Russia Is Sending Attack Helicopters to Syria, U.S. Says

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 06/12/12 | Unattributed

[TonyInOhio]

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration says Russia is sending attack helicopters to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and is warning about a dramatic escalation in the Arab country's 15-month conflict.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. was "concerned about the latest information we have that there are attack helicopters on the way from Russia to Syria." She said the shipment "will escalate the conflict quite dramatically."

[TonyInOhio]

Time for us to raise our Concern Level from Concerned to Very Concerned. Also, Barack Kardashian needs to go to another dozen fundraisers.

[Notary Sojac]

Actually, launching a wag-the-dog war against Syria is exactly what I would expect this administration to do.

At the very least, the idiot neocon McCain wing of the GOP will fall right in line to support them.

[Sequoyah101]

Not good, not good at all.

This is a provocative act by the Russians. They are testing and the test has no winners.

[sigzero]

And what will the US do? Nothing. Nothing at all. Wait, we mine whine to the UN.

[drypowder]

She said the shipment "will escalate the conflict quite dramatically."

typical good cop bad cop crap; right on schedule and according to their plan.

[OwenKellogg]

Well at least the Russkies aren’t buying into Bain Capital.

[ZX12R]

And what will the US do? Nothing. Nothing at all. Wait, we mine whine to the UN.

With Obama and his administration running things, I DON'T WANT them to do anything.

[ElkGroveDan]

Sounds like they aren’t going to hold their breath waiting for all those post-reelection goodies they’ve been promised.

[muawiyah]

Actually the Russians are (most likely incidentally) protecting Christian rights in Syria.

Obama wants to protect foreign Islamic access to Syria.

McCain is actually on the wrong side.

[moonshot925]

Syria already has 36 Mi-24 Hind gunships. I guess the Russians are selling more.

[ClearCase_guy]

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday demanded an immediate end to the "dangerous intensification" of violence across Syria and called on all countries with influence to urge the parties "to pull back from the brink."

I am reminded of King Canute going down to the seashore to demand that the waves stop coming in. This episode is often misinterpreted -- Canute did not have delusions of grandeur: he was demonstrating to toadies that he was not all-powerful and he knew it.

If the UN wants to demonstrate just how utterly ineffective they are, then I think they are handling the situation in Syria quite perfectly.

[donozark]

And Syria has an approx. equal number of Gazelles (French). Many Fulcrums as well. The brothers Assad have not used their aerial assets against the opposition as Qaddafi tried. Perhaps many dead-lined due to poor maintenance. Or due to Syria's incredibly shrinking military...

Just wonder if Russian pilots may be "substituted?"

[Zhang Fei]

Syria already has 36 Mi-24 Hind gunships. I guess the Russians are selling more.

The Syrians haven't made payments in years. This is a lot more like the Lend Lease program than anything else. I expect the loans for Russian weapons will eventually be forgiven in exchange for basing rights or some equally worthless trifle. This is Russia administering a beat-down to the Sunni Arabs who have been financing the jihad in the Caucasus (Chechnya, Dagestan, et al), along with the associated terrorist attacks on Russian hospitals, schools and so on. Best of all, Sunni Arabs are getting stomped without a single Russian finger on the trigger, or the associated Russian personnel losses.

[who knows what evil?]

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28

[yarddog]

As bad as the current Syrian government is, this bunch of “Arab Spring” monsters are far worse.

[Zhang Fei]

And Syria has an approx. equal number of Gazelles (French). Many Fulcrums as well. The brothers Assad have not used their aerial assets against the opposition as Qaddafi tried. Perhaps many dead-lined due to poor maintenance. Or due to Syria's incredibly shrinking military...

Aviation fuel is expensive. Syria is a poor country.

[meatloaf]

You have to love it when the Russians kick the Arab’s asses. As long as our boy wonder imposter-in-chief doesn’t want to join in, we can set back and scoff at the media’s attempt to pluck our heart strings. It might be a good time to sell T shirts with the saying. Screw Saudi Arabia, Support Christians by Supporting Assad!

[paulcissa]

Nothin’ a few Stingers can’t bring down......

[redgolum]

In their internal news they are saying it is to help protect Christian minorities. Seems the rebels like to kill the local Christian population.

Honestly, I don’t want the US involved in anyway. Russia has bases in Syria that are under increasing pressure from both sides. It is in their sphere of influence, let them have some fun nation building.

[Future Snake Eater]

Uh-oh. More stars aligning for the Ezekiel 38 war?