Posted on 12/20/2012 11:26:30 AM PST by drewh
On Dec. 5, the first American, Dutch and German Patriot missiles landed in Turkey.
Within hours, three Russian warships had put into Syrias Tartus port the Novocherkassk and Saratov landing craft and the MB-304 supply vessel. Aboard were 300 marines. And not only fighting men. They also delivered a fearsome weapon for Assads army and a game changer in the Syrian conflict: 24 Iskander 9K720 (NATO codenamed SS-26 Stone) cruise missile systems, designed for theater level conflicts.
While NATO unpacked the Patriots in Turkey, a dozen mobile batteries, each carrying a pair of Iskander missiles, were fixed into position opposite Turkey, and another dozen, opposite Jordan and Israel.
At all their stations, the Russian missiles pointed at US military targets.
So while the West was gripped with alarm over Assads poison sarin gas shells and bombs and gearing up for missile attacks on Turkey, the Russians were injecting into the Syrian war field the most sophisticated weapon of death thus far.
The West and Israel have no answer for the Iskanders hypersonic speed of more than 1.3 miles per second with a 280 mile-range and a 1,500-pound warhead which destroys targets with pinpoint accuracy. It is also nuclear-capable.
Russian President Vladimir Putin promised two US presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, not to let the Iskander reach the hands of Syria or Iran. Moscow has no illusions that once in Syria, the lethal cruise missile will pretty soon reach Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Saturday, Dec. 15, Irans chief of staff Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi warned that the Patriot missiles in Turkey portended world war. He was referring to the missile-versus-missile face-off in Syria .
By giving Assad the Iskanders, Moscow has plumped itself squarely in the Tehran-Damascus-Hizballah camp, whereas President Obama is carefully holding back from an unreserved commitment to the Syrian insurgency.
Some Western circles see Russias military intervention in the Syrian conflict as presaging Bashar Assads early downfall.
The reality, according to sources, is that before he falls, the Syria ruler is getting ready for desperate measures first by unleashing chemical warfare and, after that, using the deadly Iskanders for a last throw against his enemies.
The USA really has no business getting involved in Syria aside from giving the Democrats a war to call their own.
Debka’s stories always read like Tom Clancy novels.
pootie-poots being a bad boy
Because they're both pure fiction.
Assad won’t go quietly. He knows that him and all the Alawhites in the country will be tortured and killed for what they have done to the country for 2 generations. It will be a bloodbath.
No surprise here. The Russian have always seen missile defense as an offensive weapon. It was either install the Iskander or launch a first strike. They took the cold route, for now.
Debka articles read a lot like they were penned by a paranoid mental defective. It’s like Israel’s answer to Pravda or Iranian news, with nutty scenarios to rival the loopiest of them.
Add to that whatever is left of Syria's Christians and their ancient traditional church. Whenever Obama's "rebels" take an area, the Christians are the first to be slaughtered.
I hope Assad survives, no matter how many Syrians he has to kill. I hope he breaks out the Sarin soon. We don’t need another MB run province of the Grand Caliphate.
Besides, it would be fun to see a nice big Syria-sized hole shot through the Obama Middle East “Strategy.”
I wonder how long before our beloved leader starts pushing Jordan towards the brink?
But why are the Russians sending their armies in theatre at exactly the wrong time? It makes no sense unless they were expecting a response from O
They are sending their troops into theater at exactly the right time. The Russians are now being led by an ultra-Russian nationalist. They do things that benefit Russian citizens.
The US is now being led by ultra Globalists. They do things that do not benefit US citizens.
And the other remaining Russian ally, Iran, has missiles pointed at the oil supply choke point off Eritrea.
Thanks drewh.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.