A new report from British think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) is warning that Russia’s involvement in the Syrian civil war could “help ISIS” in the long run, ironically using the same arguments used against the US when it first started bombing Syria.
Russia’s current operations in Syria are centered around the Latakia coast, and while they have made it clear they intend to help Syria fight against ISIS and other extremist groups, the group closest to Latakia is not ISIS, but rather al-Qaeda. That means, according to RUSI, Russia is liable to harm al-Qaeda, which is now a “bad thing.”
When the US launched its war in Syria late last year, they went after al-Qaeda with some of their airstrikes, which sparked condemnation for rebel factions who argued that al-Qaeda is part of the side the US is supposed to be helping. The US seems to be increasingly on board with that, with former Gen. David Petraeus openly endorsing al-Qaeda as the US ally of choice. Turkey has already been backing al-Qaeda against Syria for some time.
Indeed, it seems that much of the aversion to Russia’s plan to fight ISIS by getting Syria’s government and secular rebels together really centers on keeping the Islamist rebel factions, suddenly anointed as the good guys, on the outside looking in.
Al Qaeda has been America’s ally in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Libya, and Syria, and its de facto ally in Yemen. So why would anyone be surprised about this?
I wonder how all those "Patriots" who remember 9/11 really feel about this stupendous turn of events. I'm willing to bet that if asked in December 2001 if they could conceive the US backing al-Qaeda in the future not a single one would have said "sure, makes sense to me!!"
Friggin' Bizarro World.
I don't think Putin's wading in to Syria, as LBJ waded into Vietnam 50 years ago, will hurt anyone but Putin. I note with amusement that Putin is now defending only "the Latakia coast". In other words, the naval base. That suggests that Putin is preparing to fight whatever Syrian government succeeds Assad if it tries to kick him out of the base. Clearly, he has as little respect for Syrian sovereignty as he has for Ukrainian sovereignty!
Michael, I suggest you stop talking and listen to better informed people.
China will be having a larger military than the US in future, the way they are growing. I worry bad things may happen to the US like regime change. Just kidding China is no gunslinger. But seriously that future is not too far off.
This is yet another BS talk from David Cameron political understanding in Syria, he simply providing the political cover for Qatari regime whom are in bed and been in bed with David Cameron since Syrian war started, Qatari regimes are the main supporter of Al-Queda and its affiliated terrorists groups in Syria, the other is Taliban in Afghanistan which are supported by Saudis and Qatari regimes, these people were under Quatarl- Saudis payroll when they killed the leader of mojahedin Massoud Shah in Afghanistan. Saudis and Qatari regimes seeing him as the only obstacle to establish yet another of their supported barbarism religious expenditure in the region.