Cyprus-Forum.com

[Maximus]

and when their done I hope they enforce the UN resolution on Cyprus.

[Lordo]

so far the ruskies have attacked american allies in this civil war. how long before the yanks return favour and attack assad. now that will be interesting.

[Tim Drayton]

Russia, as with every other party, is acting in its self interest. Access by merchant shipping to the Mediterranean from its Black Sea ports is of life and death importance to Russia. To ensure this, a naval presence is also needed. Hence, the Russian naval bases on the Black Sea at Sevastapol and on the Mediterranean at Tartus are of great importance to the country. This explains the illegal annexing of Crimea and why Russia wants to keep the Assad dictatorship in power in Syria. There have also been suggestions that, in terms of domestic politics, Putin needs a new foreign adventure to cover up problems at home.

The Assad regime was instrumental in creating Daesh and it serves the regime's purpose greatly for this horrendous gang to remain in existence, because Assad can then promote his dictatorship as being the lesser of two evils. Daesh is also useful in that it attacks other opposition groups and Syrian regime forces rarely combat it. Curiously, it appears that the upper echelons of the Daesh leadership are stuffed full of former Iraqi Ba'athists. If Russia is there primarily to support Assad, it won't attack Daesh (although it will no doubt claim to be there to combat Daesh for propaganda purposes).

[Tim Drayton]

Plenty of analysts are saying that Russia appears to building up for something much bigger than just an areal assault on Daesh. For example:

Russian military buildup hints at wider war in Syria
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/s ... r-in-syria

On the other hand, Russian public opinion, in common with American public opinion, has no stomach for sending in ground troops and as we have already seen there is a limit to what can be achieved against irregular ground forces from the air.

[Tim Drayton]

I would have expected them to have made one symbolic attack on Daesh, though, before carrying out their main aim (which is attacking all of the other groups opposed to Assad).

If you look at the latest maps you’ll find that Al Nusra and the FSA are closest and more menacing to Assad than ISIS. I also believe they are better fighters than ISIS due to more experience and clearer goals.

Here's confirmation...

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) claims Russian warplanes attacked them in the countryside of the Hama Province, launching a number of missiles at their “headquarters” in the area, and wounding eight fighters. They insist that there is no ISIS presence anywhere around the targeted area.

http://news.antiwar.com/2015/09/30/west ... r-strikes/

I thought you claim that the US is behind Daesh. If so, why don't you want your beloved Russians to attack them?

[Tim Drayton]

I’ve just watched HD drone footage of the airstrikes. So far they’re mostly shrapnel-cluster bombings that seem to raise an entire square kilometer with each missile!

Now you want to see Syria destroyed? Oh, I see, it's good when your beloved Russians do it.

[Get Real!]

The Assad regime was instrumental in creating Daesh and it serves the regime's purpose greatly for this horrendous gang to remain in existence, because Assad can then promote his dictatorship as being the lesser of two evils. Daesh is also useful in that it attacks other opposition groups and Syrian regime forces rarely combat it. Curiously, it appears that the upper echelons of the Daesh leadership are stuffed full of former Iraqi Ba'athists. If Russia is there primarily to support Assad, it won't attack Daesh (although it will no doubt claim to be there to combat Daesh for propaganda purposes).

What a load of claptrap!

[Get Real!]

I thought you claim that the US is behind Daesh. If so, why don't you want your beloved Russians to attack them?

Who says they won't? Did you expect a Syria-wide attack in just half a day?

[Get Real!]

I’ve just watched HD drone footage of the airstrikes. So far they’re mostly shrapnel-cluster bombings that seem to raise an entire square kilometer with each missile!

Now you want to see Syria destroyed? Oh, I see, it's good when your beloved Russians do it.

Tim, just stay out of political discussions because you post bullshit.

[Get Real!]

Russia doesn’t care about labels like… FSA, Daish, ISIS, ISIL, because they know that deep down there are only two camps fighting in Syria… Pro-Assad and Anti-Assad!