A prediction on the Syrian cease-fire

[Atreus21]

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/439938/syria-ceasfire-serves-putin-assad

On the outside, the cease-fire offers hope. It represents Putin’s purported belief that civilian suffering in Aleppo is now intolerable. And the Russian president promises that a week from now, assuming the ceasefire is holding, Russia will coordinate with the U.S. to destroy ISIS and Al Qaeda. As I say, the ceasefire deal looks great. But as classical literature and President Obama’s red lines have taught us, looks can be deceiving. And in this case, they are.

...

Expect more evidence of the ceasefire as a Trojan Horse in the coming days. Yesterday, the U.S. warned rebel allies of “dire consequences” should they continue battlefield cooperation with Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (the rebranded Al-Nusra front, Al-Qaeda syndicate). Moderate rebels sometimes operate in proximity to that group in alliances of convenience. That they do so reflects the mutual hatred of different groups, Salafist-extremists and Islamist-nationalists alike, of Bashar al-Assad — the true source of the conflict. Yet the U.S. warning means the moderate rebels now face a Catch 22. They can abandon operations in proximity to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and sacrifice gains against Assad. Or they can continue fighting in proximity and expect unrestrained Russian air strikes absent U.S. protection. This is Putin’s key: after President Obama and the E.U. react positively to the pretense of peace, the Russians will use massive air power against moderate rebel groups. They’ll do so claiming that they were targeting Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, but that will only be the pretense. This will be a very one-sided ceasefire. By the time that truth becomes clear, it will already be too late. The moderate rebels will have been degraded, and Russia will have scored another hammer blow against U.S. credibility in the Middle East. Remember: degrading our credibility is a focal point of Putin’s overarching strategy to displace American influence around the world.

I tend to agree. Putin's no more interested in peace than he was in Crimea.

We'll see if the prediction comes true.

You can read the whole article via the link at the top.

 

[bshole]

The moderate rebels will have been degraded,

ROFLMFAO! 20 years of being fed the "moderate rebels" line and there are STILL people who will eat it up like fine Russian caviar.

Let Russia have this tar baby. Please please please let Russia have it.

 

[Jaskalas]

Anyone know of a Presidential candidate who said let Russia have it?
And another whose willing to send US to war to continue Bush's regime change policy?

Let Russia have it, and bomb the rebels to dust.

 

[bshole]

Anyone know of a Presidential candidate who said let Russia have it?
And another whose willing to send US to war to continue Bush's regime change policy?

Let Russia have it, and bomb the rebels to dust.

We know that will not happen. We will intervene. Waste billions of dollars, thousands of civilian lives, possibly American lives and generate countless more jihadis. When ISIS is destroyed, we will act completely SHOCKED and utterly flabbergasted when the nasty groups left over begin a new civil war. How could we have seen that as a possibility? It was just too improbable.

We have leaders who don't even bother talking about long term objectives any more. They don't have to. The American people don't give a shit.