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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Ralph Peters: Putin had to approve Russian attack on US troops
2018-02-14
[NYP] It was inevitable. Russian "mercenaries" attacked a forward base in Syria where they knew American advisors were stationed. It was a test. And our military passed.

Let’s hope the administration passes, too.

The core of the attacking force came from the Wagner Group, Russia’s version of the American thugs who worked for the company formerly known as Blackwater. But while the media refers to the Russians as mercenaries, the Wagner Group functions as an auxiliary of the Russian military ‐ it previously gave command performances in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. It exists to give Moscow (barely) plausible deniability.

It also allows the Kremlin to avoid reporting formal military casualties. Putin remembers the popular disaffection in the 1980s because of the "zinky boys," the young Russian soldiers returning home in zinc coffins in large numbers.

But the bottom line is that these killers ‐ primarily ethnic Russians, but also recruited regionally ‐ work for Putin. Russian suggestions that this was a rogue operation are ludicrous: An armored task force including hundreds of Russian citizens doesn’t attack US troops and blindside Putin. Doesn’t work that way, comrade.
Posted by:Besoeker

#13  The Iranians want a 'land bridge' to the Med. The pesky Kurds stand in the way.

A Kurdistan including northern Iraq and northern Syria, stretching all the way to the Med is probably the only feasible viable state that wouldn't be Uncle Sam's permanent ward.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2018-02-14 15:58  

#12  RE Blackwater

RE Russian Mercs

Posted by: newc   2018-02-14 15:55  

#11  Besoeker, they don't want a grubby little 'land bridge'... They want the return of the Persian Empire from the Indus River to the Hellespont. Of course Turkey has its own fantasies, too...
Posted by: magpie   2018-02-14 15:37  

#10  The Iranians want a 'land bridge' to the Med. The pesky Kurds stand in the way.
Posted by: Besoeker   2018-02-14 15:27  

#9  We don't want to fight but by Jingo if we do
We've got the ships, we've got the men, we've got the money too
We've fought the Bear before, and while we're Britons true
The Russians shall not have Constantinople. --Jingoism
Does Colonel Peters want to escalate our involvement in the ongoing Syrian Civil War to outright hostilities with a Soviet Russian Proxy? What is our Grand Strategy in this mess?
Posted by: magpie   2018-02-14 15:22  

#8  The question is whether Trump had to personally approve the response. My inclination is to say yes, given that everyone knew this was a Russian unit in drag.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2018-02-14 13:19  

#7  So do you people know or not know our intelligence community is trying to start a war with Russia? This kind of bullshit is how they do it. And here you are cheering them on. Shame!
Posted by: Harcourt Angoluting9366   2018-02-14 10:58  

#6  I agree with the author's take on the "mercs" doing this with the approval and encouragement of Putin.

This was a test to see how our military does with local forces and how the administration reacts.

So far both have passed with flying colors. Wanna double down on conventional fights Putie?
Posted by: DarthVader   2018-02-14 09:37  

#5  Although he never claimed to 'shoot anyone in the face' or write books about his exploits whilst in uniform......the author's service was entirely commendable I assure you.

State Department and Klingon betrayal is a given within the community. They routinely bugger their own. Everyone is a potential source. The buggering of contractors goes without mention.
Posted by: Besoeker   2018-02-14 08:42  

#4  ...I don't always agree with COL Peters, but when the man's right, he's right.

I would also point out that there's been no ranting about this from Washington, which leads me to believe that Chaos Actual is out in front on this one. We sent a message, too: "Go for it. Otherwise, we're prepared to forget this unpleasant accident."

There's also two variables at work here, both on the Soviet Russian side: First, the desire to get even. But the other is a little more difficult to assess - the fact that there are now a lot of Soviet Russian soldiers who have just seen, far more up close and personal than they would have liked, what the US military can do when the gloves are off. The last time they got a good look at this was during Desert Storm, and the report the Soviet Defense Ministry gave to the Politburo afterwards pulled no punches - they no longer felt capable of defeating the Americans conventionally, and whatever edge they had in nuclear weapons was being eroded even faster. That report is considered to be an important cog in the process that led to the Soviets giving in.

Do they try to double down? If so, they will be risking an appreciable fraction of Russia's out-of-the-backyard deployable strength just to get to a level where they can safely take a shot at it again. And losing that - or even a fair amount of it, even if they could somehow claim a 'win' would be worse than just walking away and dropping the subject.

Interesting times.

Mike

Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2018-02-14 08:37  

#3  Blackwater were thugs?

Weird thing for Peters to say about his fellow veterans, especially when they chose to continue serving in combat roles and he went on to the dangerous realms of op eds and green rooms.

Blackwater's mistake was not realizing State would hand them to the wolves the moment they were in a bind.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2018-02-14 08:32  

#2  I don't know Mr. B. Reads like a hit piece. "lets hope the administration passes, too". Venting all over the place but all I see are speculations.
Posted by: Dale   2018-02-14 08:29  

#1  I suspect you can take this one to the bank.
Posted by: Besoeker   2018-02-14 08:01  

00:00