The latest developments in Syria are not, I believe, the result of some deliberate plan of the USA to help their “moderate terrorist” allies on the ground, but they are the symptom of something even worse: the complete loss of control of the USA over the situation in Syria and, possibly, elsewhere. Let me just re-state what just happened:
First, after days and days of intensive negotiations, Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov finally reached a deal on a cease-fire in Syria which had the potential to at least “freeze” the situation on the ground until the Presidential election in the USA and a change in administration (this is now the single most important event in the near future, therefore no plans of any kind can extend beyond that date).
Then the USAF, along with a few others, bombed a Syrian Army unit which was not on the move or engaged in intense operations, but which was simply holding a key sector of the front. The US strike was followed by a massive offensive of the “moderate terrorists” which was barely contained by the Syrian military and the Russian Aerospace forces. Needless to say, following such a brazen provocation the cease-fire was dead. The Russians expressed their total disgust and outrage at this attack and openly began saying that the Americans were “недоговороспособны”. What that word means is literally “not-agreement-capable” or unable to make and then abide by an agreement. While polite, this expression is also extremely strong as it implies not so much a deliberate deception as the lack of the very ability to make a deal and abide by it. For example, the Russians have often said that the Kiev regime is “not-agreement-capable”, and that makes sense considering that the Nazi occupied Ukraine is essentially a failed state. But to say that a nuclear world superpower is “not-agreement-capable” is a terrible and extreme diagnostic. It basically means that the Americans have gone crazy and lost the very ability to make any kind of deal. Again, a government which breaks its promises or tries to deceive but who, at least in theory, remains capable of sticking to an agreement would not be described as “not-agreement-capable”. That expression is only used to describe an entity which does not even have the skillset needed to negotiate and stick to an agreement in its political toolkit. This is an absolutely devastating diagnostic.
Next came the pathetic and absolutely unprofessional scene of US Ambassador Samantha Powers simply walking out of a UNSC meeting when the Russian representative was speaking. Again, the Russians were simply blown away, not by the infantile attempt at offending, but at the total lack of diplomatic professionalism shown the Powers. From a Russian point of view, for one superpower to simply walk out at the very moment the other superpower is making a crucial statement is simply irresponsible and, again, the sign that their American counterparts have totally “lost it”.
Finally, there came the crowning moment: the attack of the humanitarian convey in Syria which the USA blamed, of course, on Russia. The Russians, again, could barely believe their own eyes. First, this was such a blatant and, frankly, Kindergarten-level attempt to show that “the Russians make mistakes too” and that “the Russians killed the cease-fire”. Second, there was this amazing statement of the Americans who said there are only two air forces which could have done that – either the Russians or the Syrians (how the Americans hoped to get away with this in an airspace thoroughly controlled by Russian radars is beyond me!). Somehow, the Americans “forgot” to mention that their own air force was also present in the region, along with the air forces of many US allies. Most importantly, they forgot to mention that that night armed US Predator drones were flying right over that convoy.
What happened in Syria is painfully obvious: the Pentagon sabotaged the deal made between Kerry and Lavrov and when the Pentagon was accused of being responsible, it mounted a rather crude false flag attack and tried to blame it on the Russians.
All this simply goes to show that the Obama Administration is in a state of confused agony. The White House apparently is so freaked out at the prospects of a Trump victory in November that it has basically lost control of its foreign policy in general and, especially, in Syria. The Russians are quite literally right: the Obama Administration is truly “not-agreement-capable”.
Of course, the fact that the Americans are acting like clueless frustrated children does not mean that Russia will reciprocate in kind. We have already seen Lavrov go back and further negotiate with Kerry. Not because the Russians are naive, but precisely because, unlike their US colleagues, the Russians are professionals who know that negotiations and open lines of communications are always, and by definition, preferable to a walk-away, especially when dealing with a superpower. Those observers who criticize Russia for being “weak” or “naive” simply project their own, mostly American, “reaction set” on the Russians and fail to realize the simply truth that Russians are not Americans, they think differently and they act differently. For one thing, the Russians don’t care if they are perceived as “weak” or “naive”. In fact, they would prefer to be perceived as such if that furthers their goals and confuses the opponent about their real intentions and capabilities. The Russians know that they did not build the biggest country on the planet by being “weak” or “naive” and they won’t be take lessons from a country which is younger that many Russian buildings. The western paradigm is usually like this: a crises leads to a breakdown in negotiations and conflict follows. The Russian paradigm is completely different: a crisis leads to negotiations which are conducted up the the last second before a conflict erupts. There are two reasons for that: first, continuing to negotiate up to the last second makes it possible to seek a way out of the confrontation up to the last second and, second, negotiations up to the last second make it possible to come as close as possible to achieving strategic surprise for an attack. This is exactly how Russia acted in Crimea and in Syria – with absolutely no warning signs or, even less so, a well-publicized display of power to attempt to intimidate somebody (intimidation is also a western political strategy the Russians don’t use).
So Lavrov will continue to negotiate, no matter how ridiculous and useless such negotiations will appear. And Lavrov himself will probably never officially utter the word “недоговороспособны”, but the message to the Russian people and to the Syrian, Iranian and Chinese allies of Russia will be that at this point Russia has lost any hope of dealing with the current US Administration.
Obama and Co. now have their hands full with trying to hide Hillary’s health and character problems and right now they probably can think of only one thing: how to survive the upcoming Hillary-Trump debate. The Pentagon and the Department of State are mostly busy fighting each other over Syria, Turkey, the Kurds and Russia. The CIA seems to be fighting itself, though this is hard to ascertain.
It is likely that some kind of deal with still be announced by Kerry and Lavrov, if not today, then tomorrow or the day after. But, frankly, I completely agree with the Russians: the American are truly “not-agreement-capable” and at this point in time, both the conflict in Syria and the one in the Ukraine are frozen. I don’t mean “frozen” in the sense of “no fighting”, not at all, but I do mean “frozen” in the same of “no major developments possible”. There will still be combats, especially now that the Wahabi and Nazi allies of the USA feel that their boss is not in charge because he is busy with elections and race riots, but since there is no quick military solution possible in either one of these wars, the tactical clashes and offensives will not yield any strategic result.
Barring an election-canceling false flag inside the USA, like the murder of either Hillary or Trump by a “lone gunman”, the wars in the Ukraine and Syria will go on with no prospects of any kind of meaningful negotiations. And whether Trump or Hillary get into the White House next, a major “reset” will take place in early 2017. Trump will probably want to meet Putin for a major negotiations session involving all the key outstanding issues between the USA and Russia. If Hillary and her Neocons make it into the White House then some kind of war between Russia and the USA will become almost impossible to prevent.
The Saker
PS: some Russian military experts are saying that the kind of damage shown in the footage of the attack on the humanitarian convey is not consistent with an airstrike or even an artillery strike and that it looks much more like the result of a blast of several IEDs. If so, then that would still not point at Russia, but at the “moderate terrorist” forces in control of that location. This could still be a US ordered-false flag attack or, alternatively, the proof that the US has lost control over its Wahabi allies on the ground.
So what about the US
Can someone explain to me what Russia strategy is in Syria?
They went in last year and rolled back the jihadis
Now it’s as if they have lost the will to help Syria
And the people are suffering, the SAA is stretched on so many fronts.
Syria is not only still standing, with their President, but they are taking back territory incrementally. That the USA has decided on a ‘last hurrah’ to protect their terrorist proxy ‘assets’ is not surprising. This is practically their entire ‘toolbox’ for further destabilizing the Middle East.
Without Russian support, which is metered up or down, as the illegal and unethical US actions require, (I refer especially to the recent ‘coalition’ airstrike/massacre under cover of truce) do you think Syria would look like a nation still intact and cohesive, or more like Libya?
Russian strategy in Syria is to protect and aid Syria’s legitimate government against ruthless, and criminal, assaults by the Anglo-Zionist Empire. What Russia will not do is be drawn into a war with the USA, which would like nothing more than another Soviet Afghanistan. Bad Generals are always fighting the last war, good ones are fighting the one at hand.
James lake
Let’s establish thee basic things.
If it wasn’t for Russia and Russian military, there would be no Syria, no Syrian Army and no Syrian people, by now.
The presence of the international terror army in Syria is the direct threat to Russia’s national security.
The international terror army in Syria is supported, funded and staffed by the entire Western community. The suffering of the Middle East is on the western nations conscience.
Syria was fighting alone for 4.5 years before Russia came to bomb. So it survived the war with militants from 80-100 other countries pouring in and financed and aided by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, U.S., etc.
I don’t think Russian air force has helped Syria in Deir Ezzor, and ISIS has gained strategic ground there. The U.S. bombed weakened the Syrian army and halted its advance, and now ISIS has gained the upper hand and is in striking distance of a key airport.
ISIS approaches strategic Deir Ezzor Military Airport
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-approaches-strategic-deir-ezzor-military-airport/
So, U.S. did help ISIS gain territory, and it was by design I have no doubt. U.S. has also established military bases in Syria’s north.
Syria had two months to live before Russia stepped in. The had no defence against the TOW missiles that poured into the tafiri’s, and no defence against the electronic warfare deployed against them when the takfiri’s over run Idlib.
Well now it has no defense against the U.S. bombers.
Really, I came away with another take. What was taken out was a radio post at the end of the airport pattern leg and it was just being constructed. No one stayed at that undefendable position. Further more the construction was very interesting. The US military did not want want it though was going to be built there. It was somewhat of a trap that was exposed. I think that it also exposed the ability and timing of the coalition intelligence. They are not very good, but they did trip the trap early.
Without Russian supplies of weapons and munitions, without Russian diplomatic support and above all without the implicit and explicit threat that Russian tactical and strategic nuclear tipped missiles pose to NATO, the Syrian Army would have been blasted to Kingdom Come in a matter of hours. It’s that simple.
Not all western nations are contrite. Canadians, for example, are like American citizens themselves; they haven’t a clue what’s going on anywhere. They simply follow their lackie leaders and their US-slanted media at home.
To James Lake…
The Saker is correct as far as he goes.
The Russian strategy is not to fight in any way the US forces anywhere in the world and especially not in Syria.
This is because, in Syria, there can never be peace without the agreement of the US.
Russia is also using the ‘trade weapon’ by doing trade deals with everyone even including the US. Trade gets people talking and thus promotes greater understanding.
Russia does not want a war under any circumstances, but if it is attacked it will fight to the bitter end unlike America which is all bluster and no backbone. IE a bully…all bullies are cowards.
Russia knows it can not make a deal with the USA because the powers that be in America are like spoilt children…fickle!
Russia sees threats, bullying and breaking ceasefires (or truces if you prefer that older terminology) as acts that indicate a weak nation led by incompetent generals.
Russia will not attack America or Americans until they are given no other option because they have experienced numerous wars over the last few centuries in their own lands and know just how devastating.
Russia intends to talk, trade and negotiate for ever if it gives them more time to get stronger and allows the Americans to dissipate their strengths and get weaker.
Time and patience will reward Russia. Lies, aggression and an inability to bide their time will make America weaker.
Time is on Russia’s side. Patience is not an American chaeacteristic.
Thus James, Russia intends to use every trick in the book to the nth degree.
Remember the Russians are Christians who practice Christianity. As the Bible suggests a good Christian needs to be as subtle as a snake and as wiley as a fox.
Americans, Protestants and their mates are only Christian in name.
No true Christians would behave as the Americans, British or Dutch do!
It’s long been argued that the Americans, Dutch and Brits oligarchy are actually the Venetian oligarchy (house of welf/Guelph), the Lombard bankers who financed all the wars and unleashed the 4th crusade against……..Constantinople.
It does not say wiley as fox, it says harmless as doves. Mathew 10:16
If Putin is trying to be harmless as a dove, he is failing miserably. Rather he looks like someone you dont want to mess with.
Thiamin
So tell me, is the US being “harmless as a dove”? The US is the terrorist center of the universe. The oligarch owners of the US are hell bent to rule the world, and strip mine it to the point that the world will not be able to sustain life – all for their greater riches and powers. Tell me now the perfidy of the Russians! Tell me that the USA is the “Savior of the World”! Tell me what nation invaded more countries!
BTW, when Russia took out the US puppet in Georgia by rolling their tanks through that country in only a few days – making the US and Israeli “advisors” flee like scared children – they then withdrew from Georgia to let the Georgians re-organize their government. Shakisvili (sp) is wanted for arrest in Georgia now.
It is hard for me to disagree with you. Just look at “Black Lives Matter“. It looks like a color revolution to me, with slogans, media coverage and everything. It looks like a Soros funded operation inside the USA.
I would also agree with Anonymous about the black nobility and their financial support for all the wars. Italy is home to the mafia, the black nobility AND the catholic church.
While I dont think that the Russian government is as corrupt as the black nobility, it is part of the same capitalist system after all. Until the current system collapses or gets reformed, no government will be harmless as a dove.
It looks like, it appears, blah, blah, woof, woof! IT IS! Simply put. BLM has been completely infiltrated and coopted, as have all protest movements in the US since the late 60’s anti-war movements.
If the BLM movement and the riots in Charlotte are an operation they are certainly not a color revolution. The goals of a color revolution are to subvert and overthrow an existing government. The rioters are not presented as a pro-democracy shadow government-in-waiting protesting corruption but as simple criminals. The media narrative strengthens the existing government not weakens it.
As an operation, Charlotte/Furgeson could only serve two purposes. First, to frighten the general populace into accepting ever-increasing levels of draconian police state measures. Second, to direct popular anger to ensure conflict between social groups (black/white) and not between economic classes (rich/poor). Another variation on this theme is the attempt to blame all social problems on the Baby Boomers.
The BLM is indeed backed by Soros and Ford Foundation but it is a movement of many different elements who agree minimally on countering state violence against civilians. There are voices for revolution but inside a surveillance state, it’s not easy to be open about such objectives.
“Americans, Protestants and their mates are only Christian in name.
No true Christians would behave as the Americans, British or Dutch do!”
The original Christians have been extinct in ME and E. Europe through various means: by Vatican/Rome, crusaders, Jews, Islam (was created to destroy this orthodox Christianity still continues throughout ME and now their number has been dwindling), communists and recently by protestants. If you notice, ancient spiritual teachings such as Hinduism, Buddhism and those who believe in nature like shamanism, along orthodox Christianity is are non violent and they tend to be more localized because faith is something personal and not about spreading and influencing others for controlling humanity. This means these groups committing genocide against the original Christians can’t be Christians or believe in GOD, because the very teaching of Christianity/god is against killing, especially when there is no threat from true Christianity. The world would have been peaceful if the original Christianity existed and still trying to bring coexistence with what is left of it. The group above then are driven by power using Christianity/god in order to control the mass that follow morality.
Those persecuting the Christians in the ME can’t be Jews, either…not real Jews. The dna of the Syriac Christians is identical to Middle Eastern Jews. They were the original Jewish Christians of the Lord’s earthly life. Why would Israel want to harm their own blood? That begs another question: who owns and operates Israel, the state?
I’m no expert by any means but the way I see it is that Russia does not want a direct confrontation with the US or to start a world devastating war that could possibly end life as we know it. So they put enough resources into Syria to keep the SAA moving in the right direction but not so much that the US can use it as a springboard to a wider escalation. This strategy has good and bad points. As the SAA slowly makes progress it gives Russia time to prepare for a confrontation with the US and , hopefully , time to diplomatically head it off, BUT, as the US sees its proxy army slowly strangled and its dreams of a Qatar pipeline into Europe fade into nothing it will get progressively more desperate to turn the tide, making a direct confrontation more and more likely.
The US needs a pipeline through Syria to take Europe off of Russian gas. It can not advance its plans until this happens and it is pivotal to its plans to destroy Russia, as is blocking oil to China through the South China Sea btw. So the US can not back down and Assad MUST go, also Russia can not back down and Assad MUST stay. The WW3 clock is already ticking and its 10 to midnight.
The US doesn’t need the Qatari pipeline across Syria to put Russia’s Gasprom out of business. A pipeline from the Israeli and/or Egyptian monster deposits off of their coasts is much closer to the market than the Qatari one.
A pipeline to Greece or up the Adriatic to Croatia or Slovenia is shorter and cheaper to build.
The pipeline across Syria is as phony today as when the neocons came up with their lie 20 years ago.
I wonder if Russia can target directly the GCC:Qatar, UAE, Saudi as most terrorists are financed and trained and come from there. Russia, like the West has a right to target countries that threaten its interest and nation! Russia’s attack of the home of terrorists will be more legitimate than the US because the US actually embolden terrorists.
Russia is doing something interesting – with the negotiation side of things they are forcing Washington’s duplicity in creating the Syrian war out into the open. The US has had plausible deniability until recently about its involvement because it has outsourced much of the paper trail to Saudi Arabia/Qatar in financing the war and Turkey/Jordan in providing the logistics and safe havens for militants.
But the Pentagon/State Dept in house squabbling over negotiations with Russia is indicating that the US has much deeper direct involvement and investment in the militants, who they are refusing to separate into the long heralded ‘moderates’ away from Al Nusra. For the simple reason that Al Nusra are the most powerful militant force in war against Syrian government. The actual lesser militias have been negotiating with SAA to get themselves evacuated out of hopeless conflict zones for months now, but the Nusra affiliates are in it to the bitter end, as they are extremists.
Russia has taken some tactical push back in cease fires, but is winning the broader game of showing up the US’s false claims about Syria. It appears that Russia thinks time will only make these US contradictions and complicity more apparent, and only if war hawk Clinton arrives on the scene is it likely that Russia will shift gear into accelerated campaign mode.
I am in general agreement with this assessment though I don’t believe that a possible Trump Presidency is a cause of this belligerant disposition. I believe it is more a result of hubris and incompetence. As illustrated in this image:
http://www.oftwominds.com/photos10/lifecycle-bureaucracy.png
From this rather enlightening article
http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-three-stages-of-empire.html?m=1&utm_source=Viber&utm_medium=Chat&utm_campaign=Private
Does Empire have a fallback option?
the split within the “deep state” is not between agencies; it exists and is reflected within agencies- White House and Pentagon especially. SecDef Ash Carter is a cabinet appointee; he can go anytime.
clues of this split have been public for at least a year and a half:
Leslie Gelb on the beltway website tells Obama to fire his foreign policy team and who to
replace them with. Jan 2015.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/13/this-is-obama-s-last-foreign-policy-chance.html
Kissinger says reverse Russia policy, August, 2015:
https://www.rt.com/usa/312964-kissinger-breaking-russia-ukraine/
Zbig analyzes Imperial failure:
intro: http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/08/25/the-broken-chessboard-brzezinski-gives-up-on-empire/
full text: http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/04/17/toward-a-global-realignment/
Russia and MENA are policy failures. is there a back-up? yes: regional realignment negotiated with Russia, and a move to autarky (which is a global trend anyway).
http://www.oftwominds.com/blogaug16/long-game8-16.html
basically, with a change of course, the US has the option of leading the world without imposing dominance. this is not up to the electorate. although autarky is a semi-coherent thematic of the Trump campaign, the election is not driving policy in Syria. failure is.
readers should also be mindful of the increasing pressure within the Western financial architecture, currently on Europe’s largest bank. that progression is Germany > Silk Road > NATO. there is a lot to negotiate.
Whitney seems far more concerned (after aiming a gratuitous kick at Obama) that Hillary will fail to follow advice Brzezinski’s advice, than with any fault of his intent or strategy.
It is remarkable that it took the Russians so many years to realize that Americans cannot be trusted to hold on to agreements any more than the proverbial scorpion can be trusted not to sting the proverbial frog, because they lack the ability to do so.
Why is it that I am never surprised by American treachery, and I am increasingly suprised by Russian superhuman willingness to keep acting as if it catches them by surprise?
And this part:
“What happened in Syria is painfully obvious: the Pentagon sabotaged the deal made between Kerry and Lavrov and when the Pentagon was accused of being responsible, it mounted a rather crude false flag attack and tried to blame it on the Russians.”
Sorry, this is not obvious at all to me, and I cannot accept this explanation just because Russian diplomacy needs to cling to it in order to gain a measure of decorum so they can continue the farce of new “ceasefire” talks ad infinitum. I’ve just read a tweet by the Russian ambassador to the UK, Alexander Yakovenko, where he says that, according to Lavrov, “Russia remains committed to ceasefire in Syria. Now it`s up to US to shoulder their part of agreement.” https://twitter.com/Amb_Yakovenko/status/779264198941573120
So there we go again.
Lacking an ability to keep agreements is definitely nothing new with Americans. Why would you present it as something new? It is simply part of their nature. There is no need to say that they have now suddenly gone insane and so on.
On the other hand, where I am starting to detect signs of possible derangement is in the insistence by the Russian side to keep looking for soothing explanations to the blatantly obvious, deliberatly provocative and outrageous nature of the Americans behavior.
“Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment”
― Lao Tzu
In diplomacy, Lavrov, Zakharova and Putin are the only adults in the neighborhood.
Hahahahaha, nailed it!
I agree… There’s no possible way that the airstrike on Syrian forces was a rogue Pentagon operation. If Russia really believes this, it’s more naive than I thought and these further negotiations will only lead to additional similar disasters. Just listen to the vile rhetoric coming from the State Dept since the US airstrike, including from Kerry and Powers…Have they gone rogue as well? Ridiculous. Rather, they’re simply different faces of the same coordinated cabal. The US knew it couldn’t provide intel to distinguish “moderates” from terrorists as the ceasefire mandated. Therefore, it needed to be sabotaged. Furthermore, the entire deal from the start was only to allow the insurgents to regroup and resupply. Once that was achieved, there was no need for the charade any longer. The US doesn’t want peace in Syria… This will never change and includes the entire Washington power structure, not to be blamed solely on some nonexistent rogue military element.
aNON,
Excellent analysis. While the two opposing sides display differing tactics in their respective melieu, both are playing for keeps and you description of the American sides effort is spot on in my opinion.
I see it the same way.
If you have ever been in a situation where you have to “talk down” an agitated, potentially destructive insane person in a psychotic episode, you would know that the one thing you DON’T do is get aggressive or confrontational yourself.
You let them think they are in control even while you are quietly moving towards the “scream” button, you speak very quietly and in a friendly way, you seem to agree with whatever makes them particularly agitated if they feel they are being undercut…and so on and so forth. It’s part of “hostage crises control therapy 101.
This, I think, is what I see Russia, Putin, Lavrov et al doing. America might be a stricken giant, but it’s still a giant. If we bring down it’s economy in one fell swoop, the entire world will be hit and many small nations will just get caught up in the undertow. If it gets to being too deranged before anyone can dismantle those nukes – the world is half gone.
Please, give the guys with the reins in their hand in Moscow credit for ability and intelligence. Don’t you think, with what they have done since 1999 they’ve shown they have it, and can handle an out of control team of wild horses just fine.
@ Isabella
Dealing with kid gloves with a psychopath may be the best strategy sometimes, but not when he’s pointing a gun at your head.
However, the psychopath in this case has been loose on this Earth for far too long spreading atrocities and mayhem at will, especially since the incinerations of Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Having rational discussions with this psychopath is pointless – and that is what’s wrong with Russian diplomacy: their incapacity to understand the futility of dealing with people whose worldview has been irrevocably corrupted by power, greed and megalomania.
What’s the sense of talking sense to the insane?
Isabella
I agree with you. And I love your psychopath/hostage analogy. The hostages are of course the US people, some of whom are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and have been for decades.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and by extension the military are, I believe, President Putin’s sandbox. It is a very impressive sandbox.
The finesse with which the Russian ‘sandbox kids’, Lavrov, Churkin, Zakharova and others have built their defensive and offensive sandcastles, redoubts and moats against the planned Fourth Reich Kids’ Gang attack on Russia have so outclassed the self-appointed ‘West’ that every cat in the world has, by now, taken a dump in the sandbox of Western diplomacy, covered up, and unhurriedly walked away. They will have to replace the sand.
In the 19th century, the American Indians tried to warn the world that the Great Chiefs in Washington speak with forked tongues.
Those who survived the residential schools gave a more recent warning, too. About the extreme abuse of power, official genocide, use of sheer brute force to enforce mass assimilation, submission. Totalitarianism at its finest, with no restraint.
You may be detecting signs of derangement, but are the CIA and Pentagon detecting the same thing?
If Sun Tzu didn’t say this, he should have?
“Don’t let your enemy determine the time and place of your battle. It is for you to determine when to fight.”
Putin is right on the money here.
Dear Saker
You say –
It is likely that some kind of deal with still be announced by Kerry and Lavrov, if not today, then tomorrow or the day after. But, frankly, I completely agree with the Russians: the American are truly “not-agreement-capable” and at this point in time, both the conflict in Syria and the one in the Ukraine are frozen. I don’t mean “frozen” in the sense of “no fighting”, not at all, but I do mean “frozen” in the same of “no major developments possible”.
Surely with the fact that the aim of the US in Syria is it’s destruction anyway, what stands in the way of an all out push by the Syrians and their allies to clear the terrorists out?
Let the US twist in the wind.
Why do you think the conflict is frozen?
The conflict is frozen because of a lack of manpower sufficient to confront and defeat the large number of jihadists in their strongholds — a possible solution might be for Syria to invite Iran to supply sufficient troops to finish off the jihadists in Aleppo and then to support the SAA liberation of Raqqa .
Whether Iran would be willing to take this huge step that would certainly result and sanctions and economic hardship is certainly not a given..
Saker: As usual to the point and with the right logic. Saludos de Francia/ Medjeral
“offensive of the “moderate terrorists” which was barely contained by the Syrian military and the Russian Aerospace forces. ”
-USA does not refer to ISIS as “moderate”, USA refers to ISIS and al-nusra as terrorists and the other jihadist as “moderate”
“From a Russian point of view, for one superpower to simply walk out at the very moment the other superpower ”
-Russia is certainly not a superpower, USSR was a superpower, Russia is much much weaker, why USA could snap its finger and crush Russia like a bug, kicking Russia out of SWIFT or similar things, Russia is totally at the mercy of USA, which is the main, if not the only thing that forces Russia to watch NATO trained nazists butcher Russians right across the border, Russia is more a regional power with nuclear weapons, it just so happens that Russia has a gigantic landmass and stretches through many regions.
Why Putin after having controlled Russia for over 15 years have not remedied this dependence on the west is beyond me, I would like to believe it is because he has many internal enemies, hindring his effort, but honestly, the truth is probably the fact that Putin is a west hugger. He wants to integrate with the west, not develop Russia independently, thought the difference between Putin and the liberals west hugging is that Putin want Russia to be equal while the liberals want Russia to be subservient, if it even is to exist at all.
Your post seems to be drawn from a sidereal universe.
All Russia has ever promoted, in the face of the documented US grab for unipolar ‘hegemony’- that is how the PNAC (Project for a New American Century) put it, is “a multi-polar world”. Seems fair, does it not?
If you think that US “Superpower” hegemony is a good thing for the planet, you may have been raised on comic books about a certain Zionist-American hero called “Superman” (‘Ubermensch’ in German).
The ‘Ubermensch’ ideal is what allowed Nazi Germany to deep-freeze all previous international law and wage a war of annihilation for… Unipolar Superpower Hegemony. Just like today’s NeoCon Zionists, the Nazis thought they were not only ‘exceptional’ but also ‘exemptional’ beings, a term which was recently coined out of of the US attack on the Olympic movement. By ‘exemptional’ they understand that since they are already ‘exceptional’ they are also exempt from Rule of Law and common human ethics. Interestingly, the Olympic movement itself is dedicated to an unhealthy ideal of the exceptional/exemptional hero, or ‘Ubermensch’ athlete. An ideal that we now see is mostly achieved by false accusations and the concealment of massive doping by the US and its vassals themselves.
President “Putin” has created an alternative to the IMF, to SWIFT and to the old EU trade axis. It is called the Eurasian Union/Trade Zone and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) and everyone wants to join. Oil prices are rising, Syria is alive and winning, the EU and the USA are failing fast. Where have you been?
Great comments, Franz.
Allow me two remarks:
1) Übermensch is a term introduced by Friedrich Nietzsche in ‘Zarathustra’ and means the same like the Enlightened One, the Buddha and has absolutely nothing to do with the Nazi misunderstanding and modern vulgarization of the term.
2) Hitler and the whole Nazi movement, I am afraid to say, were creations of British & Zionist intelligence. Their master piece, actually. Yes.
Yes, that’s right, _smr, the NeoCon Zionists & Nazis; that’s one and the same thing! . . . But also one of the biggest taboos, so no wonder Franz does either not know it, or doesn’t want to say it.
What nonsense, where did I say USA superpower status was good? Strawman much?
I only said that Russia certainly was not a superpower, which is certainly is not. USSR was a super-power, Russia is not, far from it.
+100 Franz,
Moreover, if one would compare pre-Putin Russia with Putin’s Russia today, one would notice a startling difference – It is a vastly different, revived and revised country. This push toward economic independence is clearly visible, and many Russian businesses are enjoying the so called “western sanctions”. I don’t see Russia begging for any concessions or lifting of sanctions.
Russian economy is growing, perhaps not as fast as it should, but it is getting stronger. Sooner or later the negotiation style will change, and at that point it will be obvious “who is who” in this “game of thrones”.
@ Franz
Sorry but you missed the point altogether that Anonymous made. Maybe your English did not detect the sarcasm but he meant something very different from what you assumed.
@ Franz
“…the EU and the USA are failing fast. Where have you been?”
Perhaps one should ask you the same question: Where have you been?
I have read and heard so may times about the impending crash of capitalism, the result of its recurrent crisis of boom and bust, its internal contradictions and colossal loss of lives through its wars, yet it managed to progress to the financial imperialism stage and open fascism, now sanitized from its Nazi connection.
Capitalism will not crumble by itself as Germany proved in the 1920s when its well-organized working class failed to emulate the Soviets. It showed the immense power of capital (as it did in Britain before) to co-opt and subvert any resistance – the Russian Revolution being a sui generis case of a time when the people could still confront the state with arms . The modern all-powerful state is now, more than ever, the tool of capital and there is no organized opposition to it. And don’t expect any change through “democracy”.
“Sanitized from its Nazi connection”?! In another post today I mentioned the Bush-run Carlyle group, direct inheritor of the Prescott Bush-run funds which, illegally circumvented the Versailles Treaty, directly making WW2 possible.
They financed the rearmament of the Third Reich. Note that the Bush Dynasty is one of the two which now divide up the USA. The other one being the Clinton Dynasty.
A good look at the new NATO will show the same features as a look back at the Third Reich would.
There are variants, but they are just there to confuse the low-information observer.
The chief difference is that the Fourth Reich has the USA openly leading it instead of merely financing it from behind a curtain. Though NATO, as the seed of the Fourth Reich, is mostly US funded.
The General Reinhard Gehlen-planted seeds called ‘Gladio’ and the ‘CIA’, which Wild Bill Donovan allowed to be built on SS foundations are finally bearing their dark and bitter fruit. Even the Nazi dream of Lebensraum has come true in the former The Ukraine and the Baltic States. The physical depopulation of both has begun now that the annexation of both has been completed by the Fourth Reich (aka: The AngloZionist Empire, or the more politically correct but vapid term: The West.)
As for ” …the Russian Revolution being a sui generis case”, it was not.
It was the first ‘Color Revolution’ funded by, alternatively, the New York Banks and the German Foreign Ministry. Lenin/Ulyanov was wanted by the Russian Secret Service as a German agent and, as if to confirm that fact, the sealed train was provided to bring the Bacillus of Bolshevism to Russia by Germany. While a first tranche, of 50 million dollars I believe, was delivered to Lenin by go-between Parvus, representative of the New York banks.
In other words, the Russian Revolution [sic] has more in common with recent events on the Nulandistan Maidan than with any Broadway version of the Red, White and Blue, Revolutions in France or the USA.
But that is another story.
@ Franz
I agree with you here. Maybe you missed the meaning of “sanitized from its Nazi connection”.
It refers to the efforts made by “democratic capitalism” doctrinarians to distance capitalism from fascism and Nazism as being aberrations distinct from capitalism itself when in fact they are emanations from the same thing, perhaps even a higher and more perfect form of capitalism as being demonstrated now by the Anglozionists’ bid for absolute world power.
The sanitization process started, not when the Nazis came to power (in fact they had admirers in all capitalists countries up to the English royals), but only when Hitler became a rival with imperialist ambitions and a threat to the British empire. But even then all their efforts were directed to goad Hitler to attack the Soviet Union.
Nuremberg was part and parcel of the sanitization process to fix the criminal responsibility for the war on individuals not the system they all shared.
I see Russia as an enabler. Russia is obsessed with being viewed as an equal by US. Truth is Russia could have destroyed ISIS a year ago, and many time since. US has been able to dictate Russia foreign policy simply by offering an incentive, for Russia to see US perspective. Russia gets giddy. Then US pulls the Rug from under them, Rinse + repeat + rinse + repeat.
The number of people waking up to the onslaught of CIA (CIANN) propaganda in the Anglo-Zionist Empire is growing exponentially. The USSD obsession with RT and, on the quiet, blogs like this one is proof of that
Through its intelligent tactics and strategies, Russia is winning not only politically and militarily but the propaganda war for ‘hearts and minds’ as well. All things which the US has proven itself utterly incapable of.
Russia is not the ‘equal of the US’. It is the only adult in the neighborhood.
So we finally can see the murky forest which surrounds us, in spite of all the huge trees which occlude our vision. This since the coalition’s attack on the SAA a week ago, about which the US said “yes, we did it, but it was a mistake. We are sorry.” How does one belligerent prove it’s action was a mistake and not intentional? There is no way to prove it. None.
Taken along with the Pentagon’s many excuses for having destroyed the MSF hospital in Kanduz, Afghanistan, about which the Generals at the Pentagon put forward four different reasons for that tragedy (and never let the MSF conduct their own investigation), the last one blaming most of the crew. How can we accept the Pentagon’s apology for their mistake?
How can we not believe that this is the Pentagon’s new M.O. with Russia?
Then, as you point out, there was the undiplomatic behavior of Obama, Kerry and Powers before the cameras at the UN. Cringeworthy, whether you hate the American clowns or love them. And this coup de main occurred about the same time when most of the convoy of UN trucks were torched by forces unknown but instantly blamed on the Russian/Syrian side.
The Generals of the Pentagon were quoted as saying “The Russians did it. But we have NO facts to support that belief.” First we heard there were two fixed wing Russian planes dropping 20 bombs; then they became 2 helicopters doing the dirty work. Finally, a US predator drone with a welding torch in its nose was seen by the Russians.
There were no bomb craters in the area. Nor were there any shrapnel punctures from missiles or bombs. But the message from the Pentagon was loud and clear: If you don’t give us the ceasefire – and a halt to the Russian/Syrian momentum – we want, we, and our fawning media, will blame you for everything. We will even devise the most abominable war crimes imaginable and blame them on you. Without any proof whatsoever!
The next day Russia and Syria gave Obama their answer: and they hit the terrorists AND the moderate rebels like they hadn’t done since Russia began its air campaign a year a go. At the moment the US coalition is stymied, but you know they are plotting some egregious reply to the bombing of the good rebels.
This is where we are today. The only thing standing between these napalm dropping, white phosphorous firing, and depleted uranium-using liars and the rest of the world is V V Putin.
He’s the guy who plays chess while our CiC plays checkers.
An excellent and passionate summation. Thank you.
new vido seems to show shrapnel of small size and some detonation impact that is rather inconstant with a bomb of a large size, more like IEDs set up a meter above the ground and bullet and 23-30mm holes like the support car shown was raked with gunfire (and ricochets) The Russians have come out with this conclusion.
You’re wrong. Obama is (or more precisely, his masters in Chicago and elsewhere are) behind it all. This is classic Obama – make random statements in public, issue the opposite orders in private, then blame everyone else when things don’t work out.
People need to stop “splaining” how Obama is not at fault. He’s the frickin’ President of the United States. His word is law for the Executive Branch. As has been said, “the buck stops there.” Anyone who thinks everything is happening while he’s asleep in his bedroom or off playing golf is delusional.
Even if you assume that as a lame duck, he’s not really in control of anything any more does NOT change the fact that these events PRECISELY follow the attempts of the last FOUR YEARS to get a war between the US and Syria going.
Hell, just today Syrian insurgents fired on Turkey AGAIN and the Turks sent jets to bomb Syrian positions. That has been going on for at least THREE YEARS in attempts to get NATO to attack Syria. But Assad has not taken the bait by firing back.
People need to remember that when this conflict started, the Obama Administration made THREE attempts to get a UNSC Resolution passed with Chapter 7 language authorizing the US to attack Syria. THREE! What part of that don’t you people get? Only the vetoes from Russia and China prevented a war THREE YEARS AGO exactly like Libya.
Stop telling us Obama isn’t to blame. That’s what HE wants you to think. Stop being a sucker for the Obama Kool-Aid.
Spot on. It’s shocking to me that even the Russian rep to the UN propogated this narrative that the US airstrike was a rogue Pentagon operation. Does the Russian government really believe this? If not, what’s the advantage to this kind of disinformation? I just don’t get it.
On the Russian suggestion that it was a rogue Pentagon operation, the Russian government had already made it clear that it believed the airstrike was intentional. Suggesting that it was a rogue operation allows diplomacy to go forward, in effect offering a reason why the Russians are still willing to talk to Kerry and crew. It also eliminates the need to discuss whether the operation was White House-ordered. In other words, “we won’t press you on whether you ordered it; let’s get back to talking about what’s important, ending the killing.”
agreed. In my terminology he is Satan incarnated. He is steadily preparing the situation for the ultimate confrontation. In such a way that even if he not there anymore his followers will find it either impossible to change the situation or will put the crown on his evil preparation. he is worse then Killlary or anybody else because of the latter everybody knows and she is open and “honest” about . it. The world has not seen such a diabolic incarnation since Hitler.t
The US and Russia were friendly and the Czars had supported the US against the Anglo-zionists up until the McKinley assassination. After that and especially when TR became president everything flipped and Russia was made enemy #1. Around that time the Wharton School, the first US Business school, was founded and the founders were Russophiles. Trump got an MBA from Wharton in ’74 and he (most likely) had training in Classical Economics as opposed to Neo-Classical which spawned Neo-liberalism (Fascism). You could ask Catherine Fitts about Wharton because she graduated in ’78, the same day I graduated from the Med School. She would know more about the curriculum. The Anglo-zionists have been “not agreement capable” since their formation and will never be agreement capable ever. Its their way or the highway. They hold oBOMBa hostage in the White House and he can’t do anything they don’t like. Eisenhower tried to reduce tensions with the Soviet Union and they sabotaged him with the U-2 debacle. JFK, Castro and Khrushchev were about to end the Cold War so they murdered JFK. RFK would have ended the War on Vietnam so they murdered him. Webster Tarpley has a WWI lecture on the Triple Entente and all those trying to stop the road to war were murdered. Then they funded Hitler and got WWII and the US-Russia alliance ended the day the war ended. I know two people who were at the Meeting on the Elbe and the US and Russian troops were starting to party but Patton broke it up. As you say Putin and Lavrov will continue to negotiate up to a certain point but eventually the bully is going to get its clock cleaned. If you haven’t seen “Dr Strangelove” get it from the library and watch it. That is where we are. The people in charge are not rational.
Fabulous, anecdotal information about Trump. You have explained my vague, uneasy feeling that, just possibly, Trump is OK.
If you expanded on this and used Fitts and what she knows you would have a printable article I think.
“The people in charge are not rational.”
A severe misunderstanding.
The ‘Chosen People’s’ rationality is difficult to grasp because it seems so inhumane, completely insane, but once your realize that they view humanity as one huge ‘animal farm’ – and they are obviously its God given owners – you realize: ” My goodness, these clowns are very, very, very rational…! Not only since yesterday, but since hundreds of years!”
“Around that time the Wharton School, the first US Business school, was founded and the founders were Russophiles. ”
With Russophiles you probably mean Russian Jewish Oligarchs. Wharton School is a famous spook recruiting center. Fun fact: Among its alumni we also find a certain Elon Musk, poster boy for top-tier CIA projects Tesla and Space X.
This could be a reasonably accurate visual definition of the phrase: “Syrian ceasefire”
https://twitter.com/SyriaGeneral/status/779131914745548800
“the wars in the Ukraine and Syria will go on with no prospects of any kind of meaningful negotiation”
but certainly with an increasing prospect of escalation, especially if the neocons decide their only way out of a Trump victory is World War 3.
But perhaps the attack will not come from the West? Russia will indeed continue “to negotiate up to the last second” because that “makes it possible to seek a way out of the confrontation up to the last second and, second, negotiations up to the last second make it possible to come as close as possible to achieving strategic surprise for an attack.” If negotiation is impossible, and war seems inevitable, then why wait to be attacked?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QxWYIAtCMU
I can’t tell if ‘Russians like you’ (I hope you don’t mind if I generalize since you chose to) are hopelessly naive or profoundly cynical or if maybe you suffer from some kind of weird combination of those syndromes? US policy is the same as the British policy once was is the same as the Roman policy once was, long ago: to dominate. Every peace negotiation is simply a move on a chessboard where domininion is the goal, no matter what. Everything other than the will to dominate is a lie.
I think you are cynical because I think it’s pretty clear now that the only thing Russia wants in Syria is a piece of the pie.
@ Paul
“… Russia wants in Syria is a piece of the pie”
That might explain Russian “gullibility” as I have suspected for sometime and supported by the theory of “frozen conflict” like the Ukraine’s, with which there are similarities if you care to observe.
The crux/aim of the Syrian war is starving Russia of its gas exports to Europe by enabling the Qatar/Syria pipeline project. Therefore Russia has to support Assad and either clear the country of headchoppers or maintain the status quo. Since getting rid of headchoppers comes into collision with the US’s plan – and consequent unwillingness to confront the Anglozionists – they have to keep up the pretence of negotiating while in fact all they do is to kick the peace can down the road.
Paul is a regular at M of A. Always the same. Nothing much to say other than Putin Russia bad.
Anon replying along similar lines. Kindergarten grade trolling – gas is all the Syrian war is about?
Surely you guys could be given better talking points. This stuff is Guardian comments grade level.
I don’t think so. It’s often a mistake to think that the other side has the same motives as you. If that were true the Russians would have made Europe a colony in 1813, but they had no desire to.
I think they want stability in their peripheral areas. Same as China. That’s why the idea of a Shiite crescent works for them, and that’s why the Empire is doing everything it can to break the Shiite crescent. It blocks them out of Russia’s underbelly, the Caucuses and Central Asia, an area the Empire needs to disrupt in order to derail the Silk Road project.
It’s interesting that Washington does not seem concerned by instability in Mexico and Central America.
‘It’s interesting that Washington does not seem concerned by instability in Mexico and Central America.’
Not true. They are concerned, indeed. So much that they work really hard to create that instability at all levels, to keep Latin American nations weak and unable to set independent, sovereign policies. Which is why UNASUR came as a big shock for them. Which is why one of its main creators, Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva is now under harsh political persecution down in Brazil, while another of its main creators, Hugo Chavez, was murdered through cia cancer.
Instability in Latin America is precisely Washington’s main policy in the region.
@ Peter AU
“Kindergarten grade trolling – gas is all the Syrian war is about?”
The above statement was addressed at me for having said that:
“The crux/aim of the Syrian war is starving Russia of its gas exports to Europe by enabling the Qatar/Syria pipeline project. Therefore Russia has to support Assad and either clear the country of headchoppers or maintain the status quo.”
It is firmly established that the only plausible reason/ground/raison d’etre of the Syrian conflict was President Assad refusal to allow the transit of a Qatari gas pipeline aimed at the European market through Syrian territory. If you believe in the “Arab Spring” and Assad’s “chemical attack” narrative you need to have your head read and there is a plethora of written material on the subject to remedy that deficiency.
There may other considerations and motivations but the green light for external intervention into Syrian’s sovereign right to decide what goes through the country was the refusal for the pipeline which, by the way, was planned to go through Turkey as well on its way to the EU through the Bosphorus. So, Turkey was from the beginning part of the consortium, from which it would obtain substantial benefits in transit fees, construction projects and replace current imports of Russian gas with cheaper Qatari gas.
Syria’s refusal for the Qatari gas project was based on the fact that Syria has friendly relations with Russia in spite of Syria’s loss of economic benefits from the project.
The US has a declared policy of cutting off Russia from Europe which is part of its encirclement and blockade policy, particularly Russian trade of strategic goods like gas and oil. The supply of Qatari gas to Europe is part of that policy and so was the US policy leading to the Ukrainian debacle: to control, limit or shut off Russian gas/oil to Europe.
Gas and oil exports to Europe are a substantial benefit to the Russian economy and state budget; without them Russia would sustain a severe crisis, perhaps as much as 15% of export earnings, although I have not checked the exact figure.
Without going any further and provide a comprehensive list of factors influencing Russia’s participation in the defence of Syria, I believe that the above ingredients are more than sufficient to state that the predominant, if not sole, reason for such intervention, was to protect Russian interests.
President Putin or anyone in his place would be in serious dereliction of duty if he did not intervene in support of President Assad to protect Russian’s interests.
There is nothing ethically wrong with a country’s choice of policy based on self-interest if such policy does not involve interfering in other countries’ affairs without the consent of its legitimate government.
It is wrong though for such countries as Australia throwing their weight around to steal the resources of poor countries like Timor Leste in breach of international law.
Pipelines are only a tiny part of the war. far cheaper to run a pipeline through US controlled Iraq to Turkey than the cost of this war. Israel also plays a part, and also having a safe haven for sunni islamists to destabilise southern Russia, western China, and Iran, possibly a base for the US to launch future attack on Iran. Sunni Arab countries also in it for religious/political reasons.
Pipelines are only a tiny part of the US war on Syria yet many people seem to think that is all this war is about.
@ Peter AU
Perhaps you know more than the expert planners who designed the pipelines path from Qatar through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Turkey and their respective governments. If a pipeline through Iraq was feasible and that easy and cheaper than they would have chosen that path.
As to the costs of the war, they did not expect that Assad would last beyond the chemical attack scam and the planned US bombing of Syria into submission which was blocked by Russia. Besides money is no objection to the obscenely rich oily potentates who have plenty of it to burn.
Of course Israel is a substantial part of the equation and the gang of schemers but that has nothing to do with the Russian economic benefits, which are not trivial, derived from supporting Syria which was the basis of my original argument.
I support Trump winning the Presidency,I think I’ve made that known quite a bit. But I’m not holding my breathe on that. All the reasons I posted a while back tell me it would be a “Herculean” task,if he does.I do agree though that the debates are vitally important. Especially the first one.And there lays the problem.The debates “depend” on the “questions” asked.And the moderator asking them.The NBC (pro-Clinton) moderator is almost certain to stack the questions against Trump,and for Clinton.To ask Trump questions along the lines of the classic “when did you stop beating your wife”. Which allows no good answer. Whatever answer someone would give to that,it has planted the “thought” in voters minds,that you were a “wife-beater”.While the questions asked of Clinton would be tailored to give her an opportunity to sound “thoughtful and Presidential”.And to spin some of the issues concerning her the public is worried about.The 2012 debates saved Obama.And made Romney look worse than he was.Trump has done well in debates before.So that is a good sign.But I don’t doubt they will stack the deal this time to try and derail him.Maybe he can overcome that, we’ll see.
As to the thinking of Russians. What can be said.The bottom line is only Russians can know that.But while that is true. The reverse is also true. When it comes to American thinking its Americans that know how we think.And I would agree,that we have zero intention of abiding by the agreement with Russia.Whether its because Obama has lost control or not,I’m not sure. I don’t think the US would have kept the agreement if Obama was, or was not, President. Both of the Bushes,Clinton,and Obama,have broken agreements with Russia (not even to mention the countless times “the white father in Washington” broke agreements with the native Americans).That isn’t so much an Obama trait,as a US Government trait. There is also a possibility that since Obama is basically gone.The Pentagon and other people are taking their direction (if not orders) from those they think will have the next President’s ear. And since the neocons dominate those agencies.They are betting on Clinton.And they, I believe, are aware of how she will conduct policy with Russia.They are just “jumping the gun” a bit. All outsiders can do is say to Russia. Here is what we think based on our knowledge of our own people. If they, as foreigners,think they know better than we natives. Then that is on them,maybe they are right,maybe wrong,time will tell.
Russia understands others thinking, or makes the utmost attempt to understand another’s thinking to help negotiate different agreements, to find a deal that is suitable for all. US on the other hand ignores what others are thinking to serve up diktats. No attempt is made to understand another’s thinking.
“If they, as foreigners,think they know better than we natives.”
Perhaps they do understand that as natives inoculated in their culture, many in the US make no attempt to understand, or are incapable of understanding how somebody else may be thinking differently.
@ Peter AU
Why should the “exceptional” ones go through the trouble of trying to think how others feel or think? “Might is right” is a much simpler doctrine and powerful argument.
I read somewhere that whoever wins Aleppo, obtains such strategic advantage that he will win the war eventually. I don’t understand why it would be so. If somebody can comment on this, I would appreciate it.
Assuming that control of Aleppo is the crucial step to victory in this conflict, it would seem that the main battle is going on right now and can lead to significant strategic change. The point here being that situation is strategically maybe not in a limbo due to US elections.
The entire conflict is so confusing that after following the events there for more than a year, I can still only scratch my head and wonder. Especially when looking at the map showing control of territory. It seems like there is no front, no clear boundaries. Armies are present only at discrete points, never truly in control of any continuous territory. Neither of the warring sides has the resources to control the entire country or maintain initiative for long. So my question is: can the war in Syria be won by military means at all?
The US tried to make Syria another Afghanistan for Russia. Russia is fighting this war in a totally different way. The best way to bring about victory in Syria (and Ukraine) is the defeat or collapse of the US, not just the US backed takfiris in Syria, but the US itself – as a government, as a system, as a country. This is the USA’s Afghanistan.
Thanks!
As I see it, the Aleppo pocket binds an overproportional number of Syrian troops because of the length and complexity of the front line versus the fairly small populated area inside eastern Aleppo. Therefore, if Syria achieves victory there, it could reassign a significant part of troops to other fronts. Moreover, shelling of densely populated and industrial areas in Aleppo would cease, much to the benefit of the war-torn country.
It may be that Russia and Syria kept the eastern Aleppo honeypot open as long as possible (or inevitable anyhow) to attract and cut off as many terrorists from other parts of Syria. Now that a cauldron is formed, it could certainly be used to eliminate terrorists on an epic scale. If I am right, we will observe that soon enough.
Two side notes:
1) I think SouthFront does a great job but the word strategic is used way to often.
2) If it is true that Russia bombed out a command center full of foreign commanders, I would say right so and well done. That is how things should move on: eliminate the criminals from top down to put responsibility where it belongs to. In my opinion, the war financiers should be served first.
Today eight firefighters in Moscow died putting out a warehouse fire, It was, if I remember rightly, the fourth warehouse fire in Moscow in the last 6 to 9 months.
I’m sure all of you remember the five chemical warehouse/plant fires in China in Tianjin.
“The central government launched nationwide safety checks on companies dealing with dangerous chemicals following the Tianjin blasts, yet since then there have been at least ten fires or explosions in chemical-related accidents, killing at least 12 and injuring more than 40.
These all took place in economically well-off industrial cities, such as Tianjin, Nanjing (南京), Wuhan ( 武漢 ) and Hangzhou ( 杭州 ), and occurred both in warehouses and during transportation – two explosions on a highway and one on a boat near port.”
http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2002987/has-china-failed-learn-lessons-deadly-tianjin-explosions
Chemical related accidents in China coincidental with Washington’s anger at China’s island-making in the South China Sea.
Warehouse fires in Moscow not far from the Kremlin, the seat of Russian power that began after Russia’s air intervention in Syria a year ago.
The CIA’s annual budget is $50 billion. That can buy a lot of sabotage and false flags in the name of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Yes, the very quietly efficient Kaliber missile strike on the command post in the Mts. of Aleppo illustrates how the Russians operate. Everyone who needs to know and who can calculate what this means was informed obliquely. And the leadership of the people hit–Israelis, Americans, Brits, Saudis, etc. got the point already. Tit for Tat is the name of this game.
RT is running a clip repeatedly of an American General testifying that to enforce a no fly zone in Syria would mean a war with Russia and Syria and that he was not going to be the one making that decision. ( watch the look on his aide’s face sitting next to him). Yes,it might well be a career ending move among other nasty consequences. And of course he is not going to be the one and he knows it but what that last unnecessary sentence held was a tinge of “and are you out of your mind to even go there?” and underneath…respect. Alex Jones claims that there are “patriots” in the US military who know what the “globalist” New World Order types are up to and will oppose them. One can hope.
Still, the period of infowar continues in full force unabated. As Lavrov made clear, it shouldn’t be that hard to discover just what weapons were used to blow up the aid convoy. His audience is the non delusional people of the world and Not the Ashton-Carter’s who make insane statements like “It doesn’t matter if the Russians did not do it, they still did it….”
What is actually going on within the Pentagon-State Department Axis is more worrisome. Gen. Votel and Ashton-Carter are tight. Kerry,however, is a stooge–no one in the US power elite has any respect for him especially after he was swift-boated and took it uncomplainingly. With Trump the genie of populism is out of the bottle and the cabal running things ( yes, some group has their hand on the drive shaft as chaotic as it looks) fears that they will not be able to contain it regardless of their various fail safe additions to his staff.
They may overplay their hand so that an actual permanent, effective political opposition in the USA might emerge. One can hope. I am attending a debate watching party on Monday which looks like it may be part of a huge national turn out rivaling the super bowl.
“The US strike was followed by a massive offensive of the “moderate terrorists” which was barely contained by the Syrian military and the Russian Aerospace forces.”
Wrong. The Syrian Army forces are weakened and ISIS has gained more and more strategic ground since then. From Al Masdar News on Wednesday:
Battle for Deir Ezzor takes a turn for the worse as ISIS captures Jabal Thardeh
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/battle-deir-ezzor-takes-turn-worse-isis-captures-jabal-thardeh/
DEIR EZZOR, SYRIA (3:05 A.M.) – The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) launched a major offensive in southwest Deir Ezzor on Wednesday, targeting the strategic Thardeh Mountains at the western rim of the provincial capital.
…
****Much of the Islamic State’s success is a result of the U.S.’ airstrikes that fractured the Syrian Arab Army’s defenses at Jabal Thardeh.****
And its even worse today:
ISIS approaches strategic Deir Ezzor Military Airport
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-approaches-strategic-deir-ezzor-military-airport/
DEIR EZZOR, SYRIA (10:50 A.M.) – The situation in Deir Ezzor is not in favor of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) at the moment, as the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) inches closer to the strategic military airport at the outskirts of the provincial capital.
On Wednesday night, the Islamic State terrorists managed to capture the Syrian Arab Army’s last points at the Thardeh Mountains, leaving them within striking distance of the Deir Ezzor Military Airport’s western perimeter for the first time in this war.
Then hopefully Russia will thermobarically bomb the ****out of them in their known positions, as isis will have moved forward they will coalesce and pull in more supporters from behind ready for a big attack, and become a target worth bombing instead of being spread out.
i think i understand russians now with their insistence on ceasefire. thousands of imported mercenaries in Syria and paid by anglo-zionist has only one purpose – to fight. they are paid for that. for nothing else. if there is no fight or there is some indications for political solution of conflict in near future, their purpose/existence will disappear and there will be mostly domestic rebels left. then some political solution could be reached maybe. this is not kind of conflict where some state officially declared war to Syria and where solution is possible only by military means inclusive with peace treaty at end. i see it as kind of “floating” conflict/war between anglo-zionist states and Syria where only Syria is at war with huge non state entity – terrorists,mercenaries, various “human”scum, bottom of life…
in theory, it can became endless war. as long as Federal reserve are printing dollars, fiat money, it will be possible to pay tens of thousands of mercenarise/fuel armed conflicts, to fight everywhere they can harm enemies of US “interests”. and there is “lot” enemies of US interests. enough for millenium wars. Europe, for example, is full of potentional terrorists. US can easy manipulate with them. they are US “child”. if UK exit EU, what is left? Europe, continent which was for centuries battlefield. just thinking, maybe i am wrong.
Great Analysis. There are several forces at work in the USA at the moment. In addition to the th UN activities, the Senate was having the Armed Services hearings where Ash Carter and Gen Dunford are trying to justify more funding for their outfits.
https://www.rt.com/usa/360317-carter-dunford-syria-russia-senate/
“Not only our people – our defense industry partners, too, need stability and longer-term plans to be as efficient and cutting-edge as we need them to be,” Carter told the senators.
The as can be seen, the MIC also needs help. They both blasted the Russians with the usual sound bites and unsubstantiated accusations. This included the aid convoy attack. No mention of a Predator Drone though.
With regards to the Drone, a very thorough commenter at Moon of Alabama called PavewayIV, made this observation (in part):
” The Metal-Augmented Charge (MAC) Hellfire AGM-114N belongs to the thermobaric category of weapons – ones designed to kill/destroy by an extended blast overpressure wave rather than conventional explosive’s overpressure spike. A secondary effect of a MAC/thermobaric weapon’s hotter, longer-duration blast wave is that it’s more likely to set things on fire than a conventional explosive. Not as much as a incendiary-purpose weapon, but more so than conventional explosives…
…Now, the MAC-enhanced blast of the U.S. Hellfire missiles produces an interesting visual effect at night. After the decay of an intensely-bright and well-consolidated blast flash, you can see what look like little sparkles at the edge of the receding explosion. The sparkles are residue of the burnt fluorinated aluminum that undergo a secondary burning, of sorts. It’s very distinctive once you notice it. The Russians have thermobaric bombs as well, but they are of a different design and the blast usually looks different – non-existent sparkles because of a micronized metal powder, or long-duration sparkles on very large charges for whatever reason.
So (sorry, TL:DR already) I notice that many of the MSM-replays of the supposed rebel convoy attack video was edited in a particular way to mask what is plainly (to me) a MAC blast. The BBC reports are a good example. Their version is enlarged, shaky and blurry consistent with the poor head-chopper production standards. But it is an edited version of the much clearer original video. ABC must have produced their report before the censorship memo went out. If you look at only the first second of this ABC video and try to pause it during the blast, you can see a few frames with the visual effect I’m talking about…”
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2016/09/syria-the-aid-convoy-attack-points-to-further-escalation-.html#comments
comment number: 45 (for the full comment)
see the explosion at about 1 sec into the report:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQnKEhHb4Iw
Re: “If you look at only the first second of this ABC video and try to pause it during the blast, you can see a few frames with the visual effect I’m talking about.”
Go to the linked video, enable the “settings” wheel (round thingy on the left side of the menu on the right below the elapsed time line) and select “speed.” Choose 0.25. Restart the vid. The effects described are pretty easy to see.
I am glad PavewayIV’s comment at MoA was re-posted here. Says it all. Case closed.
I’m wondering if that Russian missile strike on a rebel command post in Aleppo that supposedly killed a number of western military types (a) actually occurred and (b) if so, it was pay-back for the Der ez-Zur attack?
Caliber” missiles targeted a foreign military leaders in Dera Izzat province of Aleppo
20/09/2016 13:32(Updated 12:01 23/09/2016)
https://arabic.sputniknews.com/arab_world/20160920/1020196314.html [computer translated]
According to the source field of the province of Aleppo,
that the three rockets from Caliber kind launched by the Russian ships that recently targeted operations room for terrorists in Dera Izzat west of Aleppo in the Mount Simon, which is famous for the harsh nature of the mountainous and contains ancient caves area.
The source for “Sputnik”, the operations room with 30 leading officers of the Turkish and the US and Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the British army and the Mossad, running terrorist operations in Aleppo and Idlib.
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-september-22-2016-russia-to-test-modern-weapon-systems-in-syria/
With the US economy on life support and prospects for recovery not good, the US seems to have its back to the economic wall and Russia and China in front of them.
Clinton to go to war with Russia and China, or Trump to preside over the collapse of the US empire.
Money and media behind Clinton, but it seems the people will be voting for Trump.
Under normal circumstances, from what I have read the president of the US does not have lot of power- senate approval of Presidential appointments ect.
Apparently US has been under State of Emergency (just renewed) since 9/11. Can anyone point me to a site that lays out the presidents powers under State of Emergency?
I dont know what was in the convoy that was destroyed but here is what Meyssan had to say about the one that was not allowed to go to Allepo.
We shall speak of facts – the UNO humanitarian convoy was stuffed with arms and ammunition. It is still waiting at the Turkish border, officially because the road is not safe, but unofficially because Syria is demanding that it be allowed to search the convoy before letting it pass. This UN trickery corresponds to the revelations of the ex-head of Turkish anti-terrorism, Ahmet Sait Yayla, who is currently in hiding – the Pentagon and Turkey use humanitarian convoys to arm the jihadists.
Even if Russia had destroyed a red crescent convoy, a video was shown of a truck carrying a heavy mortar at the back. Maybe there were weapons in that convoy too. I see no purpose in attacking a humanitarian convoy, unless it was another fake convoy like Thierry was suggesting the first one was.
No doubt the USA are frustrated that they cannot easily resupply their proxies. It is hard to know for sure what happened but whatever the truth is, it is bad for Washington or they would launch a real investigation.
The foundation of international law, since at least the time of Grotius, has been the maxim “pacta sunt servanda” or “agreements are for keeping/to be observed”; is the long term strategy of the RF and PRC to paint the exceptional nation as an outlaw in the view of right-thinking people?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacta_sunt_servanda
@ Cortes
“…strategy of the RF and PRC to paint the exceptional nation as an outlaw in the view of right-thinking people?”
What’s the point? The Anglozionists do whatever they like with impunity regardless of international law or common decency.
All right-thinking people with a modicum of morality should know by now the nature of the beast and that no crime is too abominable in their quest for complete subjugation of all nations.
Besides, their control of the mass media and well-oiled propaganda machine takes care of public opinion by misinformation and shaping the narrative to conform with official policy.
In spite of the horrendous crimes committed by the Anglozionists since and during WWII, the US has until recently been consistently perceived positively almost everywhere, even in Russia (Pew research). It shows the extent of brainwashing and perception-making power they wield.
Yeah, Carter ordered the strike to aid Daesh and kill the ceasefire. Some reports cite up to a dozen Russians killed along with SAA, and we all know how much Carter wants to kill Russians–it’s all he lives for.
The Outlaw US Empire hasn’t had a professional diplomatic corp since Ike and the Dulles brothers took over shop–and Ike wasn’t the seemingly innocent, aloof president as he’s so often made out to be: He’s just as guilty of the same crimes the Nazis were killed for.
The comment about the Outlaw US Empire being the same as the British and Roman Empires regarding the desire for 100% Dominance has a degree of validity since the Outlaw US Empire has only one main domestic and foreign policy–Full Spectrum Domination–a policy that might change after the election or get escalated depending on who wins.
Fate might intervene and fell Clinton, which would be poetic justice. Just 46 days to go. Aleppo could be 100% liberated by then and the Dier ez-Zor siege lifted, with Homs and Hama freed too. What happens on the battlefield will have an enormous effect on how negotiations proceed. Oh, and the Outlaw US Empire cannot just stop negotiating as that would entail huge loss of face.
I agree the Russian mindset is very much different than the American one but neither side fully understands the other; “Not agreement capable” is not fully accurate, for it does not take into account that one side is incapable of being sincere. The Americans are playing the Russians and the problem with that is if they think the Russian team is naïve or weak they will continue doing so and the crisis will escalate into the unthinkable. I understand that Russians don’t care about others perception of weakness and this can be used as a strategic tool but it will only lead to a full out war; what is needed for Russia and allies is to treat this not agreement capable entity as one would a school yard bully and bloody its nose good for all to see and this is exactly what Russia refuses to do and so the road to WWIII is paved with diplomatic correct speech. In conclusion how Russia reacts to this will decide the future of the world, you believe that Russia is being clever but in fact you are doing exactly what the not agreement capable entity wants, do not underestimate the deviously clever, Russia has already fallen into the trap, time and set.
I’m pretty sure the Russians are not just sitting there taking it on the chin passively. I suspect that missile attack in western Allepo was a retaliatory whack-job… Just because they don’t advertise/declare doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Could be why the US govt actors appear to be freaking out… They’re not getting away with murder as they’ve become used to.
@ Puppy Dog Pelican
I know there is no parallel with the pre-WWII situation but the appeasing strategy used by the Russians now has strong similarities with the Franco-British policy towards the III Reich which opened the way to the war. Admittedly, they were hoping to steer Hitler to the East and crush the USSR but wily Stalin saw their game and spoiled their plans with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact which gave the Soviets the breathing space they needed before the final confrontation.
Without that treaty it is doubtful that the USSR would have been able to resist the full weight of the Wehrmacht in the west and an almost certain Japanese invasion in the East. In fact the course of subsequent world history hinged on that Pact, itself the result of the Franco-British appeasement policy. In a devious sort of way that policy might have saved the USSR.
The current version might have had similar effects if there was a third power in the equation, like the EU having an independent foreign policy. If that were the case, the Russians could easily negotiate a mutually advantageous Pact with the EU (Putin’s dream of a Lisbon-to-Vladivostok block) and leave out the Anglozionists in the cold.
Concluding my two-bob worth contribution, unless Russia breaks the US-EU nexus it will be in a permanent state of siege and face another 1989 in due course.
Nemo: The school yard bully must be bloodied decisively and for all to see its weakness so the spell of “who is like America, and who can fight against it?” can be broken, and then watch how quickly it falls.
Anonymous: I agree with your conclusion, Russia must break clean; the Russian central bank must be independent. It is my opinion that if Russia reversed (or prevented) the Kiev coup immediately and restored the legal government of Ukraine in 2014 (which it had every right to do even an obligation) so the conflict could be solved peacefully (by division or federalization) then this path to total war would have been avoided. The Anglo Zionists would have been caught flat footed much like they were with Crimea but on a larger scale (the bloody nose fall all to see) and they would have complained, called names and thrown a tantrum but nothing of substance. Novorossiya would be at peace and either independent or part of Russia with Crimea and the Syrian war would be over, Europe would fully know that a new sheriff is in town, game over but instead we now have escalation after escalation, it will not stop until someone/something stops it.
Great analysis, totally agree. Obama has taken ‘lame duck’ to a whole new level of presidential lameness.
Its not clear if the Deep State has the guts to suspend elections or assassinate a presidential contender; its too far into the season. Besides, the Presidential assassination curse doesn’t happen till 2020.
https://periodicpresidents.com/2013/06/11/what-is-tecumsehs-curse/
Only Reagan and Shrub ever beat the curse; Reagan allegedly by unusually fortuitous astrology, and Shrub by technicality. Dubya was appointed by court ruling in a ‘stolen’ election, not elected by the people. In terms of harder facts, there were rumours that early Israeli uncertainty over President Bush Jr. may have led to an aborted assassination plan.
http://archersofokcular.blogspot.ca/2012/01/zionist-plans-to-assassinate-us.html
This is my first post. And I am here to learn. I have 2 questions regarding Syria at the moment. And I’m interested in what all of you have to say on these topics. My first question is: why Russia should agree to yet another ceasefire, knowing that the Pentagon and the terrorists will never accept it and will simply use it to stage another sneak attack on Syrian-government and/or Russian forces–with some loss of life on the side of the “good guys” inevitable? My 2nd question is: how come Putin and Lavrov are not talking about the Christian genocide that is now taking in Syria that even the Obama White House has been forced to admit (under pressure from a US House resolution) is happening? Shades of the Rwandan genocide under Bill Clinton. If American Christians–Left, Right, and Center–knew about this genocide, it would turn the election upside down! But no one in the MSM–from Fox News to MSNBC–is saying a thing. Even though almost every week we have a Syrian Orthodox Patriarch or Syrian Catholic Archbishop coming over here, telling any group that will listen: “Stop sending us terrorists! This ‘civil war’ is a US invention!” the MSM won’t give them air time. Major newspapers won’t mention them. We will hear about a rebel-friendly “Aleppo Boy” with dubious bruises on his legs But nothing about the video of a 12-year-old Christian boy being beheaded by US “moderate” terrorists that’s posted online. Even The Saker says nothing about these crucifixions and beheading. How come? We’re talking about over a million Syrian Christians who are either dead or fled. Yet no one here seems to care. Help me understand
Lavrov holds press conference as 71st UNGA continues in New York
begins at ~ min 28:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEqEM-MYQkY
Lavrov addresses your first question several times.
As was said to you ,Lavrov answers your first question.But your second is an interesting question. And its a complicated issue.Russia and the Syrian government believe that the issue there is not one of “Christian vs Muslim”,but is one of “terrorists vs everyone else”. What is happening to the Christians there in the rebel areas is horrible.And for that,and the indifference to it,the West is fully to blame.But the same thing ,and the same level of Western indifference,is seen with the Muslim Shia Alewite,and non Wahhabi Sunni populations as well. The terrorists are murdering them all equally.As a Christian,I’m appalled at the treatment of my fellow Christians. But I’m also appalled at the terrorists treatment of the Shia Alewite,and non-Wahhabi Sunni.With the terrorists (as Russia and Assad recognize), ” any” nob-Wahhabi Syrian is marked for genocide by the terrorists. Russia has spoken out against the massacring of Christians (and the others as well). It may not be reported in the MSM. But that is because of the anti-Russian policy of the Western MSM. You are right to bemoan the West’s silence of the Christian persecutions.But that isn’t a great surprise. The Western media (and the Churches) have been silent since 1948 on the persecution of the Christian Palestinian population in Palestine/Israel.And with the suffering of Lebanese Christians when Israel invaded Lebanon.The Western Christian Churches turn a blind eye to Israeli anti-Christian activities as well. But as to Syria,Western Church leaders are well aware of what’s happening there. The Syrian Christians have certainly talked to them about it. Its not a question of them not knowing. Its a question of those Churches not informing their fellow Christians,about the fate of their co-religious in Syria. For Western “political” reasons they don’t do that.Russia and the Syrian government don’t buy into the Western spread Islamophobia.And certainly don’t want to spread it.They understand that most of the victims of the terrorists are Muslims.And the defeating of the terrorists can’t be done by attacking Islam.
Hyping Christian suffering, especially by Russia, would simply be twisted by the DAESH hype machine into supporting their narrative of fighting ‘crusaders’ trying to impose Christianity on the region. Never mind that some of these Eastern Christian populations had been there as long if not longer than Islam and ancestrally may predate either religion.
As pointed out, the DAESH are equal-opportunity beheaders. No-one is really safe including other DAESH who come up short in their infighting. The war is highly sectarian such that being Christian is a lesser crime than being of the wrong Islamic sect.
The reality is Christians are on no special plane of suffering. 45% of the population has been displaced, 11.5% of Syrians have been killed or wounded. Christians are 10% of the population; if this war were really just about killing Christians, Christians would mostly be dead or fled by now and survivors not making their pleas from inside the country.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-22270455
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/11/report-on-syria-conflict-finds-115-of-population-killed-or-injured
Any perception of Christian favoritism makes things worse for the surviving Christian populations, singling them out from their non-Christian neighbors whether in occupied or government-held areas.
Such a fracture would also undermine the united multifaith and multicultural Syrian national identity, the most longstanding and important pillars of legitimacy for the secular Syrian government.
In America the financial, and their subsidiary corporate entourage, rule the political The political class in the west, to varying degrees, is there to serve these moneyed interests. In China the political rules. In Russia it seems both the political and financial operate within their respective spheres , again with varying degrees of success or cooperation..
In the west the financial has instituted a kind of Preatroian Guard that is in the pay of the western oligarchs, with their personnel well established in the military-surveillance-security complex that is able to elevate or dismiss those out of favour. This allows the western oligarchs to effectively control all the levers of power within government , often with their own personnel being selected heads of important departments such as Treasury Secretary or other non governmental institutions of importance.
When Russia negotiates with the heads of Departments within the American administration they must realize that they are dealing with middle men, who may or may not be in coordination with the other power centers of government. Currently the western Apex Elites are extremely occupied on many fronts and levels simultaneously and while some departments will receive fresh policy orders other departments maybe acting on older policy not in sync with new policy directions. Or conflicting policy may have been distributed for a reasoned purpose of either obfuscation or subterfuge. Make no mistake, Obama and Kerry are not in charge of American foreign policy and those who command other departments or are in the ‘guard’ had better not act out on their own or they will be ‘benched’ for a period depending on the severity of their actions repercussions. A better way to understand the American way is to think of the government as part of a political/economic Cosa Nostra, with a consortium of Dons calling the shots and having ultimate control even if they don’t micro manage their higher ranking trusted personnel. If Lavrov should want to communicate directly with these Dons he must do so through a more direct intermediary than Kerry and wait for their return message. More than likely this is already being done as the calibre of Russian statesmanship is very good these days. Why deal with the hired help when one can speak frankly and clearly with the real power brokers? And if not, why not?
What makes you think back channel discussions don’t go on and why would A-Z mafia dons have anything to say other than “surrender or die” put more rudely?
Caught On Tape: Did The US Target Syrian Aid Convoy With Hellfire Missile?
interesting videos
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-09-23/caught-tape-did-us-target-syrian-aid-convoy-hellfire-missile
Crude attempt to simulate Russian bombs, but lacking critical ingredient that blackens (actually a dark grey) the targets.
Crude is too generous.
More like an apathetic attempt to make an anti-Russian MSM headline, knowing full well many sheeple will never learn otherwise or want to.
Its almost like the A-Zs are bragging to the Russians that our sheeple are more hopeless useful idiots than yours are. Its doubtful the Russians would even understand the comparison let alone why it merits bragging rights.
The Saker has written some nice and informative pieces about the factions within the Russian government. This has helped those of us in the rest of the world understand the relationship between the Putin faction and the Medevev faction.
The situation inside the US gov is more complicated, as is normal for authoritarian governments ruling an empire.
You can think of the following as separate groups. Obama and his appointed cabinet members are only one group. Kerry would know that he’s being promoted to lobbyist and million dollar an appearance Goldman Sachs after dinner speaker.
You can also think of 1) the Pentagon as another faction. 2) The state dept establishment at Foggy Bottom (ie the State Dept) is another faction. 3) The CIA is another faction.
Presidents at the end of a term are referred to as lame-ducks, and traditionally become quite powerless. I suppose its mostly a friendly media, but there are less signs of this being true of Obama …. at least in public. But, generally, while a lame-duck like Obama is making retirement plans, the rest of the government is continuing its power-games and power-plays.
Its still a bit extreme to see the Pentagon deliberately launching an attack that ends a cease-fire approved by the President’s appointees. However, its been questionable for decades now whether the US military is actually under civilian control. Going back to the 1990’s, there were obvious signs that they would not follow a Presidential order if they had other thoughts. Since then, its been very rare that a US President has ever challenged the military. For instance, Dubya/Cheney gave up on a war with Iran when the military said no.
The U.S.-Russia anti-terror cooperation shut down after the 2004 attack on Beslan School No. 1 in the Northern Caucasus, marking the end of the short-lived U.S.-Russia collaboration after 9/11.
What a timing!!! I was just discussing it with a friend. This was one of the most horrific crimes perpetrated in recent times. Over 350 kids killed while their parents were held at the gates of this school, listening to the sound of machine guns firing at their children. This was financed by George Soros and the CIA. I’m sure, in Russia, this crime is not forgotten or forgiven.
No, this crime was not forgotten, nor forgiven in Russia. The mothers of the killed children in Beslan recently had a mass protest action. To my surprise, they were arrested and charged as criminals. I don’t know what to say.
R
I don’t think there is any real disconnect between the political and military wings is the israeli’s american colony. I think it is a combination of pretended internal conflict (psywar directed at the opposing side’s strategy planners) and the limited capabilities of the neocons to live in an adult real world and base their thinking and strategy in the real world and not in some childish right wing cartoon fantasyland. The dip and mil sides are working to the same plan (coming from massa in israel), but being thoroughly low order types, this current american quislingship completely lacks the capability to do so without looking like some demonic keystone cops.
If one looks at the incressed israeli provocations during the negotiations and during the ceasefire, the 300+ terrorist attacks during, the way the obama regime played it all to the zio-gay media (obviously scripted beforehand), the way said zio-media had their propaganda at ready, waiting for the trigger, the way Australia and the UK were included in the initial attack, this looks no different from previous zionazi orchestrated provocations. Even the neocon childishness is bog standard.
It is important to keep in mind that zionazi provocations are for image. Since their target audiences are essentially captive audiences with little inclination to break their chains, substance is pretty much immaterial. Like with advertising, modern propaganda is honed to triggering emotions and planted subconscious “buttons”.
If one will notice, the lack of professionalism among american, and increasingly among europeans, is not something new. Looking at genuine alt media we see it mostly for the rubbish it is, but most people dependent on the zio-gay media believe it. Even if they think the politicians and media are mostly liars.
The zionazis want Syria destroyed, anything, and everything, they do is to attain that end. They will pretend to negotiate a compromise, but that is only for image or a perceived tactical or strategic gain. Their quislings implement their policy, or the get assassinated or character assassinated. One does not see that happening to the wonks in the Obama regime, so there is no real difference of policy between the war criminals and quislings. If there was, you’d see it by now.
My view is these provocations are intended to heat up the war in Syria. This is to either get people behind the prez and the chosen successor during wartime, a proven viable political strategy in the usa, or failing that, and diebold, to force the hand of a trump regime to go with the war hysteria, or face impeachment or worse.
There is another reason to have people think there is some contest going on between state and pentagon in the USA that benefits the israeli parasite. If people concentrate on that, they won’t be looking at how zionist influence is the root of these Mideast conflicts and how this toxic power base exercises almost total control in the capitalist world now.
@ vot tak
Thank you for your well-reasoned and cogent post. Indeed, there is a lot of obfuscation, double-dealing and skulduggery going on behind the pretend façade of rogue elements within the Anglozionist ruling cabal. Be it as it may, the only way to understand the internal workings of the regime is through its external manifestations, what they do, and the evidence points to a well-coordinated machine controlled by Jews and their acolytes in the US government.
There are similarities with the situation in Russia at the time of the Revolution when the Jews, although being only 4% of the population, were the ethnic group with the highest representation in the organs of power of the Soviets. It has been suggested that their motivation was to destroy the ancient regime (Tsarism) combined with deep hatred towards the Russian people, particularly the peasants, with whom they were forced to co-exist in the Pale of Settlement.
The situation in the US is very similar: a small ethnocentric Jewish minority holding the levers of power of a large empire on behalf of a Jewish state of doubtful legitimacy. As to the motivation and their ultimate objective I can only guess from historical precedent but I would not like to live to see it.
IMHO that hatred of everything Tsarist was due to Alexander 2 and Alexander 3 declining interventions of a foreign Central Bank, as did the son and grandson, Nichols 2. Its kinda funny, at that time, the sovereigns were related.
The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Britain and Belgium), the Hapsburgs (Austria), the Romanovs (Russia) and the House of Hollenzollern (Germany) were, in fact, all one big family. George V, Tsar Nicholas II and Kaiser Wilhelm II were cousins and looked almost identical. Kaiser Wilhelm was the grandson of Queen Victoria. The so-called “British” Royal family did not change their name to Windsor until 1917, and only then because of growing public indignation at the continued use of their German titles. Official History is bunk folks, written to obfuscate, confuse, trivialise and misdirect. (note, this paragraph is a cut and paste, but it is non the less valid)
I enjoy coming here for in depth analysis missing in US MSM.
That being said, I usually find objective analysis tainted by hope. It does not matter what happens in the upcoming presidential election in the US. If Russia does not back down and succomb to the deep state, there will be all out full spectrum warfare coming. Russian nukes do not prevent this, only delay it
I will tell you what is missing in this election cycle. All other candidates in both house and senate. No ads, no endorsements from camdidates running for relection, no political adds from opposition camdidates. The deep state is set and secure minus 1 office. They don’t need their candidate to win. Russians waiting and hoping maybe for a change which will not come. It is Americas secret weapon. A fake “reset” every 4 or 8 years which washes the blood off the peoples hands and restores some slight faith in American people with the rest of the world but, the deep state does not chamge agenda. Look from Clinton to Bush, Bush to Obama. Deep state remained 100% commited and did not chamge agenda.
Please everyone take that in. Abandon all hope and be objective. Capitalize on every victory and never hole back thinking things will change
@ ActivePatriot
Thank you for your sobering reminder. Most people cling to whatever shred of hope they can grab … to be sorely disabused. But they soon forget the letdown and recharge their hopes for the next bout, ad nauseam.
@the Saker,
This may be off topic but in the era of information war, the control of information is paramount in order to be anble to sell black as white or vice versa. As such i think it would be of great service to all your readers to include this as an article on your site. This is a Finnish police report by someone who knows the CIA + google + wikipedia complex.
http://homment.com/FB3PjBQ2DF
Well spotted. Wikipedia is a shitty ghetto of what the Zionists in charge want clueless goys to believe in. If one keeps this in the mind, Wikipedia becomes not only a great resource of knowledge, but a fantastic tool for the de-construction of false-flags, historical deception and fake science as well.
A rogue superpower?
A superpower coming apart at the seams?
Not good.
Very naïve to believe the next US Administration will act differently!
I use different analytical strategies to try and determine outcomes. One of them is to make a cascading list of questions and answers that may reveal clues to a larger picture.
Middle East – Syria
The Russian Federation intervened in the civil war at the request of the Syrian government. The stated objective is to defeat global terrorism (e.g., ISIS) and stabilize the country.
Question: Why Syria? Why not Iraq or Libya or Yemen?
Answer: Russian petroleum and natural gas pipelines in Syria to supply European energy needs.
Question: Why is the U.S. supporting ISIS in Syria?
Answer: Destabilize Russian oil and gas economy and Iran’s oil economy in support of Saudi Arabia.
Question: Why does the U.S. support Saudi Arabia?
Answer: The House of Saud provides terrorist proxies to serve Washington’s neoconservative global agenda and uses their wealth and influence to control the world’s oil economy. They also want to wipeout the Islamic Shia of Iran.
Question: How far will the U.S go to defeat the Syrian government and Russia?
Answer: It Depends
Scenario 1 – The U.S. will not give up Syria and will use every economic, political alliance and military means at their command to force Russia out of the region. They may arrange an assassination of a key Syrian, Russian, Iranian or Chinese official, shoot down a civilian airline, blow up a public building or sink a vessel at sea, nothing is beneath the sinister men directing American foreign policy. With Russia gone, the Syrian government will collapse.
Scenario 2 – The U.S. presidential election may slow the neoconservative plans if Trump is elected otherwise the Syrian war will be accelerated when U.S. ground forces staged in Iraq will invade Syria on some pretext. Russia will have to decide to go all in and commit its ground, air and sea forces in the region against the U.S. or retreat and give up Assad.
Scenario 3 – A miracle happens. Trump is elected president and purges Washington, DC of the neocon cancer, similar to what Recep Erdogan did in Turkey. It would be unprecedented in American history but it would end the globalist plan for planetary domination for at least one term in office.
Sources:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-secret-stupid-saudi-us-deal-on-syria/5410130
http://www.globalresearch.ca/why-does-the-u-s-support-saudi-arabia-a-country-which-hosts-and-finances-islamic-terrorism-on-behalf-of-washington/5398408
@ Pokethetruth
“Russian petroleum and natural gas pipelines in Syria to supply European energy needs.”
I think you made a boo-boo there. If you look at a map (are you American) you might find out that Russia is in Eastern Europe, etc. and does not need Syria for pipelines.
The US needs Syria for its Qatar colony’s planned pipeline to feed Europe and, therefore, stop importing gas from Russia, which would be quite disastrous for Russia.
Perhaps you missed reading the sources I included or misinterpreted my post. Let me summarize some of the details for you.
Russia has had a long diplomatic relationship with Syria going back to the mid-1940’s. Presently, Russia has invested billions in Syria to support the energy infrastructure and tourism industries which the ongoing civil war has been a major disruption to trade between the two countries.
Stroitransgaz is a Russian gas facility construction company that has its largest operation in Syria. It is building a natural gas processing plant and is providing technical support for the Arab Gas Pipeline in Syria. Oil producer Tatneft based in Tartarstan (a Russian republic; did you know that?) has been pumping Syrian oil since 2010. OAO “TMK”, a Russian steel pipe supplier for the gas and oil industries as well as Rosneft (previously, Itera), an oil and gas producer, all have a large business presence in Syria. The building of the Syrian pipeline could not be accomplished without Russian Federation expertise unless Assad vacated his presidency and the US/NATO/Saudi Arabian faction took over.
So the bottom line is the civil war instigated by US/NATO/SA has an impact on the Russian economy.
And yes, I am an American and your sarcasm is noted but ignored.
@ PokeTheTruth
My apology if you took offence – it was only a gentle dig on a cliché.
We were talking at cross purposes: I was referring to the projected Qatar to Syria gas pipeline (the fundamental reason for the Syrian conflict) while you were referring to an existing pipeline in Syria run/built by a Russian company of which, I admit, I did not know about and thank you for your advice.
Notwithstanding my misunderstanding, the existing Russian interests pale in comparison with the devastating consequences to the Russian economy if the Qatar-Syria pipeline was ever built.
I’m quite sure you know all about it anyway, and that the “Assad must go” mantra was written when he refused – out of loyalty to Russia – to allow the Qatar gas pipeline through Syria.
Well dear Saker, I think Pepe’s new article is more hopeful than this one…I actually think that the main reason for Hillary’s support from the top is so she can sign those two trade agreements right away, while her health still enables her to do this…those trade agreements are very difficult to ‘get rid of’ because they are actually treaties….very complex and they really will change the world into a NWO.
I hope Pepe’s right and that the top shadow government (Rothschilds and Rockefellers) will do the same things, whether HIllary or Trump get in….but as I write this I get more nervous again, about war if the bitch gets in.
There are many different sub cultures in the western political/power dynamic. Using the term “the Pentagon” might be an inaccurate expression (Or even the term “the US” for that matter. Who is the US anyway? Who are “the Americans”?) Heck, who is really in charge of what, and when? (Or what is in charge of whom, and why?) Pick you tongue twister, there are many possibilities.
The Saker’s analysis is clear and logical, as usual. Given what we have seen so far, Russia seems to know what she is doing, and perhaps not to answer in kind is the best strategy. Though when we hear of the continuing death and destruction caused directly and indirectly by the AngloZionists, in Syria and Ukraine, I wonder if those affected feel the same way.
Still, though the related information is anecdotal and not conclusive, the top maneuvers behind the apocalyptic beast have already provided for their survival, in case of a (this time real) holocaust. I am told of princely ranches built in the South island of New Zealand and other places, as insurance against radio-active fallout.
Equally of concern, and this I witness constantly, though from a window on a limited local world, is the almost supreme indifference of what I may call the middle class, or even the middle class plus. I refer to people with whom I have occasionally to deal with – indifference to US foreign policy.
Someone on RT said that only one in six Americans can locate Ukraine on the map. It is not so much ignorance but extreme uninterest – and this I witnessed on multiple occasions.
At meetings they all raise their arm and recite the pledge of allegiance, as if it were a mystical metaphysical experience – “one nation under God (!) with liberty and justice for all.”
It is of course good to love one’s country, but no one of the reciters seems to realize what that allegiance implies, in the current circumstances.
With the poorer, carelessness and impermeability to concern are even greater.
I occasionally drive in rural or peripheral areas, disenfranchised by globalization, abandoned to themselves and made poorer by unemployment. And yet, in front of houses that have seen better times, the flag is proudly raised on the mast.
Regrettably, no remedy has yet been found to rescue the masses from the shackles of indifference.
@ Voltaire1964
People’s social and political indifference in post-industrial societies is assuming the character of alienation and anomie, perhaps more advanced in USA than in Europe. Community life is broken down, the state is remote and abstract, people recognise they are powerless and stop caring.
The first act of rebellion is to throw away the telly.
This analysis nails it. The chaos of the Obama administration has reached the point where no deal is possible except with the particular faction negotiation. Obama created this by allowing Nuland to stay and appointing Dunford as Chief of Staff.
One question. If the military used the drone to create a false flag to undermine Kerry, the fact that Kerry immediately blamed the Russians seems odd. He should have kept quiet and had Obama kick some ass at the Pentagon. Some of this makes so little sense, it’s unfathomable.
Agree.
The inmates are in charge of the USA asylum.
Hillary looks like that nurse in One Flew over the Cookoo’s Nest (Nurse Ratched played by Louise Fletcher) while Trump tries his hardest to play bad boy Jack Nicholson (Randle Patrick McMurphy character).
As for the USA culture — trending mystic, there is a model that applies 9 variables to the situation in focus. Nine because it rounds the base-10 number system we normally use to buy apples and pears.
The Law of Seven (+/- 2) — and Blindsiding etc.
“The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information” by George A. Miller of Princeton University’s Department of Psychology (1956) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magical_Number_Seven,_Plus_or_Minus_Two ) sets out the basic case for paradigm blindness.
We would rather work with 5 variables, can live with 7 (days in week etc) but at a stretch, manage nine (to understand and interpret the “whole”).
Now we have a hegemonic orientated Judeo-Christian world-view which is based on and saturated with the “7-sins” theme: Envy = the desire to have an item or experience that someone else possesses; Gluttony = excessive ongoing consumption of food or drink; Greed or Avarice = an excessive pursuit of material possessions; Lust = an uncontrollable passion or longing, especially for sexual desires; Pride = excessive view of one’s self without regard to others; Sloth = excessive laziness or the failure to act and utilize one’s talents; & Wrath = uncontrollable feelings of anger and hate towards another person.
And implying the antidote of 7 virtues: Kindness = Cures envy by placing the desire to help others above the need to supersede them; Temperance = Cures gluttony by implanting the desire to be healthy, therefore making one fit to serve others; Charity or love = Cures greed by putting the desire to help others above storing up treasure for one’s self; Chastity or Self-control = Cures lust by controlling passion and leverages that energy for the good of others; Humility = Cures pride by removing one’s ego and boastfulness, therefore allowing the attitude of service; Diligence or Zeal = Cures slothfulness by placing the best interest of others above the life of ease and relaxation; Patience = Cures wrath by taking time to understand the needs and desires of others before acting or speaking. (see http://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/what-are-seven-deadly-sins )
How to see ‘higher’ (in variety)?
Albert Einstein was noted for saying “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
One interpretation of this is the need to see/think ‘higher’ in order to see the patterns at play and form appropriate strategies.
Systems thinking (or the original cybernetics to more accurate) recognises a Law of Requisite Variety formulated by Ross Ashby around 1956 who was a pioneer British cyberneticist and psychiatrist — clearly on theme here with this current case of harpie madness at the UN.
“…in order to deal properly with the diversity of problems the world throws at you, you need to have a repertoire of responses which is (at least) as nuanced as the problems you face.” (see http://requisitevariety.co.uk/what-is-requisite-variety/)
So, we have a tangled weaving of a very wicked problem-web based at its core on a fundamental construction of the (moral) ‘universe’ around only 7 variables — an average man’s (& woman’s) comfort zone in degrees of complexity.
So where can we ‘see’ this situation of concern from the vantage point of 8 or 9 variables?
One theory comes from/through the Sufi world view which aims to map the world according to 9 (rather than just 7) variables.
I’ll leave it to the interested to google the necessary background (search words include enneagram — Greek for nine) but the point in question is that two additional ‘sins’ (or missing the mark) are included in the larger set — “deceit” and “fear”. Both ARE clearly the current core operating principles most exaggerated in the USA culture today.
In the same way we have two blind spots in our physical eyes (that our brains construct over automatically — https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chvision.html) — there appears to be two moral blindspots in the USA ‘world view’ as lived today (*). Terrified police terrorising citizens (trained in Israel & seemingly seeing all non-whites as ‘Palestinians’); complete deceit as the new normal — Clintons and Trumps as the two hands of the same body corporate. “We trust Trump more because he is a salesman and we know he lies!” — how absurd! It is a clear signal that a nation is sick and lost. Drinking their own bathwater, as the saying goes.
[* And here the Saker’s AngloZionist description is probably more accurate. It is wider than the USA. The only glimmer of hope, imo, is in the old country where Jeremy Corbyn is marshalling the last of the embers of a working class paradigm. Sanders may have been a similar theme but he sounded a little too much like Barack Hussein Obama II in his pre-election rhetoric for me. That Hollywood election script has been tried, sold for some pieces of silver, and failed.]
Until fear and deceit are exposed as failings of a pernicious abnormality there can be little or no progress made with the USA as it is today. The rot set in with Reagan and Thatcher and it will take a lot of work to reverse the slide down the slippery slope we have been conned is a ‘growth’ curve. QE to the power of ‘n’ — the economists don’t call it “moral hazard” for nothing. The world is upside down. GWBush continued what Bill ‘Still Dicking…at home’ Clinton started with removing the Glass-Steagall Act and Obama is trying to nail down the lid on the ‘common wealth’ coffin with trade agreements. He won’t quite make it but Hillary C. will if she gets in. Trump is a wild card and that is about all the US voter has left to change the history of the future.
This Obama scam; Kerry sham; and the Powers@UN shame (ran out through loss of face, imo) — all this can only suggest that the Russians have called it right, and under Putin’s superior leadership, their mode of operation in respect to the ‘asylum on the hill’ (formally known as the USA) is requisite (barely).
May the one G_d help us clear these criminals and maniacs out from the control rooms before it is too late to maintain world peace (as jaded as it is): Dr. Strangelove lives in the USA today and is just a fingernail away from the button that matters. I trust we can leave our grandkids more than glowing sticks and stones to fight with. …:-/
And to avoid that scenario we need to see ‘higher’ … otherwise Jim Harris’ (2002) “Blindsided: How to Spot the Next Breakthrough That Will Change Your Business” may well be something a little more deep and dark than business-as-usual challenges.
Given Putin’s alliances with the Islamic world (he’s just hosted a major theological attack on the Saudi miscreants and their solid gold toilet seat innovation called Wahhabism) and (assumed) access to ‘higher variety’ thinking models then we can assume the ‘response’ will come from the very directions the blindsided 7-variable Judo-Christian cannot see. This is the only ‘bridge’ between Orthodoxy and Islam that matters now.
In the 1980’s there was a popular character typing approach emerging in California using the enneagram model (only one of its applications) — e.g. see Helen Palmer, Don Riso, et al. Countries were even typed and the USA came down under that number which also was associated with ‘deceit’). As a by-note, it is somewhat strange that this typing system came out from schools operating in Allende’s Chile before Kissinger and Nixon did their version of ‘Syria/Libya’ on it. The 3rd ‘9/11’ is going to be an interesting event. Holding a ‘feedback’ mirror up to the Washington Harpies and their ugliness may well just be enough to melt the DC “Witches of Eastwick” (only because I’m a Nicholson fan).
I hope this rambling has been of some interest and even help to see through the miasma: we are certainly in dangerous times when even ‘control’ is lost in the core of a superpower. What can we expect with an empty suit in charge who even the tiny Philippines dares to insult! Chavez and his ‘sulfur smell at the UN’ would be proud.
Our current situation is one where the American people are stupefied and the super rich wrangle over the rights to the carcass: Plutocracy; Kleptocracy; Oligarchy; … there is no rule of law, there is no president in the lead; there is no ‘commander-in-chief in charge’; there is no idea of a common wealth (for the people) — there is just a complex system of fragmenting factionalism operating in a moral vacuum. Thatcher dared to say that there was no society — only economy. Well, the economy went to the moon decades ago. Now it is either a viable society, or war (externalised if possible). A dangerous state to be in.
The “Smartest Guys in the Room” worked at Enron… and “Enron” is the current scenario in play at State level. War is the only smoke screen they have left while the Wall St Gang and their Chicago Boy ‘in da House’ try to ram through the various TTIP global agreements that basically invert the power between State and Business.
Benito Mussolini described it well: “Fascism is when you cannot slide a cigarette paper between business and government.”
And this goes deeper than just suggesting a breakdown of the normal walls between business and government (public service) regulator. Fundamentally, it goes to heart of the type of thinking within the heads of people in the game. Universities have been corporatised, the graduates are debtors and can only think in terms of ‘business’ — and so when they work within government they are still using the same type of business thinking and values. There has been a loss of variety in our governance systems. The old saying used to be “Without Fear or Favor” now hardly applies and seems even quaint to utter. It is generational and a general malaise.
May the Russians have enough stomach to withstand this latest rise in fascism — it almost seems their world destiny to challenge it whenever it oozes out of sewer. Good luck, but these days it travels ‘business class’ and scorns the less fortunate and fallen by the wayside. Words spoken 2,000 years ago by a ‘chosen one’ still resonate: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.”
In the end, to round off the madhouse metaphor, like ‘deaf&dumb’ Chief Bromden the half-Native American narrator in Cookoo-land, the non-speaking American voter (& non-voter) is increasingly picking up the water cooler and tossing it through the glass window.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3c2cXiEUHo
I just hope they walk all the way to Alaska and stretch out to shake hands with Putin on the other side before it is too late. Trump, for all his odious bluster, is to only one signalling he’ll do this — so, the lesser of two weevils gets my vote. F_ck the establishment’s water cooler, its the KoolAid, stupid! … and as George Carlin said: it’s a big club and we’re not in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKUaqFzZLxU
Too long already, rant over: … good luck and good night.
[Hint USA: work on overcoming deceit and fear before it is too late.]
Byway of a recent example of the subtle way deception works in this age and how the ‘truth’ is managed so as to distort and communicate an error in perception or lie.
ZeroHedge post a video of the UN convoy ‘bombing’ citing MoA’s PavewayIV comment on bomb signature and video editing. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-09-23/caught-tape-did-us-target-syrian-aid-convoy-hellfire-missile
The uneditied clip sound track (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQnKEhHb4Iw ) at 0:16 – 0:18 says “… is believed to be Syrian or Russian …” — but it does not say “believed” by whom.
It is therefore deceptive — believed by the ill informed and ill minded perhaps. And that is enough to pass the ‘test’.
What is not said is the balanced counter view to enable critical thinking (i.e. compare and contrast).
Fascinating. What would be the counter-virtues?
To fear – easy: courage, in extremis the courage to die, martyrdom.
But deceit ? Truth-loving, an abstract, is fruitless against it. Truth-seeking leads you into a maze.
The Matrix Metaphor? Taking the red pill is hard since you have been brought up by the blue pills. There are more shades of blue pills than one can imagine. Who to be sure that the Red Pill really red? Most ways to defend against deceit lead to negativity and cynicism.
Can you help me here ?
@h
An adjunct to courage helps deal
with deceit – confrontation.
Just call it as you see it. And be prepared to admit, in the light of new information that you may have been wrong.
Go on, activate your bulls**t detector.
We all have one.
So use it.
I commented on your question about 8 hours ago but it has not shown up here yet.
I assume not censorship — so in case something happened on the way to Iceland I’ll post again.
If duplicated then Mod can remove etc.
Ok, 2nd attempt at posting this. See if it gets through this time.
Re: your question, H. … at the risk of boring everyone, some thoughts. I’m not an insider in this material so these are just my considered views on a very eclectic topic – I’ve just distilled 25-years of background private research ‘hobby’ interest.
Firstly, I think you are on the money with “counter-virtues” and courage. In the earliest original publications on this enneagram theme from Moscow/St Petersburg circa 1912 (see P.D. Ouspensky’s “In Search of the Miraculous” Harcourt, 1949, pp. around 291) there is little or no personality typing per se. This is when the concept was first introduced into the Western orbit. No known written history prior to that.
However, my reading suggests there is a strong and somewhat critical ‘link’ between the #5 and #8 positions in the symbol/diagram involved. I won’t type and bore with the technicalities here but just include a ‘word salad’ that may hint at what is involved: “The apparent placing of the interval in its wrong place itself shows to those who are able to read the symbol what kind of ‘shock’ is required for the passage of ‘si’ to ‘do’ [completing the circle/whole]. . . . It was pointed out in the cosmic octave in relation to the ‘interval’ si-do that this passage is accomplished by the will of the Absolute.”
[Note: This system uses the juxtaposition of the western musical scale “do, re, me, fa…” and normal linear scales with repeating ‘loop’ patterns for considering various dynamics towards, or away from, integration/development – position #5 is mapped as ‘sol’ and #8 as ‘si’. By normal mapping convention, moving from 5-8-2… etc is considered progress; while the 2-8-5… direction is regression].
Certainly the transformation from ‘observer’ (#5) to ‘leader’ (#8) (e.g. Philosopher-King) is one key aspect and Putin would have to be the current archetype in action, imo. At the national scale the Observer/Thinker type might suggest the UK, Finland & Russia. Although the Leader/Boss type is not so well described at a national scale, however old Spain is sometimes mentioned. Anyone interested may find some hints here http://www.lessons4living.com/overview.htm (although I note the arrows seem reversed than is normally shown, see comment above).
I would just note that Trump appears to me to be a classic #8 and why he can just stand there and do what he wants on stage. He does not communicate per se, he just is (in your face, so to speak). On the other hand, Clinton (v1.0 & 2.0) seem to be more the classic #3 profile. Therefore I infer that the best way forward is for Clinton et al to see themselves for what they are (i.e. ugly and failures) and for Trump et al to get into the US control room and sort out the scrapping kids and turn off the hyperactive KoolAid cordial. Then we may have a basis for hope through, in his own words, “negotiation”.
It is interesting to note that #3’s want the kudos and status of the #8 type (in power) but generally lack the gut-centred gravitas to fill the actual role in practice: #8 is aligned with body centred ‘courage’; #5 with head-centred fear of being involved. FIVE must move to EIGHT if integration (progress) is to be made. Obama would have to be the classic ’empty suit’ at work.
Anyway, it’s about a dynamic dance ‘of things’ which some may see opportunity in using as guiding strategic ‘shocks’ to manipulate the course of events (and thus the futures) of things. J.G. Bennett wrote on the model (beyond personality typing) and he was definitely British Intelligence in Turkey during/post WW1. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Bennett)
[In respect to the type of shocks, for Christian orientation, I’d refer to the statements related the higher entering through the fear channel – “as if a thief in the night” (or words to that effect) – i.e. around the #6 head-centred domain (spans 5,6,7). I’d link this to the mention of “Absolute” above.]
Secondly, the deceit area is a harder topic for me to pin down: it is basically about the opposite of “Love” – that is, love being absence rather than ‘hate’ per se – or love feeling missing in action, so to speak. The empty void, hence the issue of authenticity and diminished natural sense of moral justice etc.
In a random pick from the bookshelf Margaret Frings Keys’ “Emotions and the Enneagram: Working Through Your Shadow Life Script”, 1990) makes some salient points:
‘1. “The psychological disorder associated with the THREE Program is Type A behaviour of workaholism and, in the extreme form, manic depression. The THREE’s defence mechanism of choice is identification. . . .
‘2. “Efficiency, skill and self-serving propaganda also govern THREE group behaviour. . . .
‘3. “The words “image,” “appearance” and “outwardly” are crucial to understanding the THREE’s Shadow issue of deceit. While they seem to lack much drive to be good, they intensely desire to appear good. That is the lie, designed not so much to deceive others as to deceive themselves. They cannot, or will not, tolerate the pain of self-reproach.
‘4. “Community-focused THREE’s enjoy and know how to keep their audience’s attention. They emphasise what will please others; they play whatever role will impress the group at hand. One THREE explained, “It’s a matter of constantly adjusting to the audience. It’s an evolving image.”” (pp. 22-28).
Don Richard Riso (“Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery” 1996), labels this type “Status Seeker” and lists “problems with hostility and narcissism” as issues and notes that “Self-acceptance is a starting point in life which makes other things possible.” (p. 83).
Riso’s approach is useful in that he categorizes each type as “Healthy,” “Average” and “Unhealthy”. While healthy begins with “Inner-directed and authentic” the unhealthy is perhaps a more relevant diagnostic: “Can be exploitative and opportunistic, out for himself. A pathological liar, devious and deceptive, maliciously betraying people. May become vindictive, attempting to ruin what he or she cannot have. Sadistic, psychopathic tendencies: sabotage, murderer, assassination.” (p. 77) Certainly echoes with global events today.
My view on the antidote: engagement. More mirrors held up for feedback and reflection; less stimulants (meth/cocaine/alcohol etc) in the body corporate; and more discussion around the table (not pronouncements down from the high table). Hence, trends ‘forward’ out of South America and Afghanistan and the drug supply, and more insistence by Russia, China and the UN community on sitting down at the UN and discussing fact-based policy face-to-face.
Samantha Powers’ recent UN hissy fit is actually ‘progress’, imo — quite a Black Queen drama event in this way of thinking. I think the Medusa saw herself (and her viperous writhing coven) well reflected in the Russian mirror being polished and held up in Syria: a feedback ‘shock’ of sorts. Like coughing Clinton, through all their externalisation of the negative onto others, what they are reacting to is the ugly mendacity within themselves.
The Russian play book seems well informed and strategic according to this model. They have not lost the psycho-war yet. Although far from comedy, there is still hope of taming the Shrew – it just has to remain sub-nuclear!
Personally, I think Zbigniew Brzezinski has cracked recently but the real ‘toad in the s-bend’ of global intergenerational progress is Henry Kissinger, imo: a likely #8 of the deep dark side with his quote: “Power is the great aphrodisiac”. His passing will signal a great shift forward. Sandoor (i.e., wishing the death or weakness of others) aside: may it come soon for him and his multitude of donated organs!
Antidotes for ‘self importance’ suggest strategies for dealing with: “arrogance, the need to provoke astonishment in others, bragging, cunning, the vice of eating, egoism, envy, hate, imagination, jealousy, lying, offensiveness, partiality, pride, wishing the death or weakness of others, self-conceit, self-love, swagger, vanity.”
My bottom line take at a global scale using this model: if the US voters place Trump in the White House then we have the possibility of a Putin-Trump negotiated future (probably have to include China’s Xi, they are traditionally into harmony which is a NINE thing), and that would mean a working viable link between #5 (I read Putin as such) and #8 (I read Trump as such) which implies the possibility (under the principle of replacing oneself in that system of thinking) of Trump/USA moving along to #2 (i.e. the Giver).
Adjectives for High Functioning TWO’s (from the link above) include “Compassionate, Sympathetic, Needed, Caretaker, Nurturing, Caring, Tender, Warm, Helpful, Concerned, Giving, Loving, Physically Touching, Feels Others Needs.”
This indicates direction of integration at least. I don’t personally see Trump in this #2 role but who knows, there is always hope. Few probably saw the current transformed Putin in the small weedy KGB nerd of yesteryear. The USA certainly needs the #2 treatment to heal the years of systemic unhealthy #3 abuse in the heart/emotional centre.
My 2-cents worth. Hope that helps some.
Anonymous, in this exceptionally serious discussion your comment stays high, I read it three times. I salute thee.
R
@ Anonymous
I enjoyed reading your rant, serious and humorous, eclectic and profound, and lively written. Thanks
I agree that both long comments by separate Anonymouses are very thought provoking and interesting. I hope they stick around and add some more.
Suggestion, however: Perhaps add a number or other distinctive mark to distinguish one Anonymous from the other??? 7 anyone?
That really does help keep straight who is responding, initiating, etc, etc. Thanks.
I don’t normally use labels. However, if it helps in this case then “at 5:43 am UTC; at 7:26 am UTC; at 10:50 pm UTC; at 10:50 pm UTC” are all the same author. If you want a descriptive label then perhaps call it “art@work” … I’ve been here from the time of the original Saker Blog. The Saker is a great source of high-variety information exchange, and although not a female, a good muse (afflatus).
This is a dying thread, but perhaps for the record, by way of another small indication of how this (system) works.
Here [link below at 17:15 to 18:22] Dmitry Babich picks up the ‘fear’ theme and drives the spear right into the Cyclop’s eye. Quite an innovative and effective attack, imo, … as can be seen by the psychological effect of this premise on the host, Peter Lavelle (an American by birth).
Well done DB! One can feel the difference in tonal effect of this line of logic. Goes much deeper and will resonate more profoundly with certain audiences once it sinks in (for them) what is being described and outed. May the ‘theory’ be with you.
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/360599-syrian-ceasefire-washington-moscow/
I hope this thread does not die. Your inclusion of Babich and your own take on the role of Fear as a driver of US policy could be very productive. – fk mod
** Just a note on the formatting here for the moderators — on my screen the comment directly above is almost totally white/missing (i.e. no text showing in a large block unless one selects it to copy etc). Looks like a technical issue. Perhaps someone can cut and repost it so it reads as normal?
It looks fine and normal on my screen without need of any reformatting. I will post it and see how it looks on page mod on duty.
This is a reposting of 5:14pm UTC which seems to have some technical glitch in display formatting.
—
This is a dying thread, but perhaps for the record, by way of another small indication of how this (system) works.
Here [link below at 17:15 to 18:22] Dmitry Babich picks up the ‘fear’ theme and drives the spear right into the Cyclops’ eye. Quite an innovative and effective attack, imo, … as can be seen by the psychological effect of this premise on the host, Peter Lavelle (an American by birth).
Well done DB! One can feel the difference in tonal effect of this line of logic. Goes much deeper and will resonate more profoundly with certain audiences once it sinks in (for them) what is being described and outed. May the ‘theory’ be with you.
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/360599-syrian-ceasefire-washington-moscow/
—
“I hope this thread does not die. Your inclusion of Babich and your own take on the role of Fear as a driver of US policy could be very productive. – fk mod”
the so called syrians that were bombed was a command centre overseeing battles in syria and iraq staffed by axis officers.for every minute that russia spends in syria a x amount of dollars is being spent in the hope that gazprom can recoup the costs.that is an illusion and the path to bankrupcy.the us has avoided that trap and for that matter israel too.
putin knows this and is gambling on that.the final straw will be the sinking of a battleship once all the ducks are on the pond.
I’ve thought for quite a few years that the Russians (and Chinese) are the only people still pursuing diplomacy. Vitally Churkin has been ambassador to the UN since 2006. I think that shows how seriously Russia takes the role and diplomacy in general. Read Wikipedia for the profile on Samantha Power. Pretty funny if it wasn’t so serious. Hilary’s a monster according to SamPow. The stenographers in the corporate media won’t mention that I’d imagine. How many hard faced women (I don’t mean this in a sexist way, honest) have the US installed as ambassadors to the UN? I can remember quite a few. Maybe they think presenting a woman as their face of diplomacy (or the IDF in Israel’s case) gives an impression of reason and feminine softness. LOL as they say. And on a related note someone’s got to Boris Johnson in the UK. The man who said we should speak to Putin and congratulated Russia on liberating Palmyra. Now blathering about how contemptible Russia and Assad are. These people are below contempt. I agree with another commenter: get a copy of Dr Strangelove. Still relevant. Laughter is a great tonic.
Re: “The man who said we should speak to Putin and congratulated Russia on liberating Palmyra. Now blathering about how contemptible Russia and Assad are. These people are below contempt.”
Agree, however, I think Putin framed it rather well some time back as likely “blackmail” pressure.
The UK had David “Pig’s Head Revisited” Cameron until his used-by date expired on a Brexit.
So I assume they have plenty of raw footage of young Boris in action between the sheets to keep him in line as the next finger puppet etc. Otherwise he would not have been selected.
Again: Are people such as Putin and Assad really of the same species as the West’s degenerates? Becomes ever harder to believe with each passing day. You have to admire the Russians for coping with the “exercise” of sharing the planet with this all-out, foul smelling offal.
No, not of the same species at all I guess. But agree with one of our anons: these people are so obviously ‘got at’. Merkel pulled her head in after we heard the NSA had recorded her phone calls. She’s tanking in the polls but it must all be worth it to her in some way or other – the withholding of information or promises of a nice consultancy job at a bank later on. They’ll all be bribed in one way or another – suitcases full of cash for the less sophisticated, the threat of releasing news of sexual transgressions through to showing them the Zapruder film after they take office (US presidents only!) for the more discerning. That’s why they hate people like Putin, Corbyn etc. Corbyn was never considered important enough to corrupt. I once had a conversation with someone who told me all about how he and his wife buy each other 6000 pound watches (yeah, wrist watches that tell the time like every other wrist watch – mine cost ten quid) who was outraged about Corbyn. He couldn’t possibly be Prime Minister but conceded we could have the debate about left wing politics. Just not the left wing politics themselves. LOL. A lot of people are ghastly. But trees, birds, cats, dogs, raptors, nearly all animals, the countryside, the oceans, blah blah blah. That’s all lovely. People are vastly outnumbered by insects and most insects are pretty interesting too. So on balance things not too bad, apart from people. I imagine our species won’t be running the show forever.
None of this helps if IS now takes Deir ez Zour as a result of the air attack.
They are now closer than ever.
The ceasefire gave the US an opening, a chance to claim ‘mistake’.
Russia must intervene and save Deir ez Zour, if not this is a betrayal of Syria by Russia.
Rewriting this comment posted last night at wee hours and which have not appeared published anywhere. I could rewrite this one because it is not too long, but others lost the same way I have never been able to repost because of lack of time. I think it is a pitty, obviously tha informational war is importanter but the time of all of us is gold, as you could imagine….
And to show that the Russians are not only worried about the situation in US but that are preparing for the worst, a completely reshaping of the Security Services si taking place there:
First, last thursday, Mr Mikhail Fradkov was replaced at charge of the Foreign Intelligence Service by Sergey Naryshkin.
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/52948
Second, it seems that there is a reorganization of all the ministries/organisms related to national security in order to get them reunited under bigger and less ministries, a thing which some, as Colonel Cassad, find it resembling to those in the former USSR:
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/will-putin-create-total-security-ministry/ri16624
If this is so, this could be a good noseband for all those who are always complaining about the KGB and its predecessors in the former USSR. It seems that in a state of war, as it was all the existence of the former USSR, things were not so badly done, after all.
@ Moderator,
query about post
Your post is now posted as you have replied to it. Please be aware that it was reported last night that the spam filter was not working correctly and placing many valid posts in spam. In fact the above comment was retrieved out of spam … mod-hs.
@ Moderator HS
Thank you for your advice. Two of my posts were caught in the “strainer” and I was thinking of Censorship at Work… again!
@ Fatima Manoubia
I don’t how far social life in Russia has changed since 1990, except the tribulations people went through (e.g. poverty, mortality, unemployment, etc) but I assume most state/public organisations remained structurally the same except the institutions of economic and financial power, e.g. the army is the former Red Army.
One aspect of social/political life I particularly appreciated was people’s activism through their soviets and committees in lively participation as agents in their own living conditions from the workplace to running their own consumer co-operatives. That is all gone, people are becoming zombiefied like the “western partners”.
I’ll never forget watching a report 15 years ago about life in Russia where a woman complained bitterly that there was more democracy in the USSR because then they had the power to decide on those things more important to their lives from childcare to nursing homes for the aged.
By the way, thank you for the link you posted some time ago to a movie “Night Train to Lisbon” which I appreciated very much and I wrote something about the journey of personal discovery along tram and train rails, including the discovery of that extraordinary writer who lived in obscurity and hid all his writings in a trunk, Fernando Pessoa.
Confirm or denigh? I heard that Obama has activated the nuclear defense shield on Russia’s border with 1000 missiles(space?) directed at Moscow and their nuclear bunkers. One hears such conflicting information, That is what I read about 4 hrs ago.
Very doubtful. Something like that would be burning up the internet. And I’ve seen nothing on it.I’d like to see a link to that report if you have one.But anyway,a nuclear defense shield from “space” doesn’t seem to “jive” with the US being so intent on those bases in Romania and Poland.They wouldn’t be needed if a “super -duper space shield” existed.And besides,Russia has all those nukes on ships away from Russia’s borders.Another reason to doubt that story. If true,it would just piss off the Russians who then might reach for the “red button” with Putin telling Obama, “you feel lucky punk,do ya”.
Numbers of nukes or 1000km operation range?
On the other hand, it doesn’t matter anymore. Because of our technological dependency and economic interdependency, one nuke is enough to sink the USA, and a second for the EU, for that matter.
Even though I’m a socialist deep down I’m a radical [*] , namely; I like to get to the root of a problem and ignore the branches.
([*] adjective: definition: radical. 1- (especially of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.)
In Syria the Hegemon goes back and forth between the “moderate revels/fighters” and the “legitimate opposition to the Assad’s regime” as a fig-leaf of an excuse for supporting the illegal destabilization a sovereign nation.
Note that one is obviously armed and militarized while the other term is more on the political level of opposition.
When war-hawks pundits get corned in programs like Cross Talk, called out on the reality that there are no moderate revels in Syria, they tend to shift public attention towards the ‘peaceful’ political opposition as the good guys that must be supported.
And back and forth we go…. Like chrome balls in a pinball machine [btw: I loved that RT Cross Talk ad. which sadly, they’re not airing anymore :(
But I’m digressing… ]
Ok, let’s say there is a peaceful political opposition in Syria, who the hell says they should be supported anyway!?
Oh, you see… that’s because Assad is an evil dictator that kills his own people and likes to eat babies for breakfast along side his cornflakes every morning.
Well, let‘s play along and pretend that’s true.
So what?
That’s Syria, all these people making all these noises against “evil Assad” are American, so…
….what’s it to them?
What’s their motivation to be so adamant about rescuing the ’poor’ and supposedly oppressed political-opposition in Syria?
Aaaaand that’s when the narrative – which was already ridiculous and relies heavily on the suspension of critical thinking in the part of all the participants – breaks down because… their answers to that key question are so far fetched and laughable that not even a five year old would believe them.
This is also a good example of circular reasoning, but the Russians on the other hand, seem to be more than happy to jump on that carrousel that leads absolutely no-where. The excuse from die-hard Russophiles is that Russia wants to avoid a direct confrontation [understandably], when the other side wants Syria destroyed while Russia and her allies back-off and allow the Syrian destruction to happen.
Given those terms…
Russia’s hand is weak, at best is just a stale-mate. A stale-mate that could easily end-up with the other guy losing patience, shooting you in the face and just taking all the chips for himself anyway.
Russia needs to get tougher, and I don’t mean tougher in a Clint Eastwood – Go ahead, make my day, punk – type tougher, I mean in the sense that they themselves have to drop the bullshit and force the other side [perhaps in a Quid pro quo basis] to drop their bullshit too.
This means getting down to what the USians real motivations are for meddling in Syria.
And if Russian Intelligence Services are all they’re cracked up to be, the Russians already know the Yank motivations. But one thing is knowing, and another is getting the other side – on the negotiation table – to admit to them. If you don’t get them to admit to them, you’ll forever be ‘negotiating’ on terms that are bullshit to begin with. Like for example…
The new one is… trying to “separate the terrorists from the moderates.”
Seriously, what does that even mean?!!!
That’s like saying… Trump would be an acceptable [maIn stream] candidate if we could just manage to disassociate their “basket of deplorables” supporters from the reasonable ones.
If you’re a Trump supporter, you will find points of compatibility with all Trump supporters regardless if the opposition sees you, or them, as the “deplorable” ones or not. Ergo, you would still support Trump (or whoever, I’m just using him as an example. That’s all)
This is the same. How Assad opposers would willingly (or forcibly) disassociate themselves from other Assad opposers? On the basis of what? Morals? Ethics? D!ck measurements? We like to chop so many heads-off while you lot; like to chop twice as many heads-offs as we do (?!)
What?!?
Well… we don’t know exactly how such separation could be achieved because in this charade, both sides seem to be allergic to pesky, inconvenient little details. Yet, somewhat inexplicably, the Russians are running with it, with what it seems to be a USian initiative and also part of these ‘peace deals.’
^ And that’s to put it politely, because this is nothing but even more BS on the Yanks part however you wanna slice it.
After all this that have happened and I’ve been reading about this for days on end, now, the most logical explanation I find to these puzzling Russian moves, is that they’re stalling, and/or “extending and pretending” until after the USian elections.
And to be perfectly fair with them… things are indeed up in the air until that happens.
I’m just hoping after that‘s done and dusted, we can ALL get a clearer picture.
Having said that… I resent the fact that the whole world are supposed to be holding their breath just because there’s an USian election coming up.
Just like some Brussels clown [forget his name now] suggested that Brexit will have to be put on stand-by up until after the French and German elections next year.
I mean… the arrogance coming out of these “people”! Why would a country have to wait to change their own destiny, not until another country holds elections or whatever.
It’s like they’re saying; yeah, we know you want out of the EU, but that has to wait right now because there are some very important elections coming up in France and Germany (!?)
WTF?
-TL2Q
Everybody is asking here the same question, why Russia goes along with this, why Russia does not get tougher…. I fear the sad answer may be in the comment of Anonymous @ 6:18 pm UTC. Russia needs time and the time is not good for Russia right now. As before.
R
@ TL2Q
Enjoyed reading your witty post, as usual.
The US meddling is like the instinctive reaction of catatonic stupor unmediated by reason, decency and morality; the consequence of unbridled power since the dissolution of the USSR. Before that they also meddled – starting in Greece and Italy even before
@ TL2Q
Lost the post I was writing… vanished!
Anyway, I was writing about the US compulsive meddling started in earnest with the Monroe Doctrine (1815?) but restrained by other forces (British Empire and USSR) until 1990.
However, it is a fallacy to see this phenomenon of empire building as something inherent to the nature of States or Nations. “State” is an abstraction and has no body or will, it acts by the agency of those who control the levers of power, whose tool the State is.
In the days of absolute monarchies it was easy to see the king as the embodiment of the state – as Louis XIV famously said “L’etat c’est moi” – but the French Revolution put an end to that and from which the moneyed class emerged as the new state, the bourgeoisie, also known as capitalism, and empire building took a new dimension as the almost divine right to exploit everything and everyone per se. While the old state was the king, the new one was named “democracy” as the fig-leaf of capitalism.
But the voracious greed of capitalism leads inevitably to conflict and war until there is only one in charge (concentration of power) of the whole planet as we see now before our eyes; or complete annihilation of life on earth.
In this process of one state/capital (unipolar) world a little snag called Russia appeared from nowhere (it was supposed to have been agglutinated in the 1990s) and it has to be brought to heel before complete subjugation is achieved; and that requires encirclement and submission, economic warfare, etc. Hence Ukraine and Syria which, by the way, both have something in common: pipelines, the life-blood of the Russian economy, now reduced to supplier of resources to feed the capitalist markets.
As a side note, the Syrian pipeline I refer to does not exist yet; it’s the projected Qatar line to supply the EU to reduce the flow of Russian gas exports to the block, which would be a severe blow to the Russian economy.
Short answer: Russia does not have the financial means to get tougher. The money is on the other side. Most of it comes from 2 actors in the Middle East which have nothing but money to play with. This money financed the conflict, the Jihad and most of the elite political class in US.
All the other players are free riders who jumped on and off the band wagon as they see fit.
“Christian” is a magic word here. How can the Western world understand Russians. Orthodox Christians are totaly different from all other Christians from the Western hemisphere.
Basically it is a different religion not even understood by most Western Christians, it is just the same in name but totally opposite from each other.
Glad the Russians have found a footing to build a society so different from the former USSR.
Sadly those Western countries have become the USSR and adopted collectivism above individuality and don’t even know or see it. Western society acts like robot drones programmed by a Nazi elite and most citizens don’t even know it.
That is why it is double sad that the West must fear Russia because they want to spread their wings and grab everything to become the USSR again. Talk about projection!
@ Bizantura
I think you really have not a clue about the Orthodox Church in the USSR and believing the “West” is like the former USSR takes the cake in cluelessness.
There was complete freedom of religion in the USSR. Some priests (pops) got in trouble with the new order not because of their religious beliefs but because of their actions, like leading rebellions, which they did even against the Tsar (e.g. Father Gabon).
Please inform yourself about those issues but I recommend that you use your critical faculties when reading propaganda sources like Wikipedia and most bibliography published in the capitalist block (they would not publish anything except anti-Soviet lies).
America is a divibed and souless country. “недоговороспособны” exists because without a soul you are not human. Not that a country can be human, but that its people have are soulless. If you really look at America, its art, its literature, its music: it is a culture of pornograpic violence or emotional darkness. American’s suffer from gluttony of the mind, wherein the only thing that matters is saiting the mind and and all the consructed perversions it can create. The American mind is no longer capable of sensing its humaness; it can only grave more stimulus fom second to second. With its $20,000,000,000,000 debt, and absolute corruption, American is the most dangerous country on the planet.
Really good article, Saker, best I’ve read about it. Except I doubt there is much discord in the US regime, but like you say, that’d gradually (or pretty fast) change with Trump. (I totally disagree with Pepe’s article, though – Trump did a lot of good already, and he’s not even President yet – Putin was perfectly right about Trump)
BBC calling! BBC calling! Boris on-board too with cap in hand and a tug of the forelock!
Syria conflict: Russia ‘may have committed war crime’ – Johnson
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37465662
“UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has suggested Russia may have committed a war crime in Syria if it was behind an attack on an aid convoy near Aleppo”
This is likely true as it would be too if the UK or Papua New Guinea or Christmas Island were behind the attacks. It is highly unlikely that Russia was behind a deilberate attack. It is highly likely that dysfunctional team USA and/or their proxies were, if one but asks the simple question “Who gains?”
Boris is no dummy and being part of the Old Boys Colonial Club knows exactly how to play the game. He has though become quite the boot licker.
The lack of craters and huge fireball in video footage gives rise to the suggestion it was a thermobaric weapon such as the AGM-114 ‘N’ version Hellfire II carried by predator drones or equally by hand launched thermobaric equivalents. The twinkling/sparkling halo around the outside of the fireball fits this conclusion rather too well.
I’d value the Saker’s expert military opinion of the alleged blast footage.
See fireball and halo:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermobaric_weapon
and: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-114_Hellfire
We are now in the grips of a demonic script conducted at such a demonic pace that world affairs (once conducted ostensibly as ‘human affairs’ i.e. at a cogitable. comprehensible tempo) have graduated beyond the human being’s capacity to react and PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. In fact, no future need apply because the cosmically-ordained End of History looms ahead (not to be mistaken for the Fukuyama secular head-feint.)
Even the most duplicitous and turned-around neocon must cede the unfolding trajectory to his Lord of Darkness. Collateral damage. Love ya. Buh bye. Satan requires only one man now, one whom he will ultimately displace and inhabit. The Russian Orthodox soul grasps this Satanic ascencion, and in a geoplitical context notes one symptom as being “недоговороспособны” or “not-agreement-capable” –the vacating of human agency from a fully realized demonic eschatology. Literally, the West has lost its human complexion, becoming a blithering ward of Satan. This is the apotheosis of deception and the culmination of accumulated lies.
Hallelujah! God is edging us to the side of the amphitheatre. Our historical role has been fulfilled.
During this Quickening phase, the battle is taken up increasingly by an Intellect whose capacity vastly exceeds our own. Fortunately for us, it finds itself pitted against a power that is, in turn, of infinitely greater capacity than even its own. The world’s spritual warfare has now condensed into a cosmic mano e mano before which Man will now be swept along until the End.
Our primary role falls now to the profoundly spiritual: to choose sides. History is on the brink of fulfilling its eschatological purpose. Human agency is falling away.
Islam notes it too. The culmination of this time and space will be signalled by an acceleration. Think of a completed filmspool clattering in the back of an auditorium. Hologram over.
“The Hour will not begin until time passes quickly, so a year will be like a month, and a month will be like a week, and a week will be like a day, and a day will be like an hour, and an hour will be like the burning of a braid of palm leaves.”
I think Stephen Cohen in his last interview with Jon Bachelor had it right and why all the confusion. Obama has lost control of the foreign policy and military establishments within State and the Pentagon. They are in revolt against him and will not honor the decisions made by the Russians, Kerry and Obama. Cohen mentioned the behavior of Power as part of the group in revolt over Obama. Cohen quoted a truly incredible statement that the Pentagon may not obey/honor any agreements as if it was independent of civilian leadership.
So where is all of this going? Ash and the neocons want to establish a no-fly zone, but can they do it without explicit public support of Obama?
One scenario out of this confusion is a rebellious neocon like Ash orders a deliberate shooting down a Russian bomber/fighter to instigate some sort of shooting war BEFORE the election to ensure a Hillary victory, Well, depends on how Putin reacts and whether there is retaliation and escalation.
However it goes, the situation is entering a very dangerous phase.
The problem does lay with Obama (probably for political reasons),appointing Clinton as SOS. And allowing her to staff the department (or leave in place ones already there),with neo-cons.You can see the rebellion pretty clearly there now against Kerry.He should have purged them himself.But didn’t I figure for the same political reasons. I believe he was forced to leave them alone. Now he’s stuck being surrounded by “employees” he can’t be sure will follow his orders if they don’t want to.
As to the military,I figure that is a similar problem. Compounded by what Auslander talked about with the military that was created in the last years.
True there should have been a purging of the Pentagon and State and that was on Obama. Reminds me of a manager I once worked with who had a new department and was just hiring the worst people. The comment was made that he was hiring his own pall bearers. Same with Obama. I see an image of Obama saying at the end of his administration “Et tu Ash, Samantha, Victoria, Hillary?”
At the risk of a trite comment can the funding for rogue neocon/Pentagon elements not be cut or at least constrained by mountains of bureaucratic red tape?
If that option has already left the station then perhaps Putin’s new KGB could assist a hamstrung Obama/Kerry with some stealthy kinetic counselling?
The globalists want it all. Which means they need to get rid of the two major super-powers (three including China) Russia and the USA. Kill two birds with one stone by provoking Russia into attacking the U.S. w/nukes (they better or the U.S. will attack soon enough).
That leaves China in WW3. Jesus wins that one.
Surely the West/US can make deals; it is just that the reality on the ground isn’t ripe. The Syrian (and Russian) side want a win, as does the US. A lot of the discussion seems to overanalyze things. What matters is winning.
The heart of the matter is that the goals of the Syrian side and the anti-Syrian side are so far apart that only a military solution is possible. So who is “unrealistic”? Damascus and Moscow have been very uncompromising from the ZATO perspective, and, since one of their main goals is the destruction of Syria, the war has continued.
This is not the Obomber regime freaking out; the Diktat himself has already checked out of the mess, mentally and is probably planning his Presidential Library.
No, this is Killery Klinton and her incompetent liars freaking out about losing Turkey and losing to Trump. And now the American foreign policy regime is catching her mentally ill framework of ‘foreign policy’. She never really left the State Department–she still has her security clearance, even after the email debacle. She’s responsible for Ukraine, Libya, Turkey, and Syria.
Only an insane person would’ve directed the attempted coup against a vital ally such as Erdogan. Only a titanically (incompetent? insane?) arrogant state would try to oust the lynchpin of its own policy at a vitally strategic crossroads. But Killery did so, with gusto and aplomb!
The hoax failed…and all the rants verify it…They need to learn in this tech age it’s NOT possible t lie with impunity…Not at all…
They’re in total disarray… For what its worth, I think there’s huge in-fighting happening at the highest levels… Along the grapevine (no pun intended) — there’s rumours Dunford is in charge, sort of like a quiet coup…. BO even more of a fig head than he was before…
As a professional writer/journalist, you fail to understand it is not a civilian in control in America, it is actually the military, all this banter about Hillary or Trump is truly breathtaking, the military industrial complex is in firm control in America, if you heard general dunfords question and answer at the Senate committee on armed services on 22/9/2016, he laid it out perfectly clear who controls America, when asked if the usa military would ever share info with the Russians, his answer was no, never would the usa military share info with Russia, that means he is going above the president, who is supposed to be a commaber in chief, if I`m not mistaken, general dunfords remakes were Treason….
Why Syria is important to the US and its Western and Middle Eastern allies?
Why the US and its allies created TTP, Al-Shabab, Al-Nusra, Al-Qaida and now ISIL?
(I am ignoring 3 dozen or more other groups in the Middle East, South Asia, the Far East, South and Latin America and Africa)?
Let’s stick with Syria.
The common denominator between the TTP (Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan) and ISIS is:
The CIA/Saudi Intelligence/MOSSAD.
The two are terror organizations:
–were sired by these illustrious Intelligence (or not so intelligent) agencies.
–funded by these omnipresent agencies.
–supplied with arms by these agencies.
–supplied with money by these agencies (The TTP through the drug business in Afghanistan and ISIS
through the sale of Oil).
—Both are equipped with US weaponry.
—Supplied to them in more or less the same fashion.
Now, they are linking up to form a formidable weapon in the hands of the US President.
Control of the Middle East gives the US two advantages:
(A)
The US through its Middle Eastern Allies wants the control of the oil flow to the EU, Japan and China. ISRAEL is its ‘AIRCRAFT CARRIER’ in this sea of Arabs.
USA’s competitors for the commanding heights of the global economy is the EU and China. This destabilization of the Middle East is all about this flow of oil to the rest of the world. Iraq has effectively been divided in three States.
(B)
It can project power and influence in Central Asia, first destabilizing it in the guise of promoting “democrazy” and then absolute control through financial instruments like the IMF, World Bank, US AID and the numerous NGO it spawns.
With the Middle East in its pocket and Afghanistan under its control (already), it will have absolute power over Russia and China. Its two main rivals for the hegemony of the commanding heights of the global economy.
Putin is determined to get rid of ISIS and a dozen other so called “good terrorists”.
The US State Department uses the word: “Moderate”.
This is like saying a woman is half pregnant or partially pregnant.
The US administration is caught between a rock and a hard place. It cannot be seen to overtly supporting ISIS and yet they are doing their utmost that Putin does not destroy them.
Putin knows this……………….:
However, it will keep this entire region from the Levant to the Indian sub-continent destabilized giving the US a platform to send sparks of terrorism North to Russia and East to China.
At the same time the US military will have physical presence (if China, India and Russia will allow it) in Afghanistan from where it can control the Eurasian land mass. Putin is aware of this as a master geo-political chess player.
Syria is right at the underbelly of Russia and would be strategically important if it were in the hands of Western thugs like Ukraine is today.
ISIS is created to counter Shia control of Iraq, effectively splitting Iraq into three (3 ) States—
—–Shia Iraq,
—–Sunni Iraq (Saudi Wahabbi Iraq) and
—–Kurdish Iraq.
In Kurdish Iraq the Pentagon is building a MEGA BASE to give it a springboard to create mischief in Central Asia for Russia and China. It will have the ability to create a Uyghur uprising in Western China like it has done in Ukraine for Russia. The Uyghurs have made a beeline for Syria to fight against the Syrian government. On their way home, equipped and funded by the CIA they will create havoc in Western China and elsewhere. This is the fundamental reason the Chinese have sent troops to Syria.
There will be random bombings ( they are already happening in China if one listens to CCTV and not the propaganda mouthpieces–Western Media).
There is a US military base in Wakhan (North Eastern tip of Afghanistan that touches China), a remote 140-mile-long and 16-mile-wide corridor bounded by Tajikistan to the north, Pakistan to the south and China to the east. There are reportedly 12,000 inhabitants in this forlorn paradise.
These people call their homeland Bam-e Dunya, which means “roof of the world.” This paradise is also an environment at the very brink of human survivability. This land consists of two long, glacier-carved valleys, called Pamirs, stashed deep within the great mountains of Central Asia.
Much of it is above 14,000 feet.
The corridor was a political creation of the struggle between Czarist Russia and British India—-the so called GREAT GAME. On the corridor’s north side, agreements between Britain and Russia in 1873 and between Britain and Afghanistan in 1893 effectively split the historic area of Wakhan by making the Panj and Pamir Rivers the border between Afghanistan and the Russian Empire.
On its south side, the Durand Line agreement of 1893 marked the boundary between British India and Afghanistan. This left a narrow strip of land as a buffer between the two empires, which became known as the Wakhan Corridor in the 20th century.
Although the terrain is extremely rugged, the Corridor was historically used as a trading route between Badakhshan and Yarkand.
It appears that Marco Polo came this way.
The Portuguese Jesuit priest Bento de Goes crossed from the Wakhan to China between 1602 and 1606.
In May 1906, Sir Aurel Stein explored the Wakhan and reported that at that time, 100 pony loads of goods crossed annually to China. There were further crossings in 1874 by Captain T.E. Gordon of the British Army, in 1891 by Francis Younghusband, and in 1894 by Lord Curzon.
Today, it is the US outpost that keeps a watch on China and Russia.
Thus the rationale and the demand of the US military to stay in Afghanistan though not a stated and public one.
America, the once ‘shining city on the hill’, the ‘beacon of light’ for human rights, the standard bearer for the weak, the voice of justice that for two centuries stirred the hearts of the voiceless has stooped down to ‘Sauron’s evil ways where extra judicial killings is tolerated.
In the last forty years I have witnessed our social decline. We do not need enemies abroad; we are our worst enemy.
The latest events in Syria revealed that the rebels are stronger, well trained, and well equipped. While China isn’t taking the bait, and Iranian are hesitating, Russia sounds confused and weak. With a divided elite, Russia cannot escalate the situation in higher level, so they have only one option “QUIT”.
How the hypocrats responding to the first US presidential debate
http://www.jewishjournal.com/rosnersdomain/item/a_post_debatal_dysphoria_8_comments_following_a_night_of_debate
I really don’t believe the concept that Russia blanket “doesn’t use” intimidation. Perhaps what we’re missing here is the world “public”. Russia doesn’t use public intimidation. If they’re going to intimidate someone it will be quietly, behind closed doors, and often as part of a mixed persuasion strategy that also includes more positive inducements. So then if they knuckle under they can save face by pointing to the carrot and everybody pretends there never was a stick.
But there is more point to the hegemon’s intimidation tactics than there might seem to be. It’s not an optimum approach in any given negotiation–giving in makes the other person both lose and lose face and generally carries no guarantee of any gains whatsoever. So the chances of failure are greater. But if they do give in to the threats, all the other countries see “Country X is scared, maybe I should be scared too”. The hegemon not only gets their way without giving anything in return, but makes the next “negotiation” slightly easier, gradually creating a norm of countries just giving the US what it wants for nothing. The flip side of course is breaking countries that refuse to give in–following through on the threats. As long as they continue to be capable of breaking recalcitrant countries, giving in to US threats stays a compelling option. Currently, Russia and China are about the only countries that can be fairly confident the US can’t break them if they say “no”.
I think that you have perfectly described the tactics of state terrorism at the diplomatic level.
The US has declared total (hybrid) war. Everything is weaponized now from the UN to the Olympic movement.
But what you say applies far more to the USA since they are on the quest for global hegemony while Russia is not.
Obama is confused brcause he is merely a frontman for the owners of the us govt. he is not the planner, nor is he qualified to do anything but a verbal tapdance.
Really, demographically, most americans should support russia. They are now out of totalitarian communism, and the usa is now in totalitarian socialism. Prove it? Ok, obamacare is taking all disposable income and we are in recession because of it. The news media is also under govt threat to report false reports on labor participation as well as just about everything. Whites and blacks only mix on a football field, not in neighborhoods.
Russians are white, americans are actually not. They are a mind controlled nothingness and know not where they came from. Our traditions are told to us as being of diversity. Diversity is the stuff i spew when i brush my teeth.
A minor error: The US strike against the Syrian army was not in support of some “moderate” terrorists, but of Daesh (ISIS) itself. So, the USAF is the airforce of Daesh now.
It’s pretty clear that both US and Russian won’t wage any new Vietnam/Afganistan. They are acting behind scenes with military aid, logistcs, strategy and smaller scale air power support. In their vision the era or huge land armies are over. That dirty job is grim destiny of smaller countries and their own people. The art of warfare is to win with minimizing own losses and economical cost.
Long Live Putin.May God Bless you.
I have felt, for many years, that the usa would eventually smother itself – and for about half that time, I have been convinced of it. At first, I was anxious for a poor people duped by their own elite. But not anymore. Any society that would allow itself to sink to where they are does not deserve sovereignty.
As an American I have to concede that with respect to the Obama administration at least your assessment is devastatingly accurate.
Barack Obama is a lazy, disengaged president whose worldview is that of a radical college prodesdor: Detached from reality, utterly devoid of facts, but full of trendy left-wing opinions.
He is a narcissist and violently resists reality. He surrounded himself with like-minded sychophants. Essentially this means US policy is formulated by a cabal people with the mentality of 19-year-old college students.
His foreign policy, such as it is, is utterly puerile and incoherent. It was formulated by Hillary Clinton, a thoroughly corrupt woman whose only concern was enriching herself by selling favors, and building her own CV in anticipation of the 2016 presidential campaign. To make matters worse, this venal woman’s top aide, Huma Abedin, is a Saudi whose family has deep ties with the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood. She undoubtedly is responsible for the pro-Islamist tilt in many of Clinton’s decisions.
Her tenure at the State Department was rudderless, her approach to policy piecemeal. She made utterly nonsensical decisions such as toppling a US alliy in Libya solely to show US voters that she is “strong”; this short-sighted action unleashed terror and the refugee crisis.
Thank goodness the American voters were smart enough to reject this horrible woman.
I believe that in Donald Trump we will have a president who is coherent and makes decisions based on facts and rational national interests of the United States, not coffee house radicalism.
As the following article shows, it’s not just the US but practically every head of state and foreign minister in NATO. They all promised Gorbachev that NATO would not be expanded, and they could have blocked it: https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early