Russia in Syria Continues"Unilateral Military" To Stop ISIS; Obama Runs to the UN.

"Tough" choices! This cartoon was published over a
year ago in a Russian Insider article titled
Only Russia Is Really Fighting Terrorism in Syria
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Today in Washington, D.C. - Sept. 28, 2015:
The House reconvened at Noon today. It is expected that the House will take up this after noon H.R. 1624 — "To amend title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to revise the definition of small employer." Also, the House has received from the Senate S.2082 - Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2015.

The Senate will reconvene at 4:30 PM today and resume consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 719, which is the vehicle for the continuing resolution (CR).

At 5:30, the Senate will vote on cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 719, with a further amendment containing the CR. This is a vote to cut off debate and move to a final vote on the CR, which will replace the text of H.R. 719. The CR would fund the government through mid-December.

The New York Times reports, “For the second time this month, Russia moved to expand its political and military influence in the Syria conflict and left the United States scrambling, this time by reaching an understanding, announced on Sunday, with Iraq, Syria and Iran to share intelligence about the Islamic State.

“Like Russia’s earlier move to bolster the government of President Bashar al-Assad by deploying warplanes and tanks to a base near Latakia, Syria, the intelligence-sharing arrangement was sealed without notice to the United States. American officials knew that a group of Russian military officers were in Baghdad, but they were clearly surprised when the Iraqi military’s Joint Operations Command announced the intelligence sharing accord on Sunday.

“It was another sign that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia was moving ahead with a sharply different tack from that of the Obama administration in battling the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, by assembling a rival coalition that includes Iran and the Syrian government.

“The effort, which Mr. Putin is expected to underscore in his speech at the United Nations on Monday, not only puts Moscow in a position to give military support to Mr. Assad, its longtime ally in the Middle East, but could also enable the Kremlin to influence the choice of a successor if Mr. Assad were to eventually leave power. . . .

“Even as the United States has banked on a diplomatic strategy of trying to enlist Russia’s cooperation in Syria, the Kremlin has continued to jolt the White House with its unilateral military and political moves.”

And according to a Friday report in the Los Angeles Times, “A secret U.S. intelligence assessment provided to the White House predicts that the Kremlin will order military strikes in Syria to help prop up President Bashar Assad's embattled government and to stop westward advances by Islamic State and other rebel groups.

“The airstrikes would be conducted by more than two dozen Russian warplanes that were surreptitiously flown to Syria over the last week.

“U.S. officials said the Russian pilots turned off their planes' transponders to avoid detection, and hid by flying in close formation with Russian AN-124 Condor cargo flights, which used commercial air corridors over Iraq and Iran.

“Russian-made surveillance drones began flying over embattled parts of northwest Syria this week to help identify potential targets, U.S. officials said. . . .

“According to U.S. officials, 28 Russian fighter and ground attack jets were flown to a civilian air strip in Latakia province since last Friday.

“The strip was upgraded over the last three weeks with a new air control tower, fresh tarmac and other modifications to handle the Russian warplanes, according to U.S. officials. Cargo planes delivered 16 helicopters, artillery and tanks two weeks ago. . . .

“Aerial images showing newly installed modular housing for 2,000 troops, and nine modern T-90 tanks, indicate that Russia is using its own soldiers and equipment, and not Syrian troops, to defend the base. The Syrian army operates older Russian tanks. . . .

“‘The Russians are going all in on behalf of Assad,’ said Christopher Harmer, a former Navy aviator at the Institute for the Study of War, a nonpartisan public policy group in Washington. Citing recent commercial satellite imagery, he added, The signal is they are here to stay.'”

Assad must surely be appreciative of the assistance from Moscow, but he’s not the only dangerous strongman welcoming the Russian intervention. The AP reported Friday, “The leader of Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah group has welcomed what he described as Russia’s growing ‘combat presence’ in Syria, saying it will have a significant impact on the war in the neighboring country. . . . Hassan Nasrallah says the deployment of Russian warplanes and precision missiles, as well as ‘resources with operating teams’ is a ‘great development’ that will influence the situation on the ground.”

Speaking at the United Nations today, President Obama said, “I stand before you today believing in my core that we, the nations of the world, cannot return to the old ways of conflict and coercion.” It appears that President Obama is again campaigning for a position at the UN.

Unfortunately, Vladimir Putin seems to disagree, and it is seriously concerning that the Obama administration continues to be surprised by this and the resulting behavior from Russia.

What did Mr. Obama  expect with regards to Syria being threatened and attacked by Iranian backed ISIS when President Obama has done little to aid Iraq, Syria, or the rest of the region to stop Iranian backed ISIS.  Obama has tied the hands of the U.S. military in what very limited actions we can undertake.   “Nature abhors a vacuum!”  And that is exactly what President Obama has created through failed leadership to stop ISIS and playing footsie with Iran.

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