Tag: Syria
NEWSLINK Reuters/Josh Cohen: “How to respond to Russia in Syria while avoiding World War Three”
NEWSLINK AP: “A Putin craze takes hold in the Middle East, praising his ‘personality and charisma'”
NEWSLKINK Moscow Times/Alexander Golts: “War Is Peace: Russia’s Orwellian Propaganda”
NEWSWATCH Washington Post: “Did U.S. weapons supplied to Syrian rebels draw Russia into the conflict?”
October 12, 2015 The Washington Post covers Russia’s entry in the Syrian Civil War and the impact of U.S. military transfers to some Syrian rebel groups. American antitank missiles supplied to Syrian rebels are playing an unexpectedly prominent role in shaping the Syrian battlefield, giving the conflict the semblance of a proxy war between the United States and Russia … […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: Has Russia Gone Rogue? – Stephen Sestanovich Senate Testimony
October 8, 2015 Prepared statement by Stephen Sestanovich, George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies Council on Foreign Relations Before the Committee on Armed Services United States Senate Hearing on Russian Strategy and Military Operation Chairman McCain, Senator Reed, Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to join your discussion today on Russian policy in […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK The National Interest/Andrey Sushentsov: “Lowdown: Making Sense of Russia’s Syria Strategy. A view from Moscow on Russia’s strategy behind its Syrian move”
Russia asks UK for assistance in establishing contacts with FSA
MOSCOW. Oct 9 (Interfax) – Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko has asked for assistance in establishing contacts with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to coordinate efforts in the fight against the group Islamic State (ISIL, which is banned in Russia). “Dr Yakovenko also said that the Russian side would appreciate British assistance in establishing contacts with the “Free […]
» Read moreRBTH: Is Moscow planning ground operations in Syria?
The Kremlin has declined to comment on a CNN report on the Russian Federation’s possible preparations for a ground operation in Syria. However, Russian observers interviewed by RBTH assert that Moscow will not want to get involved too deeply in the conflict and will limit itself to air strikes. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Nikolay Surkov, RBTH – […]
» Read moreRussian incursion into Turkish airspace “embarrassing mistake” – Kremlin
(Interfax – Moscow, October 7, 2015) The Kremlin considers the violation of Turkish airspace by Russian aircraft an embarrassing complication and confirms readiness to hold consultations between the military. “I would like to recall yesterday’s statement of the Russian Defence Ministry where the readiness to immediately begin consultations with the military, including the Turkish military, was voiced to clear up […]
» Read moreAntony Penaud: How the Economist changed its map of the Syrian conflict to make it look like Russia is bombing moderate rebels rather than al-Nusra
Subject: How the Economist changed its map of the Syrian conflict to make it look like Russia is bombing moderate rebels rather than al-Nusra Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2015 From: Antony Penaud <antonypenaud@yahoo.fr> Antony Penaud completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford in 2000. His essays on Russia and Ukraine are on www/scribd.com/antonykharms. He is French and lives in […]
» Read moreInterfax: Over 70% of Russians back Russia’s air campaign against ISIL in Syria – poll
MOSCOW. Oct 8 (Interfax) – Seventy-two percent of Russian citizens interviewed by Levada Center sociologists have expressed their positive attitude toward Russia’s air campaign against Islamic State (ISIL) targets in Syria. Fourteen percent of respondents criticized these airstrikes and another 14% were unable to articulate their attitude to Russia’s air force operation in Syria. The survey was conducted in 46 […]
» Read moreIt’s Time to Recall Kennan’s Long Telegram and Forget His Later Optimism about Change in Russia
(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – August 6, 2015) Staunton, October 3 – George Kennan’s famous “long telegram” of February 1946 was written to explain to Western leaders something they found difficult to understand: how Moscow could turn from being a wartime ally into an implacable enemy, a problem that some Western leaders are again finding it difficult to […]
» Read moreSyria Air Strikes Raise Risk of Terror Attack in Russia, Experts Warn
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Eva Hartog – October 6, 2015) According to textbooks on political violence, a terrorist attack requires the following key components: a target, an actor or actors, and motivations. The Kremlin’s decision to launch air strikes in Syria could raise the risk of terrorist attacks on Russian soil, security analysts said, as the move increases the […]
» Read moreRBTH: Syrian rebels ask U.S. for arms to defend against Russian strikes
Representatives of “moderate” rebel groups in Syria opposed to the regime of Bashar al-Assad have asked the U.S. to supply them with surface-to-air missiles to counter Russian air strikes, American media have reported. Russian observers say this is unlikely but caution that arms may be supplied by the key regional sponsors of Syria’s opposition, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. (Russia Beyond […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK The National Interest/Dave Majumdar: “Russia Could Fly 96 Sorties a Day over Syria”
NEWSLINK Reuters: “Russia, U.S. move to resume talks on air-to-air conduct over Syria”
NEWSLINK Politico.com/Brzezinski: “Obama should retaliate if Russia doesn’t stop attacking U.S. assets”
NEWSLINK Militarytimes.com: “U.S. vs. Russia: What a war would look like between the world’s most fearsome militaries. Vladimir Putin’s brazen moves in Syria and Ukraine raise new questions about America’s contingency plans. Russia has big ambitions, growing capabilities”
Fragile calm holds in East Ukraine before four-way peace talks in Paris
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Graham Stack in Kyiv – October 2, 2015) Hopes for an end to 18 months of fighting in eastern Ukraine hinged on a meeting of the leaders of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia in Paris on October 2, with breakthrough prospects enhanced by a recent ceasefire and withdrawal of tanks and other weapons from […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK McClatchy DC: “For Putin, fight in Syria also a struggle with bitter domestic enemies”
NEWSLINK Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs/David Speedie: “Messrs. Obama and Putin: Put Syria and Syrians First”
Moscow Times: “Putin’s Use of Force In Syria Unlikely to Go Beyond Airstrikes”
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – September 30, 2015) By providing Syrian President Bashar Assad’s military with material and logistical support, Moscow has committed itself to protecting his embattled regime, which has suffered a series of setbacks at the hands of the Islamic State and U.S.-backed opposition forces. But it remains unclear just how far Russian President Vladimir […]
» Read moreInterfax: Joint command in fight against ISIL unrealistic, but efforts on the ground should be coordinated – Lavrov
MOSCOW. Sept 29 (Interfax) – At their meeting in New York, the Russian and U.S. presidents did not discuss a coalition to fight the Islamic State (ISIL) group in ‘the classical sense of the word’, any joint command is unrealistic, but activities on the ground and airstrikes require coordination, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. The Russian and U.S. […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Christian Science Monitor: “At UN, Putin talks tough against IS. Will the West work with him? The Russian president bluntly blamed the US for the chaos in the Middle East. But his plan for an alliance against IS may still find some listeners in the West.”
VIDEO: NEWSWATCH CBS News/60 Minutes: “All eyes on Putin: At a time of icy relations with the U.S., Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a rare — and surprising — interview to 60 Minutes”
(CBS News – September 27, 2015) Charlie Rose interviews Russian President Vladimir Putin for 60 Minutes on CBS. Click here for CBS News transcript – “All eyes on Putin: At a time of icy relations with the U.S., Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a rare — and surprising — interview to 60 Minutes.” Embedded video below. View More: Newsmakers News|60 […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK The National Interest/Zalmay Khalilzad: “Face-to-Face: Obama Meets Putin. ‘The likelihood of negotiating settlements in Ukraine and Syria could be increased if President Obama uses the meeting with Putin to underscore a reality to Putin: Russia is exposed.'”
Putin looking limber for his UN Syria leap
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – MOSCOW BLOG: Ben Aris in Moscow – September 25, 2015) Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of a UN general assembly to be held in New York on September 28, their first meeting since 2013. The White House said Russian sanctions will be high on the […]
» Read morePlayground politics in Ukraine and Syria
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – MOSCOW BLOG: Ben Aris in Moscow – September 24, 2015) We learn everything we need to know about how to treat our fellow human beings at school. You are supposed to be polite, share your toys, call the nurse when your schoolmates fall down and graze their knees, and do what the teachers tell […]
» Read moreWhy Russia Is Expanding Its Naval Base in Syria
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – September 22, 2015) The Russian military is expanding its tiny naval facility at Tartus on the Syrian coast to handle bigger warships and transport vessels amid a general buildup of Russian forces in territory controlled by Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Kommersant newspaper reported Monday, citing military sources. The news broke as […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH Wall Street Journal: “U.S. Weighs Talks With Russia on Military Activity in Syria. Pentagon leaders grilled over strategy to deal with regime of Bashar al-Assad.”
The Wall Street Journal reports on U.S. military and foreign policy responses to stepped-up Russian activity in Syria, including Congressional criticism of the Obama administration. The Obama administration is considering discussions with Russia on military activities Syria in what would mark a shift in approach as U.S. policy comes under growing criticism at home. * * * In a scorching […]
» Read moreInterfax: Moscow can neither confirm nor deny US special forces “on ground” in Syria
(Interfax – September 18, 2015) The Russian Foreign Ministry has not been able to either confirm or deny information that US special forces are present in Syria but it condemns coalition actions that have not been agreed with Damascus. “I cannot either confirm or deny this information but I can indeed say that all actions by the so-called coalition have […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK New York Times: “Putin Defends Russian Military Aid to Syria”
NEWSLINK Christian Science Monitor: “Russia as safe zone for Syrian refugees?”
It’s not as odd as you’d think. A centuries-old imperial conquest, along with an unusual route to Norway, may lead Syria’s migrants to wash up on Russia’s shores
» Read moreThe Logic and Risks Behind Russia’s Statelet Sponsorship
(Stratfor.com – Reva Bhalla – September 15, 2015) Mother Russia can be quite generous when it comes to her collection of statelets. In the early 1990s, when a broken Russia had no choice but to suck in her borders, a severely distracted Kremlin still found the time and money to promote and sponsor the fledgling breakaway territories of South Ossetia […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK The National Interest/Thomas Graham: “Russia’s Syria Surprise (And What America Should Do about It)”
[featured image is file photo] “Russian pride will not allow Moscow to join a U.S.-led coalition, but we should be able to work in parallel, coordinating air strikes and other actions for maximum effect in degrading ISIS.”
» Read moreNEWSLINK The National Interest/ Nikolas K. Gvosdev: “Moscow’s Moves in Syria: 5 Messages Russia Is Sending to the World”
RBTH: Moscow accused of obstructing Syrian chemical weapons dossier
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexey Timofeychev, RBTH – September 14, 2015) Russia has proposed extending the mandate of the UN mission on chemical weapons in Syria to Iraq, where it claims ISIS militants may be behind production. However, some media see this as Moscow diverting attention from the actions of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and delaying a […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Christian Science Monitor: “Russia in Syria: Ghosts of Afghanistan may limit Kremlin’s options now.”
Memories of the Soviet Army’s failure in Afghanistan still haunt the Russian public – making a major deployment to Syria almost unthinkable, Russian experts say.
» Read moreNo Reason for Russia to Deploy Troops to Syria, Experts Say
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Daria Litvinova – September 8, 2015) Media reports of a Russian military presence in Syria have stirred high-profile accusations that Russia is reinforcing its support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, President Vladimir Putin’s long-term ally who has been battling opposition forces in his country since 2011. The reports, which are sketchy and not substantiated by […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Washington Post: Mr. Putin makes moves in Syria, exploiting America’s inaction
Celeste A. Wallander: “U.S. Policy on Russia”
The White House June 26, 2015 Remarks by Celeste Wallander, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia on U.S. Policy on Russia U.S. Policy on Russia CNAS Annual Conference June 26 2015 Celeste A. Wallander Special Assistant to the President And Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia National Security Council I am especially […]
» Read moreRBTH: How effective is Russian drive to combat ISIS recruiters?
People in both Russian diplomatic circles and the security forces have been describing Islamic State (ISIS) as a “real threat” for a long time now. On Aug. 1 a hotline will start working in Russia for those whose friends or family members have joined ISIS. With experts warning that ISIS cannot be defeated with force alone, RBTH found out what […]
» Read moreIS Boosts Russian-Language Propaganda Efforts
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Joanna Paraszczuk – July 6, 2015) The militant group Islamic State (IS) has stepped up its Russian-language propaganda efforts, another sign that its Russian-speaking contingent is becoming more powerful. Though Russian-speaking IS militants have put out their own propaganda for some time, in recent weeks a new Russian-language IS media wing — Furat Media — has […]
» Read moreRussian policy of supporting Syrian authorities remains unchanged – Putin
MOSCOW. June 29 (Interfax) – Russia’s policy of supporting the Syrian authorities and people remains unchanged, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “We see how complicated situation[al] development in Syria is, firstly the one related to international terrorism aggression. We understand that amid such situations success always corresponds with certain issues, and military failures could occur. But we are certain that […]
» Read moreExperts Downplay Trend of Russians Joining Islamic State
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber – June 18, 2015) Reports of Russian citizens taking up arms for the Islamic State terrorist group have dominated headlines in recent days, sparking debate about the cause of the apparent trend. Andrei Novikov, head of the Commonwealth of Independent States’ (CIS) Anti-Terrorism Center, told the Interfax news agency Wednesday that according to […]
» Read moreRussia-US Dialogue Elevated, But Ukraine Tensions Remain
(Voice of America – Daniel Schearf – May 14, 2015) Political analysts agree the four-hour meeting this week between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian President Vladimir Putin was a step up in contact between the two countries. Despite tensions over Ukraine, the two sides hold regular discussions, including president-to-president phone calls and numerous meetings between their top diplomats. But […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK New York Times: Kerry Arrives in Russia for Talks With Vladimir Putin on Cooperation
Secretary of State John Kerry held more than four hours of talks on Tuesday with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, in what both sides depicted as a frank and cordial meeting aimed at reaching a common strategy to end the Syria war and defuse the Ukraine crisis.
» Read morePutin’s Mideast Gains Trump $27 Billion Loss From Iran Agreement
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Henry Meyer, Stephen Bierman – April 14, 2015) As Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, he’s willing to take an economic hit to expand his political influence. He’s taking the same approach with Iran. Lifting sanctions and allowing Iranian oil onto global markets would threaten to deepen the plunge in crude […]
» Read moreWhy the Jihadi Threat to Russia Is Getting Worse
More jihadi fighters come from Russia than any country outside the Middle East and North Africa. What happens when they come home? (Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Carol Matlack – March 30, 2015) The deadly terror attacks in Paris in January underscored the risk facing Western Europe as jihadis return home from fighting in Syria and Iraq. But the place that […]
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