior defense official said. "Russia's latest actions raise serious concern about Russian intentions..."


It seems obvious that Russia's intention is to keep Assad in power, or at least kept the current government in power. Has Russia stated otherwise?

[Oneironaut]

38. I'm glad we've stopped Assad from killing people by paying people to kill them first.

[amandabeech]

40. I hope that everyone posting understands that F-18s from one of the US carriers in the Mediterranean

were trying to stop the Russians from bombing "our" jihadis.

US and Russian warplanes were doing a dance over the base. The F-18s tried to contact the Russian pilots directly on a frequency for just that purpose set by Russia and the US when the Russians became involved. The Russians did not respond. The F-18s had to break off to refuel, and the Russians went back to bombing.

This could have turned into a combat situation with Russian and US pilots shooting at each other. Things are very tense right now between Russia and NATO. Russia is very upset about NATO patrols in the Baltics and Poland, and US naval actions in the Black Sea. There is fighting again in Ukraine.

But most importantly, the EU and its N American and ANZAC partners renewed the economic boycott of Russia for another year. This is an enormous problem. Russia can't get agricultural and manufactured products from the EU and the EU can't sell to Russia. The only economic activity is payment for Russian natural gas. This doesn't affect us, but it does affect them tremendously. The German foreign minister has given a blistering condemnation of all this action against Russia. Putin has stated that the US is the only real superpower. But still there seems to be a crazy march to war.

Both sides should stand down and stand down now!

What was it that the Frank Thompson character said in "The Hunt for Red October?" "This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we will be lucky to live through it."

Those 51 weenies at the DOS should put their own boots on and go over there and fight.