Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council at the National defence control centre in Moscow, Russia, March 11, 2016. REUTERS/MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN
Reuters: Putin orders start of Russian forces' withdrawal from Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered his military to start the withdrawal of the main part of Russia's forces from Syria, saying that the Russian military intervention had largely achieved its objectives.
Putin, at a meeting in the Kremlin with his defense and foreign ministers, said the pullout should start from Tuesday. He also ordered that Russia intensify its role in the peace process to end the conflict in Syria.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had telephoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to inform him of the Russian decision.
Read more ....
Update #1: Putin orders start of Russian military withdrawal from Syria, says ‘objectives achieved’ -- RT
Update #2: Putin Orders ‘Main Part’ of Russian Army to Start Syria Pullout -- Bloomberg
WNU Editor: This is a breaking news story. It will be updated in the next few hours.
18 comments:
Possible respons:
1. Objectives reached
2. Out of money
3. Something else is about to happen...
...this will be interesting.
I'll go with number 3
I'm pretty sure Putin made this decision after finding out that Monmouth didn't make the NCAA tournament...no march madness for the Hawks, no more Russians in Syria.
I wonder...
US air bases in northeast Syria being built one month ago.
Turkish designs to stop Kurdish state.
Very large Saudi led coalition in exercises on the border with movement of planes and equipment to Turkey.
Israeli PM cancels trip to US.
Putin's deployment is only 10,000 or so strong... Maybe they've not been as successful as they say.
Move along nothing to see here
Objective completed syria will have a political transition and turkey won.
Putin could have prevented all of the above if necvessary hes probably struck some deal with u.s about how and when a transition will occur in syria and in exchange hes got a wishlist of concessions
I'm not a warmonger, but I see these peacetalks just a show for the common with no goals to achive. I still see the peacefull "political" translation as a no-way option, because of the hatred in the fighting forces, none of those people (except a part of civilians) would accept the other side as a "leading force" of the country. As it was stated by Russia, their objectives were partly done, areas of Latakia (Al-Furlq forest, Turkmen mnt.) just got liberated, the Aleppo front shifted, and the frontlines in the rest of the country got static, while SAA started to push back IS forces. These are all great achivments.
So far Russia just announced the call back their ground forces (such as special forces unit, probably advisers and officers who were on the frontlines with SAA to train and coordinate them), but thats messy a lot, because it's almost impossible to tell who operate a given vehicles, or who fight on the frontline. A large amount of modern vehicles, T90s, BTR82, TOS, communication and jamming vehicles, artillery radars and so on, got in the hands of SAA and other (mainly Shia) militias, and those forces would still remain on the front. How many adviser will stay? I would say still a lot. Air force still remain, and I expect the airstrikes to continue even more if the peace talks fail.
Fighting for 5 years, having all those losses, and being in a not so bad situation for SAA, why would Russia get rid of Assad just now? I just do not see the picture get together for this option. I do not think Russia would let Turkey to get the upper hand on this conflict, neigther to let the Saudis do so. The fight against IS is still would take a year or two, so it's just weird to me. Saying something to the public is a thing, but the fightings will show the result, and I expect litle to none changes. Also it's just an announcement, timed to the peacetalks.
Putin cannot withdraw is main force to Syria without achieving main objectives and concession for Russia.
And some of the military deployment remain to survey that.
This move force Assad to negotiate and left no terrain for the hawks of NATO against Russian intervention in Syria.
But maybe the point 3: Something else is about to happen.
The terrorist attack in Ankara... this reminds me of what happened in my Italy at the end of 1969.
Something very, very nasty.
The Ukraine.
Watch the price of oil move up.
1). The Peace Talks are starting and "Assad must go and Syria must be de-ba-athifid" is off the table.
2). While Iran and Russia are going to continue to press for the YPG's inclusion, until that happens, the YPG has agreed to be represented by the Assad Government and Russia.
3). The strongest Syrian Contingent at the Peace Talks is now the Assad Government, and the "Syrian Opposition" is going to have a hard time maintaining any unity at the Table, given their lack of unity on the ground.
4). The Russian "withdrawl", does not include their airbases, naval base, the ground forces and assets protecting those bases, the Military Deconfliction Teams, the Spetnaz units conducting anti-ISIS and anti- al Nusra operations, the MTM teams training the SAA and SAAF, and in total, probably amounts to less than 1,000 "specialists" and Advisors embedded in support of the SAA.
4). ISIS holdings in Syria have been almost severed in two, and almost severed from their supply lines, the al-Nusra territories have been cut in two, surrounded and severed from their supply lines, and the YPG/SFA and the SAA Offenses are continuing.
5). Somewhere between 97 and 112 "moderate" jihadi's have accepted the Cessation Agreement and have agreed that the Syrian People will decide the next Surian Government and it won't be a Caliphinate.
6). Some 37 "moderate" jihadi groups have attended the Russian run Deconfliction Process and are in the process of disarming some of their forces and embedding the rest into joint jihadi/SPDF security teams.
7). The Cessation agreement has divided the jihadi's into "actual moderates", who are part of the Peace Process, and ISIS/al Nusra and their allies.
"Moderate" jihadi
The quotation marks are critical.
'only to you'
It's actually in common use on the web, a form of snark in contrast to the Saudi, Turkish, US, Isreali, British and French Government's pundits, Thinktanks, ex-Generals and the MSM's deeply held belief in the oxymoron that is their use of the term moderate jihadi.
Jay
this premature decision from the Russian federation doesn't have nothing to do with the heat up of the South East Asia .maybe the attention is shifting to that area.
In recent days the U.S. have moved B2 to Diego Garcia and some B1B to Australia maybe .
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/what-does-russian-syria-pullback-mean-and-entail/ri13356
In Putin's own statements, the air bases and air operations are staying, along with the naval base, so the missile cruisers in the Gulf and the S-400 are staying, and the Russian Naval Infantry that protect the bases are staying,
So what's actually being withdrawn?
The Russian footprint in Syria is tiny and has been tiny, 50 combat aircraft and between 4,000 and 6,000 soldiers, airmen and specialists.
So it's going to be an "Obama" style withdrawl like in Afghanistan where 10,000 troops and 30,000 PMC's remained, or like Iraq where 20,000 troops and 40,000 PMC's still remain.
Strikes me as another hit and run which makes sense given the enemies arrayed against Russia. "We'll" just never know when and where she's going to duck in right quick and throw that left hook.
We saw this same kind of thing in the Ukraine. Apply just enough force at just the right time to turn things around and get people to the table where their true strength lies. Meanwhile, they make sure their allies are set up well enough militarily to put up a fight on their own. All with the understanding that Russia can show up as a force multiplier at any time if need be.
Must be nice not to have "progressive" (whatever that means) stuffed shirts as leaders.
Post a Comment