Moscow went to this for a long time and finally ran into it. Accustomed to considering Americans fools and blockheads, the Kremlin thought that they were able to fool everyone, everywhere - and forgot that it was not the Russians, but the “fools” from the banks of the Potomac who were able to create the most powerful economy in the world. Now the one who, with inspiration, has been digging holes for all the neighbors for years, has finally run into himself.
But in order.
Kidok Obama or the fight of Damascus boys.
There is such a country, Syria, in which a civil war has been going on for several years. It began with the struggle of the local (rather moderate) opposition against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but the massacre dragged on and religious fanatics, the Islamic State, or ISIS, came to the ruins and poverty. Simply put, al-Qaeda cubed. Before the appearance of this force, the alignment was clear and understandable, the Syrian opposition was supported by the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Assad - Iran and Russia, everything was top-notch, the guys rubbed. But ISIS has so far captured the vast majority of Syrian territories and put both Assad and the Syrian moderate opposition on the brink of existence. The situation required immediate intervention from the outside, and from the spring of this year, the Americans, and with them the Turks, Iraq, and already the French, began bombing ISIS positions from the air. ISIS is not the DPR, Strel and Buk are not there, so the planes attack the Islamists successfully. They also talk about ground operations. In the event of such a start, Syria will fall under the control of the coalition troops, that is, the countries of the West. This prospect excited the Kremlin in earnest.
Trumpet for you guys.
Among the reasons for the start of the civil war, Qatar's loot is repeatedly called the main one. This lovely country, which is not immediately visible on the map, has the third largest gas reserves in the world and successfully sells it to Europe in liquefied form. I could sell more and cheaper, but here's the trouble - in order to stretch pipes to Turkey (and connect them to the idle Nabucco gas pipeline), you have to go through Syria. And the Qatari sheikhs even persuaded Assad to build a gas pipeline, but then Gavriks from Muscovy flew in, who promised Assad more and immediately. The result is that loot falls on the Syrian opposition and “how oxen roar…”
With the victory of the Syrian opposition, the issue with the gas pipeline would be resolved. With the ground operation of the West - too. Both options suit Qatar completely. They do not suit the Kremlin. The appearance of Qatar gas on the European market will instantly put the Russian economy on concrete belly. And there …
Where does the Syrian sadness come from?
There is a big problem in conducting a ground operation - neither the States nor the countries of the West wanted to send their military contingents to Syria for a long time. But the flow of refugees to Europe, plus the warming of relations with Iran (due to the absolute unpredictability of Russia) - and the prospect of building a gas pipeline from it to Europe also (and again through Syria) did their job - they started talking about creating a coalition at high levels. Just at that moment, a contingent of Russian military was noticed in Syria. At the same time, the behavior of militants in the Donbass has changed dramatically. If before August 31, they brazenly tried to provoke the Ukrainian army into hostilities, now the activity of the militants has sharply died down. Further, more - there was a coup in the leadership of the DPR, the radical Purgin was replaced by the Kremlin-controlled Pushilin, they started talking about transferring the border under the control of the Ukrainian State Border Service.
Russian experts unanimously shout that Putin at the UN General Assembly, which will be held soon, will offer the event Russian troops for the war against ISIS, in exchange for lifting sanctions and determining the status of Crimea. Now, judging by the reaction of the United States, they plan to send Putin with such proposals to the very body from which his well-known nickname comes. Why? Because since the little green men appeared in Syria, the White House should have been drunk with joy.
White Feather does not step on a rake twice.
Unlike the Kremlin, the guys from the Potomac region are a nation of traders, they know how to count well and predict their actions for a long time. They understand perfectly well that getting into Syria means getting yourself huge hemorrhoids, regardless of the results of the operation. The states remember well their impressions of Afghanistan, and naturally would prefer to give this joy to someone else. Preferably a sworn friend.
Getting into the conflict of Moscow is a gift of fate. First, Putin has nowhere to go. If he wants to protect himself from the appearance of cheap gas in Europe, he will be forced to help Assad not only with equipment, but also with cannon fodder. Large amounts of cannon fodder. But Syria is not Donbass. The prisoners will not be exchanged for their own - they will be cut into cameras. And Moscow cannot hide this evidence of the presence of its military in Syria.
And then - in full. New round of sanctions. Putin climbed into Syria at a time when the State Duma of the Russian Federation cannot adopt the budget, since the price of oil at $ 50 is no longer there, and at a price of $ 40, Russian gold and foreign exchange reserves will evaporate next year. It can be stated that the States set a grand trap for Moscow, and Moscow swallowed the hook along with the sinker and fishing line. Moreover, the States did arrange an Afghan for Moscow, only not their own Afghan-2001, but the Russian Afghan-1989 proper ..
Ukrainian side.
And what should we do in these conditions? And everything is the same as what we are doing now. DO NOT shine. Continue to build an army. And wait. Wait for a labeled opportunity. Such, when Moscow is so mired in foreign policy and economic problems, we will pass through the Donbass and Crimea as if along an avenue.
Why rush things if the ripe fruit of victory will soon fall into our hands? Just when the corpse of our enemy floats by.
Dmitry Vovnyanko
https://www.facebook.com/dmitro.vovnyanko/posts/849429648504062?notif_t=like
There are often stories in the media about how people, for one reason or another, go to fight in the ranks of ISIS. At the same time, Russians know almost nothing about those who are fighting the plague of the 21st century in their home. Michel Mizah, a 25-year-old citizen of Russia and Syria who returned from Damascus a few days ago, where he fought in the ranks of the pro-government armed group Shabiha, said that the Syrians think about this war, their president Bashar al-Assad, the Islamic State and the future.
- Why did you decide to go to Syria?
My father is from Syria, and there are many relatives with whom we communicate almost daily, consider that we live in two countries. We are Christians. A second cousin is fighting in the ranks of the Syrian army, uncle and aunt, being civilians, died in 2012 in the Qalamun region.
Therefore, when I watch the news, I am tormented by some remorse ... I have wanted to go there for three years, but something constantly interfered - either my wife or my job. Only now the stars have converged, and I have a free window.
- And when the "Arab Spring" had just begun, how did your family feel about it?
At first, the family treated the protesters with sympathy, but then it turned out that the irreconcilable part of the secular opposition defends the interests of Turkey and the Arab monarchies. Plus, the prospects for the Islamization of the protest were visible to many, and they were feared.
Probably, like all normal people, our family, all my friends and acquaintances in Syria have a sharply negative attitude towards Wahhabis and, in general, any religious extremism.
In Syria, the war is not with Assad, but with civilization as such. ISIS takes people into slavery, crucifies them on crosses, imposes medieval taxes on Christians, and kills Shiites and Alawites on the spot ...
Do you want to live according to Sharia, so that you could be killed for a cigarette and alcohol, and beaten with sticks in the city square for skinny jeans? Nobody wants this!
And we know that this will be the case if Damascus falls. This is already the case in Raqqa, the locals themselves talk about it. Buses still run between us, so we are very aware of the alternative to Assad.
I met a girl in Damascus, she is only 20 years old, she spent the last three months as a slave to the ISIS. One of their commanders bought her and made her his concubine, and when she died, the girl passed by "inheritance" to his successor ... Relatives miraculously managed to redeem her.
- Did you even know where you were going, was someone waiting for you there?
Of course, about two months before departure, through acquaintances of my relatives, I contacted my future commander of a detachment in the militia adjoining the army.
This is the same “Shabiha” that the UN in 2012 accused of crimes against humanity. In general, for two months I told him about myself: who I am, what I can do, why I want to come and so on ... And in response, he explained what was waiting for me, what I would do, and so on.
I would go to the army, but my turn for mobilization comes last, since I am the only breadwinner in the family, well, you don’t go there for a week. My brother has been there for three years, and he cannot even see his relatives, since there are no respite at the front at all.
- Are only Syrians included in the militia or is it an international brigade?
They come from Lebanon and Iran because they understand that if Syria falls, they will be next. They supply us with military advisers and weapons ... The entire "Shiite axis of evil" is for us!
From the rest of the world, I did not see fighters ... It seemed to me that the Syrian embassy in Russia does not approve of such topics. Perhaps this is due to the rumors that go around the so-called "Russian Legion", which was hired by some St. Petersburg private security company a few years ago to fight for Assad. But when they arrived in Damascus, the Russian side was indignant, the “legionnaires” were returned to their homeland and a couple of criminal cases were opened for mercenarism.
In general, you can legally fight for Syria only if you have Syrian citizenship or some kind of intergovernmental agreement. But on the side of the Islamists, a real international - they bring down to us from everywhere.
- How did Damascus meet you?
I flew into Damascus International Airport and the first thing I saw was a large number of soldiers and militias. But civilian life goes on, in the city center people walk the streets without fear, despite periodic mortar attacks.
In Christian areas, the situation is a little more complicated, but shops still work there. My detachment was based right next to them, on the northeastern outskirts of Damascus, opposite the oppositional district of Douma, which is entirely occupied by the Islamists. It has always been inhabited by religious radicals, so no one was surprised when it turned out to be a breeding ground for militants.
True, by the time I arrived, the area had long been under siege, and the enemy had no way to break out, so it was relatively easy for me there, when compared with what is happening in northern Syria ...
When they say “militia”, you immediately imagine a motley audience, somehow dressed and armed, does “Shabikha” look like this?
Of course not. On the very first day I was given standard army ammunition, briefed and sent to positions. They also feed to satiety, well, if you can eat, of course, because the nerves are not up to it ...
In the diet - all national cuisine, meat dishes, beans, all sorts of sweets. A pack of cigarettes is given for two days, but they are so strong that this is quite enough. Plus, local products are worn every day, we and the army are their last hope.
It is possible that in some localities where local residents have collected all the uniforms and weapons they have, contacted the army and said that their unit of so many people is now part of the militia, there are some interruptions in supply, but in Damascus this like a resort. But the militias are not paid anything, instead Assad gives their families all sorts of benefits.
- What is the general relationship between the army and the militia?
Subordinates. The opposition likes to present Shabikha as barbarians whom the government has taken under its wing, and they use it and only rob and rape… This has nothing to do with the truth.
Of course, civilians can die from government troops, but, unfortunately, this is a feature of urban combat. Sometimes such victims cannot be avoided, especially since the Islamists hide behind civilians. If we actually massacred everyone who supports the enemy, Doom would have been destroyed long ago.
Tanks would be rolled out in a day, especially since some hotheads have been calling for this for a long time.
But Assad does not want this, on the contrary, he even continues to pay salaries to those officials who now work for the Islamic State. Our task is not to arrange a genocide, but to unite the country. Therefore, before each outing on a mission, we were told that under no circumstances should we shoot at civilians. If one of them dies, then each fact is checked, if necessary, up to the tribunal.
- Give us more specifics, how are relations being built between "Shabiha" and the army?
The army gives the task, all the necessary information, support, and so on. Provides us with instructors.
With Assad's permission, Hezbollah trains militias where the army cannot reach. It is possible that militiamen in remote settlements can communicate only occasionally, but if this does not happen at all, their unit will not be considered part of the militia.
In other words, the militia is a natural extension of the army. Communication is carried out through the commanders of the detachments. All issues are approved in the army and civil administrations, if necessary. Nothing is done at your own risk.
If the militia decides that for defense it is necessary to demolish the house, then first you need to get permission from the city authorities. Of course, there are times when you do not have time to notify, but then you have to tell about everything after the fact.
As for the rotation, my commander fought in the army for 4 years as a sergeant, was wounded and went to the militia. In general, volunteers are recruited into the militia, who, for their distinction in battle, can be transferred to the army.
- And how many people were in the detachment?
There are 21 of us in total. Despite the fact that the detachment should be formed on a territorial basis, we had three Christians from Aleppo, two Druze who fled to Damascus from ISIS and joined the militia, and one Lebanese volunteer.
There is a very strong atmosphere of military fraternity, so we did not have any religious differences, hazing or anything like that. Everyone understands who our enemy is, all the anger goes to him. At the same time, there were a couple of people among us who at the beginning of the “Arab Spring” took part in anti-government demonstrations, but now Assad is something like an icon for them. And it's like that everywhere.
When I went to Syria, I considered Soviet slogans like “For the Motherland! For Stalin! ”, but in Damascus I myself witnessed how people, going on the attack, shouted“ God! Syria! Bashar!”, “Our blood and souls are for you, Bashar!” etc.
- What is the main task of the militia?
The militia arose not out of great love, but because of the need to fill in the gaps with something, when in the first years of the war the army "lost weight" several times.
Now she can maneuver, and we hold recaptured positions. For example, we spent the whole week sitting in the house, which, as if like a wedge, went into the positions of the militants.
I don’t know what organization they were in, maybe ISIS, or maybe some other. And it doesn't matter, because they are constantly migrating from one organization to another.
- It turns out that you were on the front line on the very first day? Did the commander test your abilities at all?
Yes, a funny story turned out ... In the past, I went through military training in Syria, where I became a sniper. But while we were moving into position, it turned out that I wasn't very good at shooting - I couldn't hit a can that was on a barrel about a hundred meters away from me.
As a result, I was made an ordinary shooter, and, well, a private, since there are no ranks in the detachment, and you are either a commander or a private.
And so - yes, from the first day I ended up in battle, well, or from the first night, since during the day the heat is over 40 degrees and it’s hard to do anything.
Until it got dark, our main task was to keep the enemy awake so that he would not frolic too much at night.
The main fights begin around 6-7 pm, when the heat begins to subside. True, as our commander told me, even the heaviest fighting in our position is nothing compared to what is happening in northern Syria, where the Islamists have heavy artillery, tanks and suicide trucks.
If 6 people died in our country in a week, and then because of our own mistake, then about 300 people could die there overnight.
- And how did these 6 people die?
On the second day of my stay, they went to help the neighboring detachment, which was seizing the house with the Islamists. They entered the building, from which the militants had already fled.
According to all the instructions, sappers were supposed to enter there first, because the Islamists always mine buildings before leaving them ... They forgot, made a mistake and exploded.
- Did you know where your enemies were from?
On the night of the third day, we captured one militant, he turned out to be a Syrian from Aleppo, who admitted that he was a member of ISIS. In the neighboring quarter, he killed one Armenian family - a woman and her four-year-old daughter, cut off their heads. He climbed into their apartment when he was escaping from the militias
Then he, apparently, tried to escape to the Duma, but, since he was not a local, he simply got lost and came out on us. If someone is worried about his fate, then it's not worth it. He is alive, we handed him over to the military police.
- And how did you understand that he was from Aleppo?
By accent. Arabic is something like the Latin of the Middle East. Everyone understands it, but they speak their local dialects.
And when a person speaks purely Arabic, he is either very educated, or a native speaker of some local dialect, or not a Syrian or an Arab at all, but knows the language from the Koran. So I identified among the militants people from the CIS and the North Caucasus ... There are quite a lot of them there, and they are the most frostbitten.
- Do they go on the attack in full growth?
That's right... The next night after the capture of the prisoner, the Islamists tried to seize our house. And these immigrants from the CIS, yelling “Allah Akbar” and something about the valor of Islamic soldiers, went to their full height towards our automatic bursts.
Maybe they were on drugs or drunk, but in general, neither one nor the other is welcomed in the caliphate, up to the death penalty. In total, 30-40 people attacked us that day, of which we killed about a dozen.
- Was it scary?
Most of all, it was scary upon arrival, or rather, you don’t even feel fear, but some kind of devastated excitement. All senses are blocked and you sit as if in prostration. But when they start shooting, there is no time to be afraid.
True, from time to time people appear who, only in position, understand that they cannot fight at all. During the battle, they go into a complete stupor, they can’t do anything, they don’t hear anyone ... They are immediately sent to the rear to help, for example, in the infirmary. There is nothing like that, the main thing is that you had the fortitude to come at all.
What did you do to keep your composure?
I tried to silently comment on my actions aloud, it helped to concentrate. For example, I say to myself: “The enemy is running at me. You need to check the fuse, aim and shoot. That's it, the battle is over, you need to report."
This helped a lot, and after the fight, the retreat began - he smoked a lot and his hands were shaking.
And on the very first night, when I first arrived, I actually started to panic, because the militants fired at our house with RPGs, and a piece of the wall hit me in the shoulder. I started screaming that they had wounded me, the whole detachment raised their ears ... And then I learned the Arabic version of the Russian saying "lies like Trotsky." But I still have a bruise.
- In general, there were moments when not only you were sitting on pins and needles?
It was like that for a whole day and a half. On the fifth day, I learned what a tunnel war is. It turns out that while we were defending our house, the Islamists at that time were digging an underground passage under our noses.
I don’t know how long this went on - maybe a month or more - but the fact is that one “beautiful” day we found that the Islamists crawled out behind us and seized a four-story house, the highest in the area, as everyone else two or three floors.
Of course, a sniper and machine gunners sat down there, and we all ended up in a small cauldron. If desired, it was possible to run 200 meters under a hail of bullets to get out, but no one wanted to.
Instead, we contacted the army headquarters, and they said that they would resolve the issue. They decided for a day and a half, then they drove an infantry fighting vehicle, an assault group and two more detachments of militia to the captured building.
First, the building was pierced through with a heavy machine gun for two hours, then we went on the attack from all sides.
As a result, our commander's finger was shot off, and we killed 8 Islamists. In general, there were more of them in the building, but those that were smarter managed to go back into the tunnel. Actually, on this all my military exploits ended, since it was time to return home ...
- They pulled you out just in time. Did you manage to talk with the locals, what do they think about the war?
Everyone is very tired of her, but they support Assad because they understand that if the Islamists win, then they will have a hard time.
ISIS does not take prisoners, if they surrounded you, then think not about how to surrender, but how to take as many militants with you to the next world.
Even the secular opposition began to use the amnesty to escape the Islamists. Only the poorest segments of the population remained on the side of the Islamists.
At the same time, the majority of refugees, despite the latest news, remain in Syria. The government tries not to create tent camps and settles them in administrative buildings.
The richest go to Iran and Lebanon to continue their business from there, while those who are poorer aspire to the European Union.
Despite the huge debts and the complete collapse of the economy, Syria allocates a lot of money for the social sector. Children's centers, schools, hospitals and so on are being built. Salaries are paid even to those officials who remained to work in ISIS.
The Wahhabis are building their own state, but due to the lack of their own personnel, they are forced to rely on Syrian officials in the occupied cities. Some officials are so well settled that they receive money from both Damascus and Raqqa. In general, Assad is doing everything to prove that Syria, unlike the terrorists, cares about its citizens.
- You are talking about ISIS, but there are many different groups there, for the locals there is no difference?
And what difference can there be, who will cut your head?
They are distinguished only by the military, because it is important for them to know with whom they conclude tactical truces, and scientists, because all sorts of research is being carried out ...
Well, there is also the Free Syrian Army, but it owns a maximum of 10% of all rebel forces. Local residents do not want to talk about anything with them either. All their requirements are gradually fulfilled.
To counter the Islamists, Assad must establish a dialogue with the people. They demand Assad's resignation, and why, if everyone knows that now he will win any fair elections?
- Is there a difference for the locals whether an Islamist is visiting or not?
Here there is. Guest performers spit on local orders. It comes to the point that even the Bedouin tribes near Raqqa, who first called ISIS, are now fleeing to Assad, because they cannot live under the new order.
But the wave of refugees begins when the Islamists attack new settlements. The militias I've talked to think they're on a mission to cleanse the world of a big pile of shit that's gone there. They only regret that it came to us, and not to Saudi Arabia, Turkey or the United States, which finance them.
- What is the general attitude towards the Saudis?
Even before the war, none of the Gulf countries liked them because of their obscurantism ... In Latakia, for example, there is one cafe, on the sign of which it says "Saudi and dogs are not served."
Saudi Arabia is disliked for its savagery, backwardness, and barbarity, as well as its cultureless hubris due to its vast oil reserves. In turn, the Syrians consider themselves the heirs of ancient civilizations.
- And what do they think about Russia?
Assad's supporters have been very good to Russia since the times of the USSR, and now even more so. But if the ISIS find out that you are a Slav or your wife is a Slav, then they will definitely kill you, because after the Chechen war, Russia is considered one of the main enemies of the Islamists.
- I see ... Was it hard to say goodbye to the detachment?
It was embarrassing. I have somewhere to go, but they don't. Already made friends with all of them. I want to go again next year. When I went there, I thought that the enemy would be like an immortal horde. It turned out that they exaggerate the capabilities of the Islamists. They die like everyone else.
- Do you think the war will not stop by then?
Of course not. To do this, the state needs to take control of the Turkish border approximately to the Primorsky region and the Jordanian border in the area of the Golan Heights ... Then the influx of Islamists will be stopped, and we will quickly deal with the remaining militants.
All Syrians know that Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States are helping the Islamists with weapons and money, buying oil from them.
Allegedly, they only help the secular opposition, but they still understand perfectly well that they are actually throwing weapons at the common fund. From the Free Army, weapons are distributed among everyone.
At the same time, Syria can only lose if a no-fly zone is established, Turkey openly supports the militants, and the anti-ISIS coalition openly opposes Syria.
- Did you feel the changes when you returned to Russia?
I don't understand how you live so peacefully here. Dreams are dreaming, as I was there, it turns out to sleep only when you are completely exhausted. Lovers of firecrackers hated. Well, I always look under my feet so as not to run into a mine.
But all the same, I could not help but make even a small contribution to the fight against ISIS. My brother says that every day in the north it's like Saving Private Ryan is being filmed. Huge losses on both sides, no one feels pity for each other, prisoners are not always taken, even each other's ears are cut into souvenirs ...
- Would you like to convey something to your colleagues and militants?
For militias and soldiers: all adequate, normal people are with you guys. And for the militants... probably, it will not work out well if the interview ends with the words "you will all be killed"? You have to be a complete idiot to go fight for the Caliphate...
I'd rather tell a joke. The soldiers caught the Islamist. He asks to be shot at 13.00. He is asked why at this particular time? He replies that then he will have time for lunch with the Prophet Muhammad and the martyrs. Report to the officer.
The officer says: shoot him at 14.15. They ask: why? And he replies that then he will have time to wash the dishes for everyone.
P.S.Michel refused to be photographed - he said that the ISIS would not be identified.
Artur Avakov
Beirut. A series of mysterious attacks on Russia's main military base in Syria, including one carried out by a swarm of miniature weapons-laden drones, have demonstrated Russia's vulnerability in that country, contrary to recent claims of victory by President Vladimir Putin.
The attacks have also raised many questions about who is responsible for this most serious military challenge to Russia in Syria at a time when Moscow is seeking to reduce its presence in the country.
In the latest and most unusual attack, more than a dozen armed drones flew from an unknown location to the large Russian air base Khmeimim in the northwestern province of Latakia, which has become the command center of Russia's military operation in Syria, as well as to the naval base in Tartus.
Russia said it shot down seven of the 13 drones and landed the remaining six safely on the ground using electronic countermeasures. According to her, the base did not suffer serious damage.
However, less than a week before this attack, the air base was hit with mortars, killing two Russian servicemen. It seems that the shelling still caused some damage to Russian military equipment.
The Russian Ministry of Defense refuted the Kommersant newspaper's report that seven combat aircraft, including two of the most advanced Su-35 fighters and four Su-24 attack aircraft, were disabled as a result of the mortar attack. If this information is true, then these are the largest losses in the Russian Air Force in several decades. A Russian journalist posted photos online showing that at least a few planes were damaged.
Combined, the drone attack and mortar attack constitute a well-coordinated attack on the Russian headquarters in Syria, the most serious since the start of the military intervention in September 2015. In the course of this operation, the Russians have generally succeeded in strengthening the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who seeks to crush a seven-year-old uprising against his rule. The Russian media also reported two minor drone attacks on Russian positions in Homs and Latakia, as well as another shelling of the Khmeimim base. All this happened in the past two weeks.
Context
A blow to the prestige of Russia
Baladi news 08.01.2018In Syria, all parties are dancing to the tune of Russia
Foreign Policy 09.01.2018The Khmeimim base, which is the combat center of the Russian military operation in Syria, is located deep in the territory held by the Syrian government forces. Until now, she seemed to be immune to attacks. Maxim Suchkov of the Russian International Affairs Council, who also writes for Al Monitor, says this.
“They thought the base was secure, but now it seems vulnerable,” he said. According to Suchkov, many questions are being asked in Moscow today, the main ones being whether the Russian military has sufficiently secured its base, and whether they have overlooked the acquisition of new military equipment by the enemy.
The attacks also raise questions about the durability of Russian successes and achievements in Syria, says Jennifer Cafarella of the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War. In December, Putin visited the Khmeimim base and said that Russia would begin to reduce its military presence in Syria because the war there had essentially come to an end.
The events of recent days have shown that "the forces that carried out these attacks are still capable of infiltrating territory controlled by government forces and inflicting damage on the Russians," she said. “The victories that the regime has won are not durable enough, and there is a great danger that they may turn out to be temporary.”
Perhaps the most important question is who is responsible for these attacks. The peculiarity of the attacks is that no one claims their authorship, which is why the Russian and Syrian media have a lot of assumptions and guesses about who could carry them out.
On Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense made an attempt to accuse the United States of supplying equipment for conducting drone attacks. It stated that such an attack would require significant expertise and technology that the Syrian armed groups do not possess. Adding to the suspicion, the ministry issued a statement on its Facebook page that an American Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft was flying high in the sky over the area during the drone attack.
Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon called the claim "completely false." "Islamic State" banned in Russia - approx. transl.) often uses weaponized drones against the US-led coalition in eastern Syria and Iraq without doing "significant damage," he said, adding that small drones are ubiquitous for sale.
However, the nearest Islamic State positions are hundreds of kilometers from the western province of Latakia, where the Khmeimim base is located, and because of this, ISIS could hardly organize these attacks.
Moreover, the bulk of the drones used by ISIS against American allies have a range of no more than one to two kilometers, as evidenced by the analytical calculations of the military consulting company IHS Markit (IHS Markit). The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the drones used in the attack on Khmeimim flew between 50 and 100 kilometers, indicating that they are much more powerful and more advanced than Islamist technology. In this regard, the circle of suspects is expanding significantly, analysts at IHS Markit say.
According to Suchkov, it is most likely that one of the many opposition groups operating in Syria could carry out the attacks. But as far as is known, none of the insurgent groups operate within the range of mortar fire to the base. In addition, they all invariably take responsibility for the operations performed. “If it were the opposition, it would have posted everything online long ago and started bragging about it,” Suchkov said.
Among the many theories that have become widespread, there is one more. According to her, Alawites from the religious community of Assad are responsible for the attack. The Khmeimim base is located in a territory inhabited predominantly by Alawites. And recently, a statement appeared on the net, made on behalf of a mysterious group called the Free Alawite Movement. The movement warned Syrian-backed Alawites that the attacks proved that Assad's power was weak. However, the statement does not clearly indicate who carried out the attacks. Some members of the Alawite opposition believe that the movement does not really exist, and suggest that foreign intelligence agencies are trying to create the impression of internecine struggle in the ranks of the regime's supporters.
There are also allegations in Syrian opposition media that the attack could have been carried out by pro-regime, Iranian-backed militias stationed in positions in regime-controlled territory in the mountains near the airbase. According to this theory, Iran wants to thwart Russian efforts for a peaceful settlement in Syria, as this is contrary to its interests.
“There are a great many theories,” Suchkov said. “But at the moment it remains a mystery.”
Contributed by Susan Haidamous, Louisa Loveluck, Heba Habib, and Zakaria Zakaria.
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On the eve of the March holiday, news agencies spread the tragic news that a Russian contract sergeant died in Syria. It became our twenty-eighth "cargo 200" in this country. And before that, the deputy commander of the Western Military District for combat training was blown up on a mined land mine. The general's legs were torn off and his eyes were gouged out by a piece of shrapnel. Today, the best doctors of the Burdenko Central Clinical Military Hospital are fighting for his life. Even earlier, a car with Russian advisers, who was moving in a convoy of Syrian government troops, was blown up by a mine. Four died. Two are in critical condition and also in a hospital bed. Is Syria worth the sacrifice?
cynical bookkeeping
But before answering this question, some statistics. During the ten years of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, from 1979 to 1989, the war in this country claimed the lives of a little less than fifteen thousand Soviet soldiers. One and a half thousand deaths annually. The United States, NATO and their coalition partners have lost more than 3,485 people in this country over the thirteen years (from 2001 to 2014). The United States had the largest - 2356, Great Britain - 453, France - 88. On average, the coalition lost 261 fighters per year. We have been in Syria for a year and a half - 28.
Someone will say that this is cynical bookkeeping and doing such calculations is inhumane. And he will be right in his own way. Every life lost in war is a tragedy. Each deceased had and has a father, mother, brothers and sisters, wife and children, and for them his death is a terrible grief and enduring pain. There is nothing to argue about. But allow me a banal maxim - in a war there are no losses without losses.
Every human death in battle or on the road, from a mine, shell or bullet, even from a tank or self-propelled gun that accidentally rolled on a soldier, is an unacceptable suffering for his family and friends. In Syria or not in Syria, somewhere in Iraq, or even in a rather peaceful tactical exercise near Luga. It's like that. Although the losses are somewhere outside the native country, in a foreign war - they are more painful and bitter.
A simple and natural question arises: why do we need this Syria? Don't we have tasks for our army at home? Let's think about this together.
On the distant approaches
Does any of the readers know what such a military term as “foreground” means? I think for officers, current and former, he is no mystery. For those who did not serve in the army, I will decipher it as "the front line of defense or, in other words, the fortified front line in front of the main line of defense or a fortified area, a separate element of modern defense."
Tricky? May be. Let me explain with specific examples. During the Soviet Union, troops in East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary were the foreground for our country. This is how we defended ourselves from NATO, created a front line of defense ahead of the main one - the border of the USSR, so that in case something happened, with the start of hostilities on those lines, we could pull up and deploy reserves and inflict unacceptable damage on the attackers.
The same countries of Eastern Europe, as well as the former Soviet republics - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, have become such a base for the United States today. That is why they are deploying their advanced units there, on the borders of Russia, so that in which case we, in response to their offensive, get stuck in defensive battles, and at that time they transferred their main additional forces across the ocean.
Syria is becoming such a base for us today. The author did not make a reservation. Together with the solution of the problem (at the request of its government) of assisting this Arab Republic in maintaining its constitutional order and legitimately elected president, as well as in the fight against international terrorist groups, such as ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, banned in our country, as it were it was not named today, we are creating a base there for our own struggle against terrorist lawlessness.
A few years ago, these bandits tormented our North Caucasus, blew up houses in Moscow, Volgograd, and other cities of Russia. Having paid a monstrous price with human lives, we managed to cope with that infection on the southern borders of the state. Today it is important to prevent her return to her native land. As Vladimir Putin says, it is better to destroy terrorists on distant frontiers than on your own territory. Russian pilots, sailors, special forces, adviser officers in the Syrian army are doing this in the vicinity of Damascus, Aleppo, Hama and Homs, near Palmyra ...
Visible Totals
According to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, during the year and a half of our stay in Syria, with the support of Russian pilots and sailors, the pro-government forces of the Syrian Republic defeated large groups of militants in the areas of the cities of Hama and Homs, completely drove out militants from Latakia and from the territories south and north of Damascus, unblocked the main transport route linking the Syrian capital with the north of the country. The cities of Aleppo and El Qaryatein, which are of key importance, have been liberated.
In total, according to the minister, 12 thousand square meters were freed from militants. km of Syrian territory and almost 500 settlements. Our military pilots made 18,800 sorties and carried out 71,000 air strikes. Such strikes managed to eliminate 35 thousand militants (of which 3.5 thousand came from the CIS countries, author), including 204 field commanders, as well as 1.5 thousand units of military equipment, hundreds of training camps and workshops for the production of ammunition . 9 thousand militants laid down their arms.
The chain of "color revolutions" being replicated in the Middle East and Africa has been interrupted. The process of political settlement and reconciliation of the warring parties has been launched,” he stressed. And the specialists of the International Mine Action Center of the Ministry of Defense cleared and neutralized more than 25 thousand explosive objects on the territory of 1.5 thousand hectares. In liberated Aleppo alone, 66,000 tons of explosives were found and defused.
From here we will threaten ...
And there is one more thing to be said. Which, for obvious reasons, is not mentioned publicly by the leaders of our state. The fact that the 6th American fleet is based in the Mediterranean Sea. The ships of this association, which are deployed at Italian bases near Naples and Sicily, in the Spanish Rota, independently or as part of NATO groupings, often enter the Black Sea, ply along our maritime borders. Armed with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, they threaten our strategic deterrent located in the Tver, Ivanovo, Saratov and Kaluga regions.
And although Russia has all the necessary combat forces and means in Crimea to neutralize and stop such threats, if necessary, and this includes fighter and attack aircraft, S-400 and Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile systems, Bal anti-ship systems and “Bastion”, something else, it is best to stop a potential aggressor in the forefield - on the distant approaches to our shores. Even before it enters the Black Sea Straits from the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus. The Russian bases in Tartus and Khmeimim, as well as the grouping of our Mediterranean squadron and aviation of the Aerospace Forces, will be very useful for this.
We do not advertise such opportunities. But experts are clear and understandable. Likely enemy too. And he will want - he will not want, but he will reckon with this fact.
I repeat, the loss of 28 Russian military personnel during the year and a half of our stay in Syria at a combat post is a tragic and painful fact. For all of us and especially for their families and friends. But no matter what we say about this, this is the highest price for today's and tomorrow's security of our native country. And she has no alternative.
Comments (138 )
Constantine Pl 10 March 2017, 07:20
All this talk about military losses makes no sense at all, if we remember that every year in our country 20 thousand people die stupidly on the roads in traffic accidents. And there are more and more people with disabilities.
Warriors die for a cause. In addition, they are paid this ha - this is the time. They have such a specific work - these are two. Went to the army, be prepared for the fact that you will die. Cynical, but what to do?
ReplyBupyc 10 March 2017, 08:39
We need a referendum, or at least a poll: what is the best way to spend money -
Reply
for business trips to soldiers or repair of roads that collapsed in the spring
sometimes for the bombing of sheds or for subsidies from the already collapsed housing and communal services
per tons of spent fuel oil for a warship or tax reduction
etc.Ivan Ivanov 10 March 2017, 11:27
If Assad is not helped, then tomorrow the United States, the Saudis and Qatar will build a gas pipeline and an oil pipeline directly to Europe through Syria. It's close and cheap. Gazprom will become uncompetitively able to pump fuel across half the planet. Russia will fly into an empty pipe. And the military bases in Syria cut off by Turkey, a NATO ally, are not serious. they won't last long without supplies. So not an argument.
ReplyDmitry Elisov March 10, 2017, 23:14
We are becoming a paranoid North Korea. It is necessary to solve affairs within the country, and not accumulate weapons. Speaking of weapons, every time I recall the thesis of the 60s of the last century about China. "The dragon watches the fight between the bear and the tiger and smiles." It is necessary to learn from China and solve internal problems, my paranoid patriots, do not shake weapons. We are no longer the USSR, accept it already.
ReplyFelix Streicher March 11, 2017, 09:08
And if there is a world war, then we will also run out of money in two years? I do not think that this war will last 4 years, since the world is going to give up nuclear weapons.
ReplyVladimir Bykov 11 March 2017, 13:47
I understand that the bandits must be destroyed, but I don’t understand why I live so badly and every day is getting worse and worse in every way. I have another question: if only radishes, potatoes and other agricultural products were grown in Syria, Libya, Iraq, would there be a mess around these countries?
ReplyAlex Bo 11 March 2017, 18:12
Only the lack of control over the spending of federal budget funds for military needs makes us play military companies in the state. Everything related to military secrets is closed to the public. That's where you can send unrealistically huge amounts (comparable to the holding of the Olympic Games, etc.) and not be afraid of reporting for this money. To stop the advancement of Islamic extremism on the territory of not even a neighboring state is a chimera. Only the creation of a secular state with a generally employed population and a normally formed ideology will make it possible to get away from attempts to form extremism and banditry. Let the author list our allies and supposed adversaries before thinking of the “foreground”. We have surrounded ourselves with enemies from all sides and it is necessary to look for a way out of the problematic situation with the help of the diplomatic corps, and not by unleashing wars in such a difficult time for the economy
ReplyNikolay Rotmistrov March 13, 2017, 16:29
A very dubious article. Firstly, 28 people, these are only official losses. Taking into account the fact that the losses are classified, in reality there may well be several hundred cargoes of 200. Secondly, it is certainly good to destroy terrorists in the foreground, but it is much better to destroy the delivery conveyor of these same terrorists. It is impossible to endlessly squeeze terrorists out of the country, it is necessary to develop the economy, create jobs within the country. After all, poverty is the main base for criminal elements. True, of course, for this you will have to push your cronies, the oligarchs. Thirdly, we bombed mainly opposition fighters, since, apart from Palmyra, there are no ISIS in the above mentioned provinces.
ReplyOleg Astafiev March 14, 2017, 09:54
As long as there is money, there will be those who want to risk their lives, because nothing can happen to us, or maybe Russian. Then they will sing about heroism and patriotism, hang a medal on the coffin, and the children will be left without a breadwinner and their beggarly compensation will not allow them to grow up and finish teaching the child, because it is one-time. It would be good if they had their own land, otherwise the interests of the Rotenbergs and Medvedevs with Putins. The power, strength and image of the country is one thing, but when pensioners are starving, what is their choice.
ReplyIsa Ramazanov 16 June 2017, 07:42
Mister Colonel! You certainly know what demagogy is. And, most likely, you understand that your article is pure demagoguery, leasing in our opinion. And the sophisms of your speech are as follows. Everything you say becomes true under certain conditions. In order to defend ourselves in the geopolitical struggle to protect our interests, we must have these same interests and the ability to protect them. We have neither one nor the other. And we have irresponsible geopolitical games of the "elite". The West and the USA have assumed the role of the world's gendarme. Not from a good life. Their wealthy citizens demand peace and comfort, which must be protected even on distant approaches. What are we protecting? Our stupid and miserable life? Our injustice? Are you sure that if we hypothetically allow the occupation of the country by the West, then life in the country will become worse? There is a suggestion - let's shut up, stick our tongue wherever we go, let's take care of our own state. And in 150 years, you see, we will reach geopolitics.
Reply
The official version of Russia's entry into the Middle East military conflict sounds like a response to the request of the Syrian leadership and personally President Bashar al-Assad for military assistance. But is it really so? And since when did the powers that be begin to provide gratuitous assistance in the hostilities of one of the parties? Probably, there is some interest in this, which they prefer not to talk about.
Let's try to understand the tangled tangle of complex Middle Eastern relations that have resulted in a bloody massacre. It would be naive to believe that the hell this region has been plunged into is caused only by religious differences among Muslims. Following the logic and the pressure with which the United States is acting in the Middle East, it can be assumed that very serious geopolitical interests are affected here.
It is absolutely clear that the plan to destroy Russia is still put at the forefront of any foreign policy decisions and actions of the United States. For several years now, the United States has been trying to clear the way for a gas pipeline that they are going to build from Qatar to Europe. Of course, the gas pipeline will be built by American companies. But this is far from the meaning of the idea. The goal is to put Europe on the supply of its gas and cut off Russia from it as an exporter of blue fuel, thereby depriving it of one of the main sources of income and continuing to fulfill the Dulles-Brzezinski plan to destroy our state.
Having reached an agreement with the Sheikh of Qatar on the agreement to sell gas through companies controlled by the United States, the only thing left to do is clear the territory for the construction of the pipeline. This is exactly what the Americans have been doing in the Middle East in recent years, having unleashed a bloody massacre here, under the slogans of overthrowing totalitarian regimes. All those who dared to oppose themselves to the United States of America were subject to destruction (think about it: America! Where is America, and where is the Middle East). The first to fall in this unequal battle was the head of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Now no one remembers that American troops invaded and took over Iraq under the guise of saving the world from chemical weapons that were allegedly produced in Iraq. True, no chemical weapons were ever found, there were not even traces of its possible development. But this did not prevent the quick execution of the legitimate head of Iraq, putting another puppet government at the helm, destabilizing the political situation by supporting religious military formations and igniting another hotbed of war. They acted in the same way in Libya, removing from their path another leader - Muammar Gaddafi.
With Iran, it is more difficult, the state is stronger, and its leadership cannot be presented to the world in an odious light. So far, they are trying to deprive Iran of the opportunity to influence the events taking place around it, and are forced to follow in line with its decisions, using economic and political pressure.
Syria remains. The Assad family has long been at the throat of the American administration. Mainly because of their commitment to friendly relations with the Soviet Union in the past, and with Russia in the present. And after giant deposits of natural gas were discovered in Qatar, the fate of Syria was sealed. 
“The East is a delicate matter,” and it is very easy to ignite religious wars here, which is what the CIA specialists did, rolling up their sleeves. Detachments of the so-called moderate opposition were created, armed and trained, which was supposed to overthrow the Assad regime in Syria and give the Americans carte blanche to build a gas pipeline. But it is the Americans who think that they are using Muslims for their dirty purposes, and Muslims, like the Bolsheviks in their time, take money and everything they give from everyone, and use it only for themselves. Just as Lenin called for the fire of revolution to be kindled from a spark, so the current leaders of the Islamic movement yearn to kindle a purifying religious flame. 
It is a pity that the lessons of history have not taught the Americans anything. After all, Al-Qaeda, created by them as a counterbalance to the Soviet troops in Afghanistan, was able to transfer the theater of operations to the United States by arranging massive bloody terrorist attacks. Now ISIS, formed from those very moderate opposition groups, threatens the whole world. But, apparently, the Stalinist slogan "they cut down the forest - the chips fly" is now adopted by the "universal defenders of democracy." One can recall another controversial statement by which the American intelligence services justify all their actions: "the end justifies the means." That is why the fanatics of "true democracy" do not consider how many tens and hundreds of thousands, or even millions of human lives will be laid on the altar of "American democracy". Yes, not a single totalitarian regime overthrown by the States destroyed even a tenth of that number of victims - killed, maimed, destitute, deprived of shelter and homeland people doomed to "salvation from dictatorship."
So, Russia has finally decided to protect its interests, and it is very likely that this decision will protect not only us, but also millions of ordinary people - residents of the Middle East, from the American "business democracy", will give them a chance for a peaceful sky over their heads, a chance for a normal, human life. 
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