Upping the Stakes in Syria
The lawless and arrogant US-led coalition keeps adding to its terrorist crimes.
After over six years of US aggression in Syria, falsely called civil war, nothing surprises. On Sunday, Syria’s military said the so-called US-led “international coalition” downed one of its warplanes during a combat mission against ISIS terrorists about 30 km south of Raqqa. The pilot is missing. It’s unknown if he’s alive or dead. A Syrian military statement said the following:
“The attack stresses coordination between the US and ISIS, and it reveals the evil intentions of the US in administrating terrorism and investing it to pass the US-Zionist project in the region.”
“Such aggressions would not affect the Syrian Arab army in its determination to continue the fight against ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organizations and to restore security and stability to all Syrian territories.”
US coalition warplane: operating in Syria illegally. By the US book, might makes right, but it claims to be a country of laws. (Click on image)
A US-controlled so-called Operation Inherent Resolve (don't you love those self-important/heroic sounding names the Pentagon dreams up for these criminal operations?) statement lied, saying “a Syrian regime SU-22 dropped bombs near SDF fighters south of Tabqah and, in accordance with rules of engagement and collective self-defense of Coalition partnered forces, was immediately shot down by a US F/A-18E.”
The action was the latest US-led lawless attack on Syria’s military, fighting to liberate the country from US-backed terrorists – ISIS and all other anti-government forces. No so-called “moderate rebels” exist. Syrian forces expanded operations in northern areas, liberating three villages near the Atreya-Resafa-Raqqa highway.
Washington wants Syrian sovereignty destroyed, the country balkanized, northern and southern areas separated from Damascus under US control.
Russia’s only response so far was Sergey Lavrov calling on the Trump administration to respect Syrian territorial integrity and refrain from unilateral actions in the country – comments falling on deaf ears in Washington.
Downing a Syrian warplane after earlier US attacks on its military ups the stakes in the country, escalating conflict Russia continues going all-out to resolve diplomatically.
On Monday, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, international affairs advisor to Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, blamed Saudi Arabian security services for the June 7 terrorist incidents in Tehran, saying:
“The existing documents are proof of the US and Saudi Arabia’s continued manipulation of terrorism in the region and the world. Their strategy and policy (are) to draw out regional crises in order to carry out their own agendas…”
After the Tehran incidents, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said his country’s intelligence shows Riyadh “actively” supports terrorist groups along Iran’s eastern and western borders.
In retaliation for the June 7 attacks, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched ground-to-ground missiles, targeting an ISIS Deir Ezzor command post.
An IRGC statement said “(t)he spilling of innocent blood will not go unanswered. (N)o efforts (will be spared) to defend (Iran’s) national security and obviate plots as well as anti-security phenomena.”
Along with Russia, Iran actively aids Syrian and allied forces combat the scourge of US-backed ISIS and other terrorist groups in the country.
Self-defense is a universally recognized right – naked aggression the highest of high crimes. America and its rogue allies stand guilty as charged. Their alliance is humanity’s greatest threat.
On Monday, Almasdar News reported “(i)ntense clashes…between” Syrian and US-backed forces west of Raqqa, saying:
Government troops “attempted to cross (their) front lines…to rescue their fallen pilot (if alive). (T)hey were turned” back.
Fierce fighting is ongoing between both sides “near the key town of Resafa in western Al-Raqqa.”
Hawkish generals running Trump’s military operations in Syria and elsewhere want endless wars continued – at some point, risking direct confrontation with Russia.
APPENDIX
Related comments
The following fact and commentary appears on The Saker’s website, focusing on the same topic. We present them here for their inherent value to the discussion. In our opinion some comments as usual are highly informative, while others sound to us either extremely triumphalist or pessimistic. The truth is perhaps somewhere in between. Whatever the immediate situation may be, the US escalation is a terrible omen for the fate of this region and the world and knowing full well the enormous resources, arrogance, duplicity and stupidity of the United States when engaged in imperialist enterprises, this is not going to be a short or easily neutralised meddling by the Big Bully. The Neocons are in power, the Pentagon careerists and idiot generals are running the show, and the media s usual can be counted to go on telling lies. Meanwhile, Russia, a nation with an economy a fraction of the US, and also a much smaller military footprint, is being cornered into a tragic situation: fight now and risk WW3, or do nothing and lose face and invite further attacks by the Big Bully, in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and other flashpoints. China has her own understandable reasons not to step into this huge mess too eagerly, but her absence and seeming opportunistic stance only invite further aggression. There’s a point beyond which the cost of retreating and giving in becomes much more onerous than a firm show of resolve. That moment may have come.—PG
What will it take to bring America to live according to its own self image?
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This latest attack has to be seen in the context of the statement by Russia’s Defence ministry in which they say –
“In fact, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs Vladimir Jabarov declared right after the first incident that “Russia has no intentions to use its Aerospace Forces against US missiles if Washington decides to carry out new strikes in Syria as it could lead to a large-scale war”, thereby confirming that there’s close to no chance that Russia would come to Syria’s aid if the US unleashed HIMARS against Deir az-Zor-destined SAA forces. Despite this unfavorable state of affairs, Damascus more than likely won’t be discouraged, and could still very well make a dash for the desert town regardless of the HIMARS hindrance. Even in the event that its soldiers are martyred, Syria might be calculating that their sacrifices would be worth it if there’s even a slight possibility that they can help delay the country’s post-war “decentralization” and de-facto internal partition”
from – http://www.globalvillagespace.com/syrias-dash-deir-az-zor-americas-himars-missiles-threaten-progress/
The above referenced by Andrew Korybko.
I won’t say anything intemperate just ask if people here still think Syria can prevail. The US can destroy Syria whenever and if ever it chooses.
Russia will bomb terrorists but never defend Syria against the US military and they have announced this fact to the world.
Yes,Russia just refuses to understand that by not defending your allies you will end with no allies when your “time” comes. The US has zero reason to stop their aggression since Russia has given them the leeway to continue it.Its almost as big an error as Stalin made before Barbarossa. There needs to be a translation in Russian sent to Putin of the saying,”fool me once shame on you. But fool me twice (we are running out of times now) and shame on me”.
This is really bad news, because it means the Russians have no real capacity to defend their allies when push comes to shove. The US will just up the ante. As Syria is dismantled, then it will be Irans turn and finally Russia. The global hegemon cannot be resisted it seems. And China won’t step up to the plate. Wouldn’t be surprised if they turn on Russia?
Uncle Bob 1 – Right. The benefits to Russia of the Syrian engagement are several.
In Syria Russia has been enabled to rotate thousands of it’s troops giving them real battle experience and they have also tested hundreds of weapon systems in war situations.
They have acquired a beefed up naval base on the Med and an airbase in Syria they didn’t have before.
They have destroyed huge numbers of terrorists thus preserving (they hope) Russia from similar attacks.
As a result they have also been able to sell weapons systems benefitting their economy and massively leveraging their global standing as a world power.
Thanks to the Russians the Syrians have regained a good portion of their country back.
However if Russia is only attacking terrorists on the ground this leaves Syria facing the mighty US and NATO all alone. ( with Iran).
Syria is three quarters rubble, it’s army well depleted.
It has virtually no air defenses that work (removed – please stop these unsubstantiated statements about what the Russians have said – either back up your slander with facts or refrain from these comments. Mod.)
Russia has been doing – tv shows, interviews with famous film producers etc all of which may be good PR but changes nothing because the west gives absolutely nothing in return.
Indeed today Strategic Culture Org reports new US military bases and radars going into Norway, a complete departure from Norway’s hitherto position.
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/06/18/norway-way-become-unfriendly-neighbor-in-russia-eyes.html
The west continues on it’s relentless path whilst clearly Russia continues to believe they can be persuaded to be reasonable. Will they ever learn?
The US is torn with internal strife right now but as soon as they get their act together they will carry on with their stated aim of destroying Syria and Iran before finishing off Russia which as you say won’t have single ally. China of course is nowhere to be seen.
I have read here that the Russians are great strategists. Could someone please explain how you win a war by shooting the mercenaries whilst leaving the entire machinery behind it – the US and NATO – intact.?
Maybe, just maybe, if they had shot down one of the US planes which recently bombed the Syrians the US would have got the message that they mean business.
The US is getting a different message though.
As usual the Anti-Putin/Russia bashers above are proved wrong yet again!
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706191054760684-russia-us-syria-deconfliction-channel/
The Russians have now answered the US – no co-operation; any coalition planes and drones will be intercepted – basically a no fly zone will now be in affect; the US never contacted the Russians before shooting down the Syrian plane.
The Russian MOD saying its an “Act of Aggression”
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706191054760519-russia-mod-syria-jet-downing/
What is missing in this analysis by Andrew is Iran.
The moves by Iran today with a missile attack into ISIS at Deir ez Zor, and the PMUs it has employed at the Iraq-Syria border and into the zone of al Tanf indicate that Iran and the Quds and Hezbollah will fight with Syria against the US.
How much of the US is artillery and some air power and how much is on the ground?
The US can do heavy damage, but the ground will not be theirs without a commitment of troops.
I think everything changes when the US takes some missiles incoming. And both Hezbollah and Iran are very capable of achieving those strikes.
How long did it take to destroy Libya with NATO bombing, NATO special forces on the ground and an army of terrorists?
No full on US army invasion needed.
Now the US has been given the green light and as VK says they will up the anti. from now on.
What nonsense! Libya did not have Iranian and Russian assistance.
A cursory look at the map shows that the Syrian army has made great strides in recent months and a single downed fighter jet will not change the military calculus all that much, though it may suggest things are ready to heat up. At some point the Russians will have to make a stark choice, confront the US and its proxies directly or back away. What Putin does next remains to be seen.
and those missiles flying to Deir-ez-Zor during a joint military naval training with the PLA in the strait. clear signal. china shows where her support will be landed if things get ugly.
Iran just launched groud-to-ground missile strikes from Iran against US-ally terror targets in Syria. The zionist puppet parliament in Washington and Trump will declare these missile strikes as direct proof of Iran’s clear and present danger to the ‘master race’ HQed in Israel.
America’s coming invasion and decapitation strike in Syria, to destroy Assad and the current Syrian leadership, is the first step on the road to war with Iran. The USA will spend two weeks exterminating all traces of the Syrian government while Russia withdraws its forces to ‘safe spaces’. And during that two weeks, America will ensure its invasion forces clash with Iranian units as much as possible.
America’s destrucion of the Syrian warplane is yet another ‘proving’ act designed to convine the doubters at the top of the US military that Putin will not confront the invading force. Iran’s use of the missiles is helpless ‘posturing’ designed to make America think twice. Iran intends the message to be that Israel will not be safe, but the USA does not care. All the USA cares about in this circumstance is the ‘safety’ of its invading units- and without Russian assistance, America will grind to dust any Iranian opposition in Syria.
Israel will not directly engage in the invasion of Syria, so any Iranian strikes on Israel as a result will simply make Iran look criminal in the eyes of the sheeple- and the zionist demons that head Israel will be safe in their bunkers anyway. They actually want Iran to hit Israel.
No, the game is Russia’s to lose, and Russia’s alone. Today’s Russia is history’s worst ally- for Russia will do nothing against the Empire of the West to help its so-called ‘allies’.
PS understand that the very moment any anti-Russian/anti-Syrian propaganda gets significant traction with the sheeple of the West, the invasion is on. The invasion force is ready and waiting in Jordan, and lesser West nations are moving their forces into Jordan on a daily basis. This anti-syrian invasion force is going to be as multi-national as that in the first Gulf War by the look of it, and Putin’s choices in Syria are helping it magnify.
The escalation will happen in the North of my beloved Syria, I’m assured of this.
I’m not even afraid of the consequences, as the destruction of the enemy of good and humanity give me more joy…no matter how much of our blood needs to be spilled, we are conscious and ready, the sacrifices of all the martyrs that paid the price and those that follow on their path in the near future will not go in vain !
The RuAF will have to fly these missions once there aren’t enough Syrian jets/pilots left. That will change the situation quite a bit.
Exactly. The Russians will fly. And the Iranians and their proxies will move on the ground. And more powerful missiles and rockets will be the major exchanges with the US-Coalition.
As for an invasion force from Jordan, a few missiles will stop that.
The de-escalation zone in that corner of Syria is a free-fire zone against any force that does not stand down. Turkey-Iran and Russia have agreed on that stipulation.
Al Tanf will become a boiler, US artillery or not.
Iran’s missile attack serves notice that no US base will be safe above ground in the East or South.
CENTCOM wants a war and so does Israel. It looks like Syria and Iran will give it to them. They have no choice.