Russia can just get Iran to provide the support.
Weird
The Russians follow Osama’s dictum about following the strong horse. Much as Russia wants Mediterranean access thru Syria, it can still see that Assad seems to be losing his grip.
That means two things to me:
1) Russian knows that Assad is going to lose, and
2). They have cut a deal with ISIS
This was probably the goal behind the Saudi oil glut. Once Russia leaves Syria they may cut production to raise the price. Their other goal was to hurt Iran but the glut is probably giving them as many problems as it is Iran due to not making as much money as they need.
Maybe they’re getting out of town before ISIS takes over.
The report followed a particularly bloody day for Syrian civilians on Saturday. Barrel bombs dropped by regime aircraft reportedly killed over 100 men and children in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib in northern Syria in what opposition groups in the country called “the largest massacre perpetrated by the regime this year.”Footage from inside regime helicopter dropping barrel bombs over villages in Idlib
Woohoo! Now ISIS can now take over. It looks like the will be exterminated outside of Iran by the sunni monsters. Just in time for the shites in Iran to acquire the nukes and nuke the hell out of the sunnis. Or, perhaps, the likely scenario is that the sunni Pakistan can send its nukes to the sunnies (possibly Saudis) before Iran can make its move. For Pakistan, the time is ticking. Its nukes will end up with the Saudis and, also, ISIS. Either way, both shites and sunnies will be armed to the teeth and there starts the Islamic Cold War.
Next up, Iran.
...the change in Russia's position toward the Assad regime stems from diplomatic pressure exerted by Arab Gulf states. It also comes as part of Moscow's efforts to shake international sanctions imposed on it following [its invasion of] Ukraine, the sources said. Meanwhile, Syrian opposition sources told the newspaper that 100 of Russia's top specialists have recently left the country through the Latakiya airport in northwestern Syria...Pooty's Russia has been behind the anti-fracking astroturf in this country; the Saudis were purported upset by the prospect, but at some point they realized, hey, if it works in the US...