USA air drops of weapons and ammunition intended for the Syrian Free Army, which is fighting Assad’s regime, could end up in the hands of Islamic State instead, Putin said.
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“Countering Russia’s involvement in Syria doesn’t rate almost as high on the scale” as battling the Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday.
Russian Federation began carrying out airstrikes in Syria two weeks ago.
Activists say the rebels repelled the attack, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights called the clashes the “fiercest” since the Russian air campaign began in late September.
The only group on the ground to have success against ISIL while cooperating with the US-led coalition is a Kurdish militia, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which has carved out an autonomous zone in northern Syria and advanced deep into ISIL’s stronghold Raqqa province.
To be sure, Russia’s air campaign in Syria, in contrast to that of the US-led coalition, has in the Syrian military a relatively capable ground force which theoretically gives it a strategic advantage.
“Faced with the enemies of freedom, faced with barbarity, with hordes thirsty for destruction, with torture, with degradation of humanity, we must give the strongest response”, he said. “Only Russian Federation backed us. we are all here to thank Russian Federation and President Putin”.
The U.S., in alliance with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Sunni oil sheikdoms, instigated, armed and funded the sectarian civil war in Syria.
“If the Russian army kills the people of Syria, then kill their people. Together with the Syrian authorities, we are now trying to establish those responsible”. Its position is that a negotiated settlement is possible only once the Assad government is secure.
The best light that can be put on the Russian intervention is that President Vladimir Putin – perhaps encouraged by the Western decision-making vacuum over Syria and his own troubles following his Ukraine adventure – has decided he has little to lose and potentially much to gain by taking bold action.
Moscow’s strikes have concentrated on areas in northwestern Syria where Al-Nusra has a powerful presence, mostly in the province of Idlib.
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“There can not be a lasting peace in Syria under the present leadership”. These include the likely use of Syria as a new pipeline route to bring gas from Qatar to the European market, thereby undercutting Gazprom, Russia’s largest corporation and biggest exporter. “That’s at least indirect pressure on the Russians to either stop or do more”.
