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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US: Russia sending Syria attack helicopters
2012-06-12
The Obama administration said Tuesday that Russia is sending attack helicopters to Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime and warned that the Arab country's 15-month conflict could become even deadlier.

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."
So escalate it: send Stingers to the rebels.
Clinton's comments at a public appearance with Israeli President Shimon Peres augured poorly for a peaceful solution to Syria's conflict. Officials from around the world are warning that the violence risks becoming an all-out civil war, with Middle East power brokers from Iran to Turkey possibly being drawn into the fighting.

Diplomatic hopes have rested on Washington and Moscow agreeing on a transition plan that would end the 4-decade-long Assad regime.

But Moscow has consistently rejected outside forces to end the conflict or any international plan to force regime change in Damascus. Despite withering criticism from the West, it insists that any arms it supplies to Syria are not being used to quell anti-government dissent.
But Kristof at the NYT thinks we should bargain with the Russians...
With diplomacy at a standstill, the reported shipment of helicopters suggests a dangerous new turn for Syria after more than a year of harsh government crackdowns on mainly peaceful protests and the emergence of an increasingly organized armed insurgency.

Russia and Syria have a longstanding military relationship and Syria hosts Russia's only naval base on the Mediterranean Sea. But in light of the brutal violence, the U.S. has repeatedly demanded that any further deliveries of weaponry be halted. Russian military support in the form of materiel as advanced as attack helicopters would deal a serious blow to efforts to starve the Syrian army of supplies.

Some 13,000 people have died, according to opposition groups, but the U.S. and its allies have been hoping that sanctions on Assad's government and its increased isolation would make it increasingly difficult to carry out military campaigns..

On Monday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland decried what she called "horrific new tactics" by Syrian forces, including the use of helicopters to fire on civilians from the air. She called the attacks a "very serious escalation" and said Syrian commanders would be held responsible for any crimes against humanity.

Clinton, as well, warned about a massing of Syrian forces near Aleppo over the last two days, saying such a deployment could be a "red line" for Syria's northern neighbor Turkey "in terms of their strategic and national interests."

"We are watching this very carefully," she said.
Posted by:Beavis

#6  DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV HAS MADE IT CLEAR IRAN SHOULD NOT BE EXCLUDED FROM INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SYRIA -PUTTING IT [Russia] ON A COLLISION COURSE WID THE US ON THE STALLED PEACE PROCESS | [RT.com] RUSSIA INSISTS ON IRAN ROLE OVER SYRIA.

versus

* TOPIX > [USA] BRINGING AL-QAEDA TO SOUTHEAST MEDITERRANEAN [Syria + Lebanon] A GRAVER THREAT TO EUROPE THAN [Iranain?]NUCLEAR WEAPONS: IRANIAN GENERAL.

Iran JCS Chair MGEN Hassan Fairouzabodi.

ARTIC > IRAN = US + ARAB ALLIES CREATED AL-QAEDA + TALIBAN, thus are directly responsible for the on-going chaos in the Middle East + Muslim World + Globe in general.

* SAME > IRAN PLANS TO BECOME [Electrical]POWER TRANSIT HUB [Exports] TO EUROPE + MIDDLE EAST: OFFICIAL.

versus

* TOPIX > TURKEY'S PRESIDENT ABDULLAH GUL INVOKES INSHALLAH, SAYS ALL TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN OCCUPIED BY ARMENIA WILL BE LIBERATED.

* SAME > PRESIDENT: TURKEY IS MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO LIBERATE AZERI LANDS.

* WAFF > ARMENIAN EXPERT RICHARD GIRAGOSIAN: AZERBAIJAN WILL DECLARE WAR [agz Armenia] IN 2014.

* WAFF > GREECE'S "FUHRER" WANTS INSTANBUL [+ other ancient Greek-Hellenic-Macedon] BACK,
as in TURKO-MUSLIM INSTANBUL FKA GRECO-ROMAN CONSTANTINOPLE/BYZANTIUM, preferably under
"sole" Greek sovereignty, but may be willing accept a more realistic Greco-Turkic national "sharing" of common heritage places???

"Golden Dawn" ultra-Right Party Leader NIKOS MIHALOLIAKOS.

Lest we fergit, 1990's NET > rise of the "YELLOW/YELLOW-RED DAWN" Group-Movement in Asia.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-06-13 00:12  

#5  OTOH FM Lavrov claimed that a Bus carrying Russian Soldiers = "Specialists/Peacekeepers" was recently attacked in western Damascus, + had been attacked times previously???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-06-12 23:16  

#4  Should say, Russa: US sending attack drones
Posted by: Fat Bob Unotch3711   2012-06-12 21:48  

#3  FYI RENSE > TRAPLEY - RUSSIA READIES SPECIAL FORCES FOR SYRIA DUTY | [Tarpley.Net] RUSSIA REPORTEDLY PREPARING TWO DIVISIONS, SPETZNATZ BRIGADE FOR DEPLOYMENT TO SYRIA.

* SAME > [WSWS = World Socialist Web Site] RUSSIA PREPARES ARMY FOR SYRIAN DEPLOYMENT.

Putin has allgeedly ordered Russia's military to prep for various international missions outside of Russia, including [but not limited to] SYRIA.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-06-12 21:02  

#2  IMO this move is Moscow using the Assad Regime to break the Caucasus insurgencies "over there", i.e. the flow of $$$, arms, + fighters = support to Caucasus Militants from the Middle East proper. DITTO ALSO FOR PREVENTING ANY ESCALATION IN THE SYRIAN CRISIS VEE DE FACTO IRANIAN MIL INTERVENTION TO PROTECT ITS SYRIAN ALLY + [overland]STRATEGIC ACCESS TO THE MED.

IIUC, in MOSCOW'S MIND, any Iranian intervention in Syria will undoubtedly extend to the CAUCASUS + EX-SSRS in CENTASIA [CAR]. There is also WEST ASIA = Iran BFF Nuclear-armed Pakistan to consider.

NEO-OTTOMANISM [Turkey], vs. NEO-PERSIANISM [Iran], wid lots of overlapping ex-Territories, Ethno-similar Peoples claimed by One or Both.

IMO Moscow wants to nip things in the bud.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-06-12 20:29  

#1  Yeah but, IIRC, Putin wasn't all that happy with NATO bombing Libya either.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2012-06-12 16:27  

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