US military is very skeptical about the possibility of cooperation with Russia on Syria.
Photo: russia-direct.org
Commander of the US operation in Iraq and Syria, Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, said that he is very skeptical about the possibility of cooperation with Russia, and his opinion is shared by many US military, the Voice of America broadcasting service reported.
They do not like the fact that Russia supports the government of Bashar al-Assad in the fight against pro-American ‘moderate’ opposition, as well as the fact that the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) has gotten a new stage field on the Hamadan airbase in Iran.
“As a soldier, I am pretty skeptical about Russians,” Townsend said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press news agency. “I do not know how far I am inclined to believe that we can cooperate with them.”
The Townsend’s statement reflects reluctance of many US military to work closely with Moscow in Syria. The main reason of this is the fact that Russia is on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, who fights against the US-backed rebels.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, spokesman for the White House, Josh Earnest, noted that Russia’s support for the Syrian regime, which is carrying out indiscriminate bombing, ‘only aggravates’ the situation.
“We find it hard to believe that Russia has a clear strategy for dealing with extremists – at the moment the most part of its strategy relies on support of those activities that fuel the extremism,” Earnest said.
On Monday, Secretary of State John Kerry said that he hopes for a speedy completion of the US-Russian talks on Syria. He noted that a week remained for discussion of the details, after which he can again meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that Russian military continue to use the Hamadan Iranian airbase. “The flights are not suspended. Iran continues to cooperate with Russia in the fight against terrorism,” Ali Larijani said.
At the same time, he noted that base is not provided to Russia permanently. Earlier, media reported that Russians allegedly wanted to use the airbase not only as ‘a stage field’, but also as a full-fledged military facility with deployment there of the respective arsenals, but this did not suit the Iranian side.
Earlier, the US called on Russia and Syria not carry out military operations in districts of Syria, where there are coalition forces. According to American political analyst Scott Bennet, the US threat to shoot down Russian and Syrian warplanes is a declaration of war against these countries.
“Essentially, what that says is ‘it’s war already, and now the Syrians and the Russians have a choice. The choice is always quite simple: the Syrian government’s obligation is to protect its people, and protect its land from invaders,” he said.
“And in this act, the United States is invading Syria. It is fostering a war; it’s paying for the mercenaries; it is using Saudi Arabian Wahhabists to invade Syria; and create chaos as well some of the Kurdish elements,” the analyst noted.
WTF is Putin doing? He is a lousy leader. He has shown great weakness and now Russian military may die by hands of US. And like ones by hands of Turkey, Putin won’t do anything. He is a coward. Putin must go. He needs to let someone else, with determination to protect his nation and friendly states.
Will Putin protect Russia itself? I don’t think so. After Ukraine pulled recently, it was time for Russia to strike back. It didn’t. Putin is letting his people die by foreigners.
Yea, hundreds of nukes say otherwise, keep drinking the koolaid mofo… Oh, and doo the world a favor and off yourself please, thanks…
20 million soviets died in WW2, 70% of them were Russian. to say by not getting into war (or more war) is killing Russians is incredible ignorant.
That was different. That was against Nationalist, who are highly motivated. Multi-racial societies are always globalist and are always cracked and weak on the inside. To much state welfare to hold together something that has no natural cohesion. The moment NATO is at war, solders will desert, and gangs will take over the cities. And politicians will be assassinated. Europe and America are ready to collapse from the inside. Disunity. Dysfunction. Disinformation. Dissolution.
In 1938 he took 95% af the highes rank military leaders away and killed most of them and made 10 big mistakes before Hitler came. Thats why the first 6 millions died an dmany odf not only shot a single shot.
You forget the etnic cleansing before that too in estonia, lituania and lituania and no food for Leningrad.
You also forget how much help he got be the americans. 400.000 bedfords wth fuel, 88000 jeeps, shiploads af nikkel, ´crome, vanandium, food, clothe, more than 13000 good airoplanes, 7000 bad tansk, a big railroad from Murmansk and east.
You also forget all tht were tranported by amaricans and shios from greece, poland, belgium, Denmark, Norway, Latvia, UK a.s.o.
USA(and GB&China) defeated the japanese alone. Sovjets declared Japan war in 1945 because of taking back some islands.
You have to add and subtract to get the right picture.
And who did Hitler big in the first place. YES-YES. Sovjet sold him all he needed for war(and got well paid by devellopment by tecknology). Hitler lost fast because he didt have Russsian supply more – oil/petrol, food, and could make steel products strong where they were need.
Russia didnt help any against Hitler before they were attacked themselves too. Tjekkoslovakia, Poland, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, GB, grece, Yuoslavia a.s.o.
And after that: A wall as a borderline and no fredom to ppeople in east after Hitler.
On the 30th September 1938 the Munich agreement was signed, under which Britain and France gave the Third Reich the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. “The Pact” about granting the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia to the Nazis was signed by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier, Germany’s Chancellor Adolf Hitler, and Prime Minister of Italy Benito Mussolini.
Of all participating countries of the League of Nations, only the Soviet Union in March 1938 tried to protest against the annexation of Austria, in the spring of 1939, Czechoslovakia was invaded by Nazi troops. The Soviet Union, which Czechoslovakia had a mutual assistance agreement with, was ready to intervene and requested from Poland to provide a corridor for the Soviet troops to defend Czechoslovakia from the Nazis.
Poland refused the Soviet Union the right of passage for the Soviet army, Poland even indicated they would immediately declare war on the USSR if she tried to send troops through Polish territory to aid Czechoslovakia. Instead of helping the Czechs, Poland invaded Czechoslovakia and captured the Cieszyn region. Poland divided Czechoslovakia with the Third Reich, in what was a preliminary agreement between the Polish Foreign Minister Jozef Beck and Foreign Minister of the Third Reich – Ribbentrop. The so-called “Covenant of Beck-Ribbentrop Pact”
The Soviet Union made tremendous efforts to put in place conditions for collective resistance to Nazism in Germany and made repeated attempts to create an anti-Nazi bloc in Europe. All of these attempts failed. After 1938, when the well-known agreement was concluded in Munich, conceding some regions of Czechoslovakia the writing was on the wall. This agreement made the war possible because of Germany, France, and the UK – the three signatories of the Munich agreement.
When the Soviet Union realised that it was left to face Hitler’s Germany on its own, it acted to try to avoid a direct confrontation, and this resulted in signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The Molotov-Ribbentrop accord was signed on 23 August 1939. Three days later the German army was mobilised and nine days later Hitler attacked Poland. Many historians believe the Molotov-Ribbentrop deal allowed Hitler to start war as he knew he would not have to face the Soviet Union.
All those ‘good’ came with a price, ‘darling’.. and they where paid for eventually.
typical german dumpfbacke
The Turks are going against the Kurds, the very tool US is using as ground forces in east Syria. That will balance the situation in the east, where Syria does not have to deploy resources to contain the Kurds who have turned against the Syrian government.
Kurds has not turned against the Syrian Goverment exept Hasakah. They have defended themselves against ISIS as a big helper for Assad.
And Turks has supported ISIS so also most kurds had to be refuges and many are and kurd terrotory are fuílled with thousends of refuges. 2 mio.in Turkey, 1 mio, in lebanon, 1 mio in Jordan a.s.o.
Without them he wouldnt be leader of anything in Syria at all. Afrin and Aleppo has been neutral loyal too. Should they have being supporting him active, they were all killed – for him and the Baads ????.
There is no syrian Goverment. Look at the map too. A lot of people dont want Assads regime at all. So why should they. Syria has somehow to be diveded.
The Kurds had legitimacy before they got into to bed with the US. Now they are no better than Al Nusra. This will not end well for the Kurds, i see the US is already selling them out.
Wel did they have a choise. ISIS had taken all the area. Difficult for me to se the Nusra Connection. Nusra fight SAA – Kurds dont exept form a few incidents.
My gues is, that if kurds had ben with Nusra rebels Assad was gone. Think that shoul pay a little plus.
US selling Kurds out – Lets see -. Have never liked Biden.
Jens, when you say there is no Syrian government you show a lack of recognition of the Syrian people themselves. There is not only a democratically elected government but is internationally recognized. The facts and the attempts to usurp against international law is present. There is no doubt that the history and facts are there for all to see.
Syria will not be divided. Division by chaos has been the modeus operandi that provides for transnational cabal greed and offers no hope for a nations’ peoples’ Treasure, Commons nor Inalienable Rights. It produces only money/power for criminals on the local and international level.
The reasons and actions of those supporting terror on the people of the world has been revealed for some time now and the false flags recognized for what they are in this endeavor.
American citizens were herded into “be afraid, very afraid” by 9/11 and remain imprisoned cowards in their own country controlled by the very criminal cabal they falsely profess to fight.
Rant of conspiratorial nonsensical nonsense.
Say something intelligent, yes, Syria will not be divided, US attempt to Balkanize the area will not succeed, their presence in the Middle East is waning. The state department neocons are going to be pushed aside or maybe even prosecuted when Trump is elected, bringing forth some sense of sanity to the US foreign policy.
I have reviewed your give and take and have come to the conclusion that is exactly what you spew rather than facts or insight of any thing close to truth. Awake from your stupor my friend, expand your mental capacity if possible. http://thesaker.is/interview-with-dmitry-orlov/
Dont agree. As long as all in the terrotory has not same civil rights and opponent are being bombed by artilery or gas, they are secon class citicens or lower.
To me syria is made by french and brittish need for oil from Kirkuk and many smaller countries are doing fine. A lot of countries like Syria is in that mode:
Libya, Sudan, Pakistan, A´fghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Indónesia, Canbodia, Thailand as good examples.
Russian/Ukrainian conflict is part of the same. When the should become 2, there shold be voted about being in Russia or Ukraine in the 1956 Khrustjof region. At least 2 distrct there would 100% been part of russia today.
The Kurds in the east act as the ground army for the US, since other US “ground forces” in and around Aleppo are not doing well. Even the YPG pocket around Costello Road in Aleppo started to act up against the Syrian forces in the area. My inclination is, Turkey is doing its own thing, not not necessarily to help US, maybe help the Syrians and the Russians since their offensive goals are entered around Aleppo, Idlib and east of Palmyra. Eastern Syria is not on the axis of offensive operations carried out by the Syrian army and their allies.
I do not believe Turkey trusts US or anything Biden had to offer.
The ease of how Turkey moved into Northern Syria is indicative that the Russians were aware of of it.
There has been an agrrement among USA and Russia since they came in. Russia should primarely fight “Rebels-Nusra” with Assad and USA should defeat ISIS – Isis is also in Iraq=no Russians.
The vertical borderline is Eufrat, but then there are seveal “butts”. ISIS attack Assads too and they are in active confrontation too. So Assad/Russia with Russia should go south of Eufrat + Raqqa.
But Manbij and closest around were a good thing for Assads and Russia too, because of ISIS transportproblems by that. NO MORE – Im sure its very specific.
But Turks are in it in another way and play Musceter oath which is opposit US/nato supported ISIS and giving help to “Rebel-Nusras” and – as Assad – dont want kurds in an united area by taking so much land.
So now the game could look like Türks play more like a loyal Natopartner agreed by russians taking ISIS land helping Assad east of Aleppo.
So what will Türks do. Their helpers are “Nusra-rebell”. 1) They could smask Kobane Kurds(YPG). 2) The could try to take Al Bab OR they could “Liberate” Aleppo. To me its to small just to liberate Azzas – a minimum woul be to take “the top of Assad Aleppo” and connect. Cant see they should take Afrin even clashes between them and Azzas.
Hope USA can trust Türks doing something sensible, but “Nusra-rebels” are not Erdogans infantery for only Kurds.
We will see soon.
Cant make
Calm down Putin never wanted to keep Syria whole. He just wants his port and now he has an airbase he’ll try to wait it out. The problem of moving out of Damascus and into Latakai is al-Asshat’s problem, if he won’t move he’ll die and Putin will find a replacement. Do you realoy believe that he would commit suicide by confronting the US? He has 5 billion reasons in his bank account to keep power-you can’t spend it if you “get dead”.
Tom you show a lack of knowledge on this subject/s. Do you think the nation state of Syria is Damascus? Or do you just purposely deny the country of Syria and its government legacy of protecting its Christian and other minorities where possible. Putin has shown his value of people’s lives and beliefs even when they are in opposition, he truly not just talks about self determination as a right of nations but walks the talk. This is in reflection of lip service of US policies that has given birth to the saying “Freedom is just some people talking…..”.
I would call these two (despite hypocrisy from those such as yourself) as the defenders of citizens around the world. If we had an open and free society as declared by JFK as the beacon of light for the world to follow instead of a shadow government of Orwellian double speak.
No retard Damascus is a City, an Arab one at that. al-asshat needs to pack his bags and move his Alawite Dictatorship back to the coastal mountains. There he and the Russians can have long romantic evening walks on the beach.
And that word is Tom?
“Did you realy believe that he would commit suicide by confronting the US?”
Man oh man your reading of the goings on in Syria over the last year is just bizzare.
A year ago Assad’f goose looked to be cooked and the USA would get their Sunni failed state hell hole where Syria used to be.
Since the Russian intervention last September Assad is now staying and a majority of Syrians will decide who the next president of Syria is NOT the USA, Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Israel.
In addition over the last year Turkey’s relationship with the EU, NATO and the USA has fallen through the floor. China is now in Syria supporting the Assad government and now the US backed Kurds are under attack by the Turks and the USA is offering no support to them.
It seems to me the only ones committing suicide in Syria today are the USA and their allies.
Seems like You are a forigner Yourself.
Get a job in Aleppo, Manbij or something like that – if they will let You in.
You could sell new houses or funeral equipment to. WTF Yourself. Go back to Your virgins in Orlando.
How has Putin been cowardly? Which other country on Earth supports Syria more than Russia has done, with military equipment, humanitarian aid, diplomatic support and by putting Russian soldiers in harms way? How many Russian servicemen have been killed helping the Syrian army? Unfortunately the conspiracy against Syria is complex and involves global and regional powers like USA, UK, France, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Do you expect the Russian Armed Forces to go to war against them all? For Bashar Assad? Please let’s come back to the real world. I think Putin has actually done quite well given the scale of the conspiracy against Syria and the limited resources committed to the Russian intervention. At any rate, the war goes on but for the first time in history, the US/NATO/GCC “regime change” project is being resisted and lots of terrorists have been killed. Not bad at all.
Putin has followed a sensible strategy in Syria. He’s defended his military interests in Syria, protected his ally, the Syrian government, from being overthrown. He’s pushed back ISIS from Palmyra. But otherwise, he’s sought to bring about ceasefires and forge alliances with the other powers at work in Syria. That’s good statesmanship.
FYI Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend just came into command this week. http://www.fayobserver.com/military/th-airborne-corps-townsend-now-in-command-of-anti-isis/article_9ec64919-b464-5363-a5e2-38234c23343c.html He states that he is intent on defeating ISIS, and it is strange how the US does not see the fact that if Syria does not remain secular under Assad and the control of the Syrian people, that the Islamic extremists will win. This is a quagmire of illogical thinking at behest of the shifting sands of “allies” who have an interest in dividing and conquering Syria that in all likelihood would result in more Islamic extremism. The false coup in Turkey allowed for Erdogan to receive an absolution for his support of ISIS and relationship to Saudi Arabian extremism as well as aspirations for a pipeline inside Syria from Russia. Now it is interesting to see, rather than moving towards a solution for peace, this ramp up against the success that Russia has been having inside Syria. It is completely illogical after seeing what has happened through out the Middle East because of US interventionism and without clear thinking in regards to eliminating the terrorist threat. It must be gone after at the roots, not just the surface where the war can be manipulated.
The American objective is not the elimination of the terrorists, rather the fracturing of Syria. Backing the Turkish invasion, stops the Kurdish and government forces from sealing the border with Turkey. Erodogan has been supplying the Wahhabi “rebels” , of many names , for years, and making big coin buying and reselling oil stolen from Iraq and Syria . With a fractured Syria , the Saudi pipeline to Europe through Syria can happen . That would compete with Russia’s current monopoly. Israel would consolidate or legalize its current occupation of the Golan Heights, which has a pool of oil as big as Saudi Arabia.
and ‘blooding’ troops
What a strange mix of non facts. New to me Golan has a pool of oil as big as Saudiarabia. Taking it up will make a whole instead of a mountain area then ?
Look up “Genie Oil and Gas Inc.” from New Jersey , Jacob L. Rothechild, Robert Murddoc, Dick Chaney, etc. ,etc. Just after it was inc. , The US and Israeli Energy Cooperation Act was tabled in 2005, and passed in 2007. In “Wikileak Files” , US documents on the beginning of efforts to destabilize Syria , began in 2006. These are all facts , not , non facts.
donald duck and donald trump. And whats news about Israel and USA and a little oil to a very thirsty.
And bla-bla.
Overall, a quarter of Russian men die before reaching 55, compared with 7% of men in the UK and about 10% in the United States. The life expectancy for men in Russia is 64 years, placing it among the lowest 50 countries in the world in that category.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/31/russian-men-losing-years-to-vodka
Russia’s Depopulation Bomb
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/drunken-nation-russia%E2%80%99s-depopulation-bomb
High mortality, low fertility and emigration of the well-educated are shrinking Russia
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/russian-demographics-perfect-storm
Russia’s Great Shift Downward
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-28/russia-s-economy-faces-long-term-decline
Earlier in the week an independent report had concluded urine samples of Russian athletes had been manipulated across the “vast majority” of Summer and Winter Olympic sports from 2011 through to August 2015.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/21/sport/russia-doping-ban-rio-2016-olympic-games/
Russia Has Highest Level Of Wealth Inequality
http://www.rferl.mobi/a/russia-billionaire-wealth-inequality/25132471.html
Which arises from massive political corruption.
Your case is just another thinly veiled “The contents of this report is pure speculation and defamation, which has no ground. All in all we’ve gotten use to media hoaxes, which are either related to lack of qualifications or rush toward gutter news, or are orchestrated campaigns. In this case of course we unwittingly notice the reports coincided with quasi-judicial exercises in certain countries.”
You references are not for the most part from any free and open press. Have you know shame?
malcontent, your statement is rubish. Yale is not qualified? What University did you attend? You should take care in reviewing the source, and read them, befrore you pounce.
St. Petersburg and you?
No, the high death rate is from alcoholism, not corruption. But Russia is still a highly successful country, with very advanced technology, vast natural resources, a skilled workforce and the world’s second most powerful military.
Alcohol is a rather potent solvent.. even in low doses..
Voice of America? Just another MSM CIA corporate fascist mouth piece, not the voice of reason or facts. Some of the people some of the time has now progressed to the boy who cried wolf…….
and where is your comment ?
Jens, there is saying usually contributed to Abraham Lincoln “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
There is also a childhood story about the boy who cried out wolf twice as a joke and when the wolf did appear the third time to kill the sheep his cry of wolf fell upon deaf ears who did not any longer believe him. All the sheep were lost to the wolves along with the food and warm woolen blankets that would not be made for warmth to survive the winter.
Since a false flag of 9/11 the people have been shepherded into “be afraid very afraid” not just the US but around the world as well. The vast military industrial complex has to have a boogie man to continue to shear the sheep. US citizens have been turned into imprisoned cowards and led to the slaughter of their Treasure, Commons and Inalienable Rights of man.
The odds of being killed or injured by terrorist in the US is less than being struck from lightning. Yet they have given up their freedoms for a false security while they prepare the sheep to be sheared again by fear mongering Putin! Russia! We need more Treasure to protect you!
The problem is of course related to the two stories or quotes above, if not familiar with them I can see the missed connection to my statement.
If so, not only in USA. There was several incidents before 9/11. Only remember a navt vessel in Yemen for now.
You could look of other explanations – Like why a small dot as Israel traumatice most of the arab world and Pakistan too.
Everything is everybody elses fault.
Dont think so many should have reacted as they did after 9/11. USA (and we – we is not me) made some of the mistakes too. Many.
But the main reason is that most muslim or muslim dominated states cant be runned by old systems if they wish or want to be a part of the world economy and be respected as such.
Its about learning to learn instead of learning to obey. Its a normal thing here for many years woman ere totally equal persons – because they are – and can conquer the world walking free in the streets alone not being called hores or being raped.
In industrial or knowledge world its much more complicated and a few people cant rule and decide everything. Thats why the power is diveded to all – but by that you have to pay by being much more respensible too and ACT YOURSELF.
And are Leaders bad, big or small, You elect new ones in a peacefull way – not killing them and their suppporters as normal procedure.
Most people here dont work in famlily buisnesses. They are imployed and many in many jobs whish not veven have a name.
Emmigrant comming here only know a few jobtitles. And working together with woman and with female leaders is normal – not “mixed”. Mixted is almost only when we change clothe. Our crimerates in those areas are much lower here. Clothe dont change anything. The behavior learned from boy and up does. The little one is the not the Leader. The brain is. Same thing with spanking.
We use much more to explain and give respect for being trustes than educate by spanking. Its not allowed to spank and use threats as well.
Unfortunatly we have crime too around that, but the level is much lower.
Much decissions in family lives are out of the family because of too many exempels by fathers and men behaving like violent dictators and not doing there best for the children,
You go by the court, but before that many go to something like getting advice at you have as an imam.
So 9/11 is only the last one in the too big differences. Our world change away. And You come here in – Europe – trying to get some civil rights, which we never will go back to, if You are our citicens as equal ones like the Burkini one.
Muslim women here are like anybody else – else they should find a country being like that. But the muslim men go to the beach in almost nothing. So why is that diffrence and I hear now and the our woman are all whores too.
Well, back to Afghanistan for ‘live’ training.. Can’t trust the Russians with those ‘dumb’ bombs as they won’t accept that a whole city has US advisers everywhere all the time..