# Russia Begins Air Strikes in Syria. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 30, 2015, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029 "2015-09-30T13:03:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/21 "2015-10-01T20:25:35Z")
One wonders how often we’ve surprised the Russians with a sudden call to get their advisors off the ground over there someplace lest they be inadvertently targeted. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/22 "2015-10-01T20:39:22Z")
This was unusually deceptive because there were apparently direct talks on Syria Monday night. Putin and his people knew exactly what they had planned. They just strung us along. That’s not acceptable. A great opportunity was wasted. Imagine the psychological effect on ISIS if France, US and Russia had launched a coordinated attack. It would have sent one heck of a message. Instead a message of deception was sent. It calls into play the real intentions of Russia. NATO can’t trust a word Putin says. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/23 "2015-10-02T04:05:37Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This was unusually deceptive because there were apparently direct talks on Syria Monday night. Putin and his people knew exactly what they had planned. They just strung us along. That’s not acceptable. > > A great opportunity was wasted. Imagine the psychological effect on ISIS if France, US and Russia had launched a coordinated attack. It would have sent one heck of a message. > > Instead a message of deception was sent. It calls into play the real intentions of Russia. NATO can’t trust a word Putin says. I do agree that the ideal approach to take would have been to make an agreement with Russia “We won’t attack your allies in Syria if you don’t attack our allies in Syria. You and Assad want ISIL dead, we want ISIL dead, let’s just kill these bastards together and then talk about Assad and the FSA once our common enemy is extinct.” I don’t agree with the automatic assumption that those dastardly Russians are going back on their word. Unless you know what was discussed on Monday, it is wrong to simply assume that Putin violated the spirit of whatever was in that black box. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/24 "2015-10-02T04:47:13Z")
At least both sides are talking. That’s a good sign. So far they say they won’t target the FSA. We’ll have to wait and see. There’s a lot at stake for Russia. They have a significant Muslim population. Get them stirred up and Russia has a serious problem at home. > **[Syria conflict: Russia strikes 'will fuel extremism'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34419003)** > > Members of the US-led coalition against Islamic State tell Russia to cease strikes they say have targeted opposition forces in Syria. > [@](#): > > Mr Earnest said US and Russian officials had held hour-long talks on Thursday to discuss “deconfliction” operations, and that this was the first of a series of discussions. > > Russia said it carried out its second day of air strikes on Thursday, and had hit IS ammunition dumps and command centres. > > Mr Lavrov, speaking at the UN in New York, said Russia would also fight other terrorist groups including the al-Nusra Front - an al-Qaeda affiliate. > [@](#): > > Mr Lavrov said the targets were selected “in co-ordination with the Syrian army”. > However, he said Russia did not consider the opposition Free Syrian Army a terrorist group and said it should be part of the political process. > > Mr Lavrov also said there were no plans to expand air strikes to Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/25 "2015-10-02T04:50:54Z")
When will the world realise that only the United States and its vassals and satraps are allowed to make the Middle East worse? ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/26 "2015-10-02T13:02:49Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I do agree that the ideal approach to take would have been to make an agreement with Russia "We won’t attack your allies in Syria if you don’t attack our allies in Syria. You and Assad want ISIL dead, we want ISIL dead, let’s just kill these bastards together . Russia doesnt want ISIS dead. They only care about keeping their naval base in the Mediterranean.For that , they need Asad to keep his control over the coastal area of Syria, so they are willing to defend him there. They dont care about anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/27 "2015-10-02T13:34:26Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Russia doesnt want ISIS dead. They only care about keeping their naval base in the Mediterranean.For that , they need Asad to keep his control over the coastal area of Syria, so they are willing to defend him there. They dont care about anything else. I don’t think this is quite accurate - as **aceplace57** mentions, Putin is also worried about Islamo-fascism in the former republics. He doesn’t want ISIS ramping up closer to the Rodina. But this is the usual clusterfuck. ISIS shouldn’t win, Assad shouldn’t win, Putin shouldn’t win. Putin’s airstrikes aren’t going to work any better than the ones the US and her allies are making ([cite](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/15/isis-reportedly-expanding-control-syrian-territory-despite-us-led-airstrikes)). If Assad gets overthrown, whoever replaces him will be as bad as he. Obama wants to defeat ISIS, get rid of Assad, and put moderates into power. ISIS is not being defeated, Putin is supporting Assad, and there aren’t any moderates. Apart from that, there are tons of Syrian refugees in Iraq, and the Kurds are trying to protect their oil and their autonomy. “In Berlin, things are serious but not hopeless. In Vienna, things are hopeless but not serious”. In Syria, they are both. Welcome to the Middle East. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/28 "2015-10-03T11:26:33Z")
Australia are also conducting missions in Syria. I think we have a Sopwith Camel. Whatever. As said earlier, I think Assad is better than the alternative (ISIS). ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/29 "2015-10-03T18:43:14Z")
What’s the situation with the Southern Front? They’re portrayed as moderate. I don’t think they’ve been bombed yet. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/30 "2015-10-03T22:39:22Z")
I struggle with the concept of “moderate rebels”, too. What is the thought process there? “My moderate, watered-down ideas have led me to _take up arms against my government._” It just doesn’t seem to be the way it works. Or are we talking moderate vs. hard-line Muslims? See above. Seems to me the moderate thing to do is get out of Dodge for greener pastures in Europe &etc. Feel free to clear this one up for me, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/31 "2015-10-03T23:38:35Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I struggle with the concept of “moderate rebels”, too. > > What is the thought process there? “My moderate, watered-down ideas have led me to _take up arms against my government._” It just doesn’t seem to be the way it works. > > Or are we talking moderate vs. hard-line Muslims? See above. Seems to me the moderate thing to do is get out of Dodge for greener pastures in Europe &etc. Seems to me you’re wrong. There is nothing about not being a religious zealot, or even being an atheist, that means you can’t have a cause worth fighting for. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/32 "2015-10-03T23:48:39Z")
The civil war in Syria reminds me of China. Mao and Chiang Kai-shek’s forces fought a long, bitter civil war that continued even after the Japanese invaded. They were so locked into their struggle even an invasion from outside didn’t stop it. The Syrians need to come together and find some solution to end the civil war. Focus on the bigger and more dangerous enemy, ISIS and Hezbollah. I don’t know if Russia’s support of Assad will help or not. This thing could go in a dozen different directions. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/33 "2015-10-03T23:59:35Z")
@Grumman: Maybe I’m wrong, I dunno. In what way are the ‘moderate rebels’ supposed to be moderate? Beyond quibbling about that- if the rebels win, then we get the collapse of Syria with ISIS next door. Hopefully it isn’t an al-Qaeda rebel group that takes control- I guess some rebels are more ‘moderate’ than that, sure. Can any of them run a government? Under these conditions? Of course just stopping the war would be a huge improvement, but we get another revolution in the ME, and look how those have turned out elsewhere. So Russia steps in. They have tangible interests in Syria, and in their view defending the status quo is best. So they strike everyone who threatens Assad, moderate or not, and if they are successful we end up with Assad and ISIS. Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Futurist110](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e4f/32.png) [@Futurist110](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futurist110)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/34 "2015-10-04T02:35:57Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Good. Obama needs to give up on the fantasy of the “Moderate Syrian Opposition” and accept that we have the following choices: > > (A) Tolerate the Assad regiem; > (B) Let ISIS take over Syria; > del[/del] \<— There is no choice C. > > If we don’t want ISIS to create a literal Islamic State (one that makes Iran look like a model of tolerance & inclusivity, at that), then we need to accept Assad as the lesser of the two evils. It’s not fun, but as grownups we all know that sometimes that’s how the world works. Actually, choice C would be to let Al-Nusra take over Syria. Of course, my own preference would be choice D–to let the Kurds take over Syria. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/35 "2015-10-04T06:39:30Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > What’s the situation with the Southern Front? They’re portrayed as moderate. I don’t think they’ve been bombed yet. Too close to the Israeli border. The rebel groups there are under tacit Israeli protection, with the aim of keeping Hezbollah away from the Golan. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/36 "2015-10-04T08:15:17Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The Syrians need to come together and find some solution to end the civil war. Focus on the bigger and more dangerous enemy, ISIS and Hezbollah. Hezbollah? Why specifically Hezbollah? If you said “ISIS and Assad” I would understand, but just singling out Hezbollah without mentioning Assad makes no sense at all. Hezbollah are only in this fight as one pro-Assad force amongst many, no better and no worse than any of the others. > [@Futurist110](#): > > Actually, choice C would be to let Al-Nusra take over Syria. Of course, my own preference would be choice D–to let the Kurds take over Syria. 🙂 The Kurds have so far shown no interest whatsoever in running non-Kurdish areas, let alone the entire country. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/37 "2015-10-04T14:49:38Z")
300k Syrian lives have been lost thanks to idiotic American policy. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/38 "2015-10-04T15:01:40Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > 300k Syrian lives have been lost thanks to idiotic American policy. What policy do you think we should have used that would have prevented these 300K deaths? ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/39 "2015-10-04T15:08:15Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > What policy do you think we should have used that would have prevented these 300K deaths? Assad is a secular leader supported by everyone except the Sunnis. A resourceful leader commanding a strong army. The only policy was to strengthen Assad. American policy was moronic, caused so much suffering and destruction. There should not be any issues accepting this. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029/40 "2015-10-04T15:19:10Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > Assad is a secular leader supported by everyone except the Sunnis. This is wildly untrue, but even if it were true, it would still have rendered Assad deeply problematic in terms of legitimacy and strategic alliance: Sunnis were the majority in pre-war Syria. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-begins-air-strikes-in-syria/733029.md?page=3)