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War, War, War See other War, War, War Articles Title: Russia Ramping Up Its Aerial Campaign in Syria Russia Ramping Up Its Aerial Campaign in Syria by Stephen Lendman In March, Russia withdrew the main part of its warplanes and ground support personnel from Syria - a strategic error, US-supported terrorists taking full advantage to regroup, rearm and mobilize for more attacks. At the time, Putin said I think that the tasks set (by) the defense ministry are generally fulfilled
With the participation of Russias military, Syrian troops and patriotic forces
turn(ed) the tide in the fight against international terrorism and took the initiative on practically all directions. His remarks proved premature, recognized when Russias aerial campaign began intensifying - to be supplemented later this month when its Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier arrives in Mediterranean waters near Syrias coast, its warplanes and attack helicopters intended for airstrikes on terrorist targets. On September 30, Izvestia reported Russia increas(ing the number of formations at (its Khmeimin airbase) of
additional front-line (Su-24 and Su-34) bombers
along with Su-25 ground attack aircraft. (B)uildup
comes amid threats by Americans to escalate operations in Syria - including greater numbers of airstrikes, more special forces and increased aid for terrorist fighters. Ceasefire collapsed. Russia is preparing for whats coming. Izvestia cited military analyst Anton Lavrov, saying Su-25 attack planes will significantly increase the number of (Russian) combat missions in Syria
Foreign and Defense Policy Council chairman Fyodor Lukyanov said Moscows buildup followed stalled peace talks. Perhaps it intends resurrecting its initial strike-force strength before substantially withdrawing it last March. The best way to get Washingtons attention is by routing terrorist fighters it supports, letting Syrian ground forces retake more earlier lost territory, especially all Aleppo areas still controlled by US proxies. Weeks earlier, Russias ambassador to Iran said his countrys Aerospace Forces may resume operations against terrorists in Syria from Tehrans Hamedan airbase - after using the facility briefly in August. On October 1, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zahharova warned Washington about any plans for direct aggression on Damascus and Syrian armed forces, saying it could inflame the entire region. She minced no words, stressing so-called moderates (are) in reality not moderate at all, but just terrorists of all flavors
She failed to explain why her boss, Sergey Lavrov, continues distinguishing between nonexistent moderates and terrorists when theyre all the same. A Final Comment A previous article called John Kerry a diplomat in name only, in reality a closet hawk, pushing things toward unthinkable war on Russia when Hillary succeeds Obama next year, most likely as things now stand. On Friday, The New York Times discussed his audio tape, showing he favors US war on Syria, not diplomatic conflict resolution. Taped on the sidelines of the UNs 71st General Assembly session, he said he lost the argument for US use of force to oust Assad. Publicly his rhetoric is diplomatic, claiming to favor resolving Syrias conflict politically. His private comments, not meant for public airing, show where he really stands - militantly hawkish like Hillary. He lied claiming the Russians dont care about international law, and we do. Truth is polar opposite. His only sensible comment was saying you get
enforcers in there and then everybody ups the ante, right? Russia puts in more, Iran puts in more; Hezbollah is there more and Nusra is more; and Saudi Arabia and Turkey put all their surrogate money in, and you all are destroyed. He said nothing about Americas full responsibility for launching naked aggression in the first place, no end of it in sight, peace prospects nil as long as it demands regime change. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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