Syria Superthread [merged]

[larry Strong]

Oh wow.  So even their cargo ships are better armed than the AOPS??          >

^ Rhetorical ^

It's a naval LST. Not a civvy cargo ship.


Cheer
Larry

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Oh wow.  So even their cargo ships are better armed than the AOPS??          >

^ Rhetorical ^

Only if you assume that the Russian gunners are not drunk on vodka and can shoot straight.  ;D

 

[jollyjacktar]

Spew, spray and pray baby.  :blotto:

 

[tomahawk6]

When the carrier Moskva arrives in the AO,Russia will have created a defacto no fly zone over Syria,which is going to create issues with the US/allied air campaign.I forgot to mention the ship has 64 S300 SAM's.With the addition of OMON SF to the mix,I would say that Assad can sleep easy in his bed.

 

[vonGarvin]

MOSKVA is a cruiser, not a carrier. 

And RT says it's there "for exercises"


Edited: fixed grammatical error

 

[tomahawk6]

MOSKVA is a cruiser, not a carrier. 

And RT says its there "for exercises"

Thanks for the correction.

 

[vonGarvin]

Thanks for the correction.

No worries.  It's interesting to note that it apparently has quite a number of Anti Aircraft missiles....

:/

 

[GAP]

And RT says its there "for exercises"

Guns need exercise

 

[jollyjacktar]

MOSKVA is a cruiser, not a carrier. 

And RT says its there "for exercises"

No, no.  They're on leave...

 

[cavalryman]

Guns need exercise

I know gunners who need exercise as well  >

 

[Yrys]

US to send special forces unit to Syria BBC NEWS

President Obama to send up to 50 special operations forces to Syria to co-ordinate fight against IS - US officials

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page
for the fullest version.

 

[a_majoor]

Short memories:

 

[CougarKing]

The US expanding its ground role in Syria and Iraq beyond training the Kurds and other rebels:

Military Times

U.S. deploying special operations forces to Syria
By Jeff Schogol and Aaron Mehta, Staff writers 4:55 p.m. EDT October 30, 2015

As part of a major overhaul of the U.S. government’s strategy against the Islamic State group, President Obama on Friday authorized the deployment of “fewer than 50” U.S. special operations troops to northern Syria, where they will work with local forces in the fight against the militants.

The deployment is one part of a five-part plan aimed at changing the direction of operations in Iraq and Syria, as the war against the Islamic State, often known as ISIL or ISIS, enters its second year. It will be accompanied by an increase in the number of airstrikes from both the U.S. and coalition allies.

“We are willing to adjust the program when things are succeeding and we’re willing to change things when they are not succeeding,” a senior defense official told reporters Friday after the announcement. “We’re willing to adjust the program.”

(...SNIPPED)

 

[Tuan]

Some observers have described the ongoing escalation in Syria as a "proxy war" between the United States and Russia since the end of Cold War, however , the so called "cold war" had never ended, rather it was diminished to some extent...apparently it still seems very "hot war"  because the present day ISIS in Levant is an offshoot of Al Qaeda; and Al Qaeda is an offshoot of Afghan Mujahedeen (and we all know whose brainchild the Afghan Mujahedeen was). Therefore what happened in 9/11 and the subsequent war on terror that began again (back to square one) in Afghanistan, Iraq invasion and such are interconnected and byproduct of cold war era protracted proxy wars, in my opinion.

Syria conflict: Russia's scars from Afghanistan
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34619068

 

[YZT580]

You are  thinking too hard and making it too complicated.

 

[PuckChaser]

He's an Int analyst, that's what he's paid to do.

 

[Tuan]

This is the kind of strategies is the need of the day, it's easier said than done, but it would be a real challenge not only for ISIS but also for Russia backed Assad regime:

New U.S.-Backed Alliance to Counter ISIS in Syria Falters

 

[The Bread Guy]

From the Institute for the Study of War:

The U.S. can and should act decisively in Syria in order to protect its national security interests and those of its allies.  The current exodus of refugees from Syria presents significant economic and security challenges to America’s allies in Europe and the Middle East, and directly benefits the Syrian Assad regime, Iran, Hezbollah, Russia, the Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (JN), and the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS).  Continued U.S. inaction in the face of these strategic challenges will only exacerbate the security situation and empower America’s enemies and strategic competitors. The White House announced on October 30 small adjustments to U.S. implementation, such as adding less than fifty special operations forces to train and assist the Kurdish-Arab Force in northern Syria. These changes are insufficient to meet the strategic challenges. Continued U.S. inaction and half-measures will only exacerbate the security situation and empower America’s enemies and strategic competitors.

One course of action for the U.S. in the near term is to establish a No-Fly Zone over select areas of Syria. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford testified on U.S. strategy in the Middle East before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) on October 27, 2015. Carter stated that he does not have a concept of operations for a no-fly zone in Syria to recommend. Dunford stated that it is possible to implement a no-fly zone in Syria but highlighted political and legal challenges, adding that a no-fly zone would divert resources from fighting ISIS. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is said to have asked his staff to explore this option and its implementation ....

More on link

 

[Edward Campbell]

"The U.S. can and should act decisively ..." or it, and its allies, can p!ss about with more talk and more incremental, half measures while Russia backstops the Assad regime.

The alternative is: get out, abandon the region, which is blighted beyond help by old religious and ethnic hatreds, and let the Russian be dragged into a quagmire in which no-one, not even Israel and Jordan, are playing a sensible (comprehensible) 'game.'

What about the refugees, the innocent civilians, the women and children? Leave them, sadly, to the tender mercies of Putin, Assad, Iran and others, I'm afraid.

But, what if they attack Israel?
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[PuckChaser]

With the western world dependent on middle east oil because the oil sands are the climate target du jour, the US abandoning the region would cause massive global economic instability for oil prices and hurt us more than help.