Moscow's Fear Of Jihad Is What Is Driving Moscow's Policy On Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin (RIA Novosti/Aleksey Nikolskyi)

What Putin Wants: Moscow's Fear of Jihad Drives Policy on Syria -- Uwe Klussmann, Spiegel Online

Russian President Vladimir Putin is clearly enjoying his role as a key player in the Syrian conflict. But Moscow also has a very real concern: If Islamist extremism prevails in Syria, there could be serious consequences for Russia.

Whenever Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a proposal, skepticism is the first reaction from the West. This week has provided the most recent example: He had hardly finished making his suggestion that Syrian chemical weapons be put under international control before German weekly Die Zeit wrote of "Russia's cynical game in the Middle East" and the daily Süddeutsche Zeitung wondered "if it was a feint from Moscow." In a piece for the New York Times on Thursday, Putin sought to explain his position to the global public.

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My Comment: Many Russians do not understand America's political correctness when it comes to radical Islam and jihad. On the other side .... many in the U.S. do not understand Russia's deep concerns on Jihad and radical Islam. I guess geography and history has a lot to do with this .... but it is a fundamental difference on how both powers view the Middle East .... and with the U.S. playing a minimal role in the Middle East, Russia has certainly stepped into this vacuum and it is they who are now dictating the course of events on Syrian today.