Statement by the general command of the army and the armed forces:
The oldest flight called the international coalition this afternoon to target one of our fighter planes in the south raqqa region during its execution is a combat mission against ISIS terrorist organization in the area leading to the crash and loss of the pilot.
This blatant attack confirms beyond doubt the fact that the American position in support of terrorism is the object of an attempt to influence the ability of the Syrian Arab army to have the sole power of its allies to combat terrorism throughout the country’s territory. This attack comes at a time when the Syrian Arab army and its allies are making clear progress in fighting the terrorist organization of ISIS, which is into in the Syrian golan over a trend.
It also confirms the coordination between the United States of America and ISIS terrorist organization, and exposes the malicious intentions of the United States of America in the management and investment of terrorism to achieve its objectives in passing the American Zionist project in the region.
The General Leadership of the army and the armed forces, warning of the grave consequences of this blatant attack on counter-terrorism efforts, confirms that such attacks will not falter in their determination and determination to continue the war against ISIS and the the and associated groups. To Restore Security and stability to all the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Damascus, 18 June 2017
source: https://www.facebook.com/mod.gov.sy/posts/771450456348226
This latest attack has to be seen in the context of the statement by Russia’s Defence ministry in which they say –
“In fact, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs Vladimir Jabarov declared right after the first incident that “Russia has no intentions to use its Aerospace Forces against US missiles if Washington decides to carry out new strikes in Syria as it could lead to a large-scale war”, thereby confirming that there’s close to no chance that Russia would come to Syria’s aid if the US unleashed HIMARS against Deir az-Zor-destined SAA forces. Despite this unfavorable state of affairs, Damascus more than likely won’t be discouraged, and could still very well make a dash for the desert town regardless of the HIMARS hindrance. Even in the event that its soldiers are martyred, Syria might be calculating that their sacrifices would be worth it if there’s even a slight possibility that they can help delay the country’s post-war “decentralization” and de-facto internal partition”
from – http://www.globalvillagespace.com/syrias-dash-deir-az-zor-americas-himars-missiles-threaten-progress/
The above referenced by Andrew Korybko.
I won’t say anything intemperate just ask if people here still think Syria can prevail. The US can destroy Syria whenever and if ever it chooses.
Russia will bomb terrorists but never defend Syria against the US military and they have announced this fact to the world.
Yes,Russia just refuses to understand that by not defending your allies you will end with no allies when your “time” comes. The US has zero reason to stop their aggression since Russia has given them the leeway to continue it.Its almost as big an error as Stalin made before Barbarossa. There needs to be a translation in Russian sent to Putin of the saying,”fool me once shame on you. But fool me twice (we are running out of times now) and shame on me”.
This is really bad news, because it means the Russians have no real capacity to defend their allies when push comes to shove. The US will just up the ante. As Syria is dismantled, then it will be Irans turn and finally Russia. The global hegemon cannot be resisted it seems. And China won’t step up to the plate. Wouldn’t be surprised if they turn on Russia?
Uncle Bob 1 – Right. The benefits to Russia of the Syrian engagement are several.
In Syria Russia has been enabled to rotate thousands of it’s troops giving them real battle experience and they have also tested hundreds of weapon systems in war situations.
They have acquired a beefed up naval base on the Med and an airbase in Syria they didn’t have before.
They have destroyed huge numbers of terrorists thus preserving (they hope) Russia from similar attacks.
As a result they have also been able to sell weapons systems benefitting their economy and massively leveraging their global standing as a world power.
Thanks to the Russians the Syrians have regained a good portion of their country back.
However if Russia is only attacking terrorists on the ground this leaves Syria facing the mighty US and NATO all alone. ( with Iran).
Syria is three quarters rubble, it’s army well depleted.
It has virtually no air defenses that work (removed – please stop these unsubstantiated statements about what the Russians have said – either back up your slander with facts or refrain from these comments. Mod.)
Russia has been doing – tv shows, interviews with famous film producers etc all of which may be good PR but changes nothing because the west gives absolutely nothing in return.
Indeed today Strategic Culture Org reports new US military bases and radars going into Norway, a complete departure from Norway’s hitherto position.
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/06/18/norway-way-become-unfriendly-neighbor-in-russia-eyes.html
The west continues on it’s relentless path whilst clearly Russia continues to believe they can be persuaded to be reasonable. Will they ever learn?
The US is torn with internal strife right now but as soon as they get their act together they will carry on with their stated aim of destroying Syria and Iran before finishing off Russia which as you say won’t have single ally. China of course is nowhere to be seen.
I have read here that the Russians are great strategists. Could someone please explain how you win a war by shooting the mercenaries whilst leaving the entire machinery behind it – the US and NATO – intact.?
Maybe, just maybe, if they had shot down one of the US planes which recently bombed the Syrians the US would have got the message that they mean business.
The US is getting a different message though.
As usual the Anti-Putin/Russia bashers above are proved wrong yet again!
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706191054760684-russia-us-syria-deconfliction-channel/
The Russians have now answered the US – no co-operation; any coalition planes and drones will be intercepted – basically a no fly zone will now be in affect; the US never contacted the Russians before shooting down the Syrian plane.
The Russian MOD saying its an “Act of Aggression”
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706191054760519-russia-mod-syria-jet-downing/
This is all hot air from the Russian MOD. They will never engaged the americans to start WW3. In unfortunate incidents such as this the MOD will blabber statements of bravado harping their air defense systems but will never use it when push comes to shove. Check the latest statement carefully, it says
“In areas where Russian aviation is conducting combat missions in the Syrian skies, any flying ojects, including jets and unmanned aerial vehicles of the international coalition discovered west of the Euphrates River will be followed by Russian air and ground defenses as air targets,” the Russian Defense Ministry announced.”
note the word “Russian aviation”… tsk tsk…common sense tell me that they will only protect themselves not the Syrian aviation which the americans are always targeting.
Russian Missile Defense to Track US-Led Coalition Aircraft in Syria – MoD
“In areas where Russian aviation is conducting combat missions in the Syrian skies, any flying ojects, including jets and unmanned aerial vehicles of the international coalition discovered west of the Euphrates River will be followed by Russian air and ground defenses as air targets,” the Russian Defense Ministry announced.
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706191054760684-russia-us-syria-deconfliction-channel/
the americans are smart. its pilots will stay on the “Eastern side of the Euphrates” and start shooting Syrian planes from there. never the Russians will fire back. yes it will only do up to tracking but no shooting. that is the hard reality now.
@uncle Bob
No. No. No. Looking at just Syria, you miss the other stuff that’s going on.
The question is NOT whether Russia will/will not defend its allies, including Syria.
Russia’s only concern (which is not the same as Syria’s, or yours) is whether or not Russia will win out against a concerted effort to undermine, destroy, partition and plunder Russia.
The US strategy was to take over the gas pipes from Russia to Europe (Ukraine coup), Russia’s biggest customer, and then remove Assad’s impedance of a Qatar – Europe gas highway. This US controlled alternative supplier for Europe (stupidly fully supported by the EU) would in one fell swoop cut Russia’s GDP by half.
In Jan (of this year) the object beneficiary of the destruction of Syria, namely Qatar, was allowed to buy nearly 20% of Rosnef, the biggest state owned Russian gas producer. This deal united the two largest gas producers in the world, and ended the Neocon pipeline project via Syria. Most noticeably, Turkey also came to defense of Qatar, sending its military. This is what the recent pillorying and sabre rattling towards Qatar has been about.
All in all, the US are losing / have lost by the speed and breadth of the Russian game. They can’t lay waste to Qatar, of course, because it is home to a huge US military base – the US presence there almost guarantees the stability of the Rosnef – Qatar deal.
All that is happening in Syria now is the humiliation of the US. 100,000 troops can’t achieve their pipeline objective and a choke hold on Russia. They are now working on giving Israel the Golan heights, plus shipping their jihadist mercenaries wherever next they need them, like the Philippines. That’s about it.
America should never have made Israel its only ally. They hold the world record for having their arse royally handed to them.
How’s Russia not defending her allies? What is she doing in Syria in your opinion? Or do you want Russia to shoot down US jets and start ww3? It’s a very careful balancing act. I cannot believe the armchair generals who refuse to see the danger of the situation.
What is missing in this analysis by Andrew is Iran.
The moves by Iran today with a missile attack into ISIS at Deir ez Zor, and the PMUs it has employed at the Iraq-Syria border and into the zone of al Tanf indicate that Iran and the Quds and Hezbollah will fight with Syria against the US.
How much of the US is artillery and some air power and how much is on the ground?
The US can do heavy damage, but the ground will not be theirs without a commitment of troops.
I think everything changes when the US takes some missiles incoming. And both Hezbollah and Iran are very capable of achieving those strikes.
How long did it take to destroy Libya with NATO bombing, NATO special forces on the ground and an army of terrorists?
No full on US army invasion needed.
Now the US has been given the green light and as VK says they will up the anti. from now on.
What nonsense! Libya did not have Iranian and Russian assistance.
A cursory look at the map shows that the Syrian army has made great strides in recent months and a single downed fighter jet will not change the military calculus all that much, though it may suggest things are ready to heat up. At some point the Russians will have to make a stark choice, confront the US and its proxies directly or back away. What Putin does next remains to be seen.
I think you are wrong here. Th US has been defeated in its wish for a Qatar-Europe gas pipe line. The partition plan is pure Zionism, and a very difficult sell.
and those missiles flying to Deir-ez-Zor during a joint military naval training with the PLA in the strait. clear signal. china shows where her support will be landed if things get ugly.
Russia should enforce a no-fly zone there like in the 50s over Korea when Russian MiGs shot down over 1000 US pilots until Washington got the message.
“The air battle of Black Tuesday would forever change the USAF’s conduct of strategic aerial bombardment. The B-29s would no longer fly daytime sorties into MiG Alley. North Korean towns and villages would no longer be carpet bombed and napalmed by the Americans. Thousands of civilians were out of the firing line.
But most importantly, the bravery and skills of the Russian detachment to Korea may have prevented another world war. Kramarenko explains: “The B-29 was a strategic bomber, in other words, a carrier of atomic bombs. In a Third World War – on the brink of which we were – these bombers were meant to strike at the cities of the Soviet Union with nuclear bombs. Now it turned out these huge planes were defenceless against jet fighters, being far inferior to them in speed and armament.”
Clearly, none of the B-29s had a chance of flying more than 100 km into the vastness of the Soviet Union and remaining unscathed. “It can be said with confidence that the Soviet airmen who fought in Korea, causing so much damage to the enemy’s bomber aviation, had put off the threat of a Third World War, a nuclear war, for a long time,” says Kramarenko.”
https://www.rbth.com/blogs/continental_drift/2017/03/23/mig-alley-how-air-war-over-korea-became-bloodbath-west-725501
They will not only prevail – they will thrive !!
Iran just launched groud-to-ground missile strikes from Iran against US-ally terror targets in Syria. The zionist puppet parliament in Washington and Trump will declare these missile strikes as direct proof of Iran’s clear and present danger to the ‘master race’ HQed in Israel.
America’s coming invasion and decapacitation strike in Syria, to destroy Assad and the current Syrian leadership, is the first step on the road to war with Iran. The USA will spend two weeks exterminating all traces of the Syrian government while Russia withdraws its forces to ‘safe spaces’. And during that two weeks, America will ensure its invasion forces clash with Iranian units as much as possible.
America’s destrucion of the Syrian warplane is yet another ‘proving’ act designed to convine the doubters at the top of the US military that Putin will not confront the invading force. Iran’s use of the missiles is helpless ‘posturing’ designed to make America think twice. Iran intends the message to be that Israel will not be safe, but the USA does not care. All the USA cares about in this circumstance is the ‘safety’ of its invading units- and without Russian assistance, America will grind to dust any Iranian opposition in Syria.
Israel will not directly engage in the invasion of Syria, so any Iranian strikes on Israel as a result will simply make Iran look criminal in the eyes of the sheeple- and the zionist demons that head Israel will be safe in their bunkers anyway. They actually want Iran to hit Israel.
No, the game is Russia’s to lose, and Russia’s alone. Today’s Russia is history’s worst ally- for Russia will do nothing against the Empire of the West to help its so-called ‘allies’.
PS understand that the very moment any anti-Russian/anti-Syrian propaganda gets significant traction with the sheeple of the West, the invasion is on. The invasion force is ready and waiting in Jordan, and lesser West nations are moving their forces into Jordan on a daily basis. This anti-syrian invasion force is going to be as multi-national as that in the first Gulf War by the look of it, and Putin’s choices in Syria are helping it magnify.
@ twilight
Calm down.
America imagines it needs a bigger war than Syria, or Iran or the Philippines for that matter, to restore its fortunes. It needs a direct conflict with the challengers to its petrodollar lifeblood, Russia and China. The very fact that Russia repeatedly says ‘do what you will, we are not engaging’ is the only rational, tactical response. It 1) leaves it perfectly obvious to all that the US is an aggressor nation 2) has defeated the US objectives in Ukraine and now in Syria 3) has so far stopped the really big war that Clinton was almost certainly looking to start.
Also, some knowledge of history must circle the US corridors. In 1910 the UK government was all but broke and needed justification for a direct confrontation with the challengers (Austria, Germany, Hungary, Turkey) to its life-blood (East Africa and India) as the Germans rushed to extend the trans siberian railway to the Gulf and the British oil fields. It would have given them faster access to the jewels of our empire and to the new fuel. Franz Ferdinand gave the excuse, and our first troops deployed – the 2nd Devonshires and the Indian expeditionary force – went not to EUrope, but to Basra and that railway. Remember Lawrence of Arabia. Part of the same scheme.
The British went to war to restore a lost status quo. It cost us EVERYTHING. Same goes for the US. Not all of them are so dumb as to repeat that folly.
I hope.
The escalation will happen in the North of my beloved Syria, I’m assured of this.
I’m not even afraid of the consequences, as the destruction of the enemy of good and humanity give me more joy…no matter how much of our blood needs to be spilled, we are conscious and ready, the sacrifices of all the martyrs that paid the price and those that follow on their path in the near future will not go in vain !
The RuAF will have to fly these missions once there aren’t enough Syrian jets/pilots left. That will change the situation quite a bit.
Exactly. The Russians will fly. And the Iranians and their proxies will move on the ground. And more powerful missiles and rockets will be the major exchanges with the US-Coalition.
As for an invasion force from Jordan, a few missiles will stop that.
The de-escalation zone in that corner of Syria is a free-fire zone against any force that does not stand down. Turkey-Iran and Russia have agreed on that stipulation.
Al Tanf will become a boiler, US artillery or not.
Iran’s missile attack serves notice that no US base will be safe above ground in the East or South.
CENTCOM wants a war and so does Israel. It looks like Syria and Iran will give it to them. They have no choice.
If so Ivan sits in catbird position, and this seems very interesting. suppose 4Reich is beaten to standstill, or defeated…then…ah!…Ivan employs diplomacy…or Justice…it depends…
Ivan also has thumb on scale…is decider of equilibrium…
Note, defeat may not be in theater alone, as Strategy lies in the indirect…and we are watching a Judo Master.
Defeat of Reich involves dollar…ie when a beer in new york costs one ruble…
Yes – and somewhere along the way Israel will remember that it wanted a war in 2006 and Hezbollah kicked its ass so badly that it’s been afraid ever since. This time, if the war is against Iran and Syria and Hezbollah, I don’t believe Israel can remain safe from attack. And as for escalation by the US, there’s a limit to how far that can go before the US public notices. Body bags will tell.
Sooner or later, the US will take a military humiliation in public, beyond the power of its MSM to hide it from the people, and sufficient for every nation in the world to despise it – many openly.
The only question has been, where and when will this occur?
Is technical possibility of, as at Salamis, a massive naval defeat of the Great King…
The key feature of the sea peoples, the white tigers, is their dependence of ships…this cannot have been ignored by the land power that suffered defeat at Salamis, and Thermopylae
It looks like this might be our last year on Earth, Comrades…
Pax
LZ99
No, LZ99, this won’t be our last year on Earth. God, Almighty Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth, will not allow us to destroy the Earth. He’ll allow us to severely damage it, but He won’t allow us to destroy it. I believe we are at the start of the End Times, the final Epoch. This period will last several centuries.
Pax Christi,
Brian
Well, Friend, while there’s life, there’s also hope, which, they say, dies last.
Last time me n G-d had a chat (Quaker at this end, but I studied with a Rabbi) …last time me an the Fella chatted he whispered “timshel”…
Quakers maintain direct links, there is no Church… We pray, and listen…and use the tools we have…like seeing and thinking and using maths and logic and history…
Timshel.
Whdda ya ‘spose that means, Comrade?
Pax, LZ
Look what has not happened rather than the downing of one Syrian jet. How many Syrian jets are still flying?…How many SAA units have retreated? Did any of the US posturing stop Iran from launching missiles at the US proxies in Syria?
A very clear message has been sent by Iran. If the US attacks they will get the same treatment the occultists got in 2006. None of their forces will be safe any where from a rain of ballistic missiles. Regardless of US air power it will still mean thousands of US troops killed – and not over years like in Iraq but in a matter of days.
Even now the Syrian and Russian air defenses are keeping the US and the zionist trolls at bay – if they could have the anglo/zionists would have long ago started a relentless bombing assault against Syria as they did in Iraq.
No matter how much support the US and the occultists can garner through propaganda that will change nothing in the ME – their troops will be slaughtered in numbers to great to hide and much more disastrous for the oligarchy will be a direct attacked on the zionists by Hezbollah and the SAA into Galilee.
Any US invasion will turn into a blood bath of WW2 scale – this will even eclipse Vietnam at the height of combat. The US is simply not prepared to take those kind of losses no matter how much hasbara and bravado is delivered by the presstitute MSM.
The war in Syria is a nasty ground war being fought against Syria by the US and their zionist masters – using their own troops and mercs and they are losing. Throwing more troops and a direct attack will solve nothing for the empire of chaos – it will however, create a much wider war in the ME that will end the occupation of Palestine and sweep aside all the zionist vassal stooges in the region. The Russians are sitting back waiting for the zionists to take the bait.
I agree. This means something quite different to me than as it is played in the MSM. Noteworthy that one jet was brought down *after* the Qatar-Iran link started to develop.
Putin’s game was judo, since the age of 12. Judo is a defensive sport where you let the opponent over-reach before you neutralize him. I do not think we have a clue regarding the capability of Russia’s air defense systems. i think if the US is suckered into ;launching a massive air strike, we will see massive losses over Syrian territory, which is enough probably to topple the military in this country.
I do not doubt this and have not since the when Trump told the generals it was their war to plan. Suspect Trump has a clue.
Not only Judo, also Sambo…listen fellas, he’s a nice guy, but he’s able to kill – just as the rest of humanity is – and he know how to do it. Later he’ll pray…I mean this seriously. Do not estimate a man like Comrade Putin – he does not like it, but he can do his duty really well. If he has to kill, he’ll do it.
Anybody who has been in the real world knows you do not cross a tough little guy, especially a Slavic little guy. And especially a Slavic Colonel of KGB who has (it is said) been (somewhat quietly?) been crowned Byzantine Emperor…the business at Mt Athos not long ago.
Anyway, common sense says he’ll do what duty calls for according to the situation.
I look for, in present example, Iran and Hezbollah to do the first part, then, after the ships are smoking…in rides the sane diplomat, with a serious army, on his white “horse” (well, a big brown bear maybe… hehehe)
Of course, everybody does love surprises…
I recommend listening to all 4 hours of the Putin-Stone interview. He refuses to reveal his beliefs about what is about to happen to the US, but repeats several times that US lacks a generation-long strategy.
He definitely sounds like a judo player watching his opponent throw wild punches that practically throw themselves out of balance.
wild punch = incoherence
incoherence…
Comrades, kindly consider the implication that word encapsulates and conveys…
If a State, or an Empire, becomes “incoherent” it is not “coherent”, is it?
If a condition of coherent organization is gone, then, by definition, that organization is also gone. The pieces evidently, like the organs of a body, continue for a time to live in the dying corpse…but they can no longer contribute to the political or economic life of the organization.
And yes, the Policies and Actions are entirely incoherent.
What follows is obvious…
Such Times!
Pax
I have no idea why Damascus does not give usa coalition 72 hours to leave Syria, declare at UN any continuing occupation will be treated as a declaration of war…and V V P publicly go onto TV to say he has informed Trump that usa is in an illegal occupation operating without UN mandate and refusing to liaise with Russia and Damascus , and communicating and has proof of the origination and complicity with Daesh-etc eg ISIS white helmets, that it appears there are rogue military elements in the usa military as it seems to me within Syria acting with other countries in some secret strategy which should be revealed etc….put DT on the spot he is either chief of the military or not, make it publicly to the world very plain what the situation is….after all what he has got left to lose-more sanctions against Russia and Crimea? Time to give EU who just are sqealing a bit and ignoring offers to combat terorism final warning co-operate or else fighting terrorism will be on Russians and associates terms only…..??????
May I ask what you are referring to? I try to look it up without much success. Thank you in advance.
I think he is referring to the IDF defeat at the hand of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
The iof got a super beating in Lebanon both in 2000 and 2006 – especially in 2006 when they turned and ran leaving behind tanks and heavy equipment that had to be bombed by their own air force to keep it of Hezbollah’s hands. And it was a super beating by the Hezbollah B-Team – since when would the baby killers turn and run unless they had to. Barely a few kilometres into Lebanon and the chosen were taking heavy losses.
The entity is finish – absolutely done and they know it – hence the merc invasion of Syria with US special forces. That is all the oligarchy has – is to off shore their fighting to animals from Tunisia to Chechnya. Remind you of the late Roman Empire – it should – once you have to hire criminals and gangsters to do your fighting the game is up.
Syria is nothing but a distraction to buy the entity more time – to offset the final war with Hezbollah where the resistance will roll right into Tel Aviv. Everyone in the sheeple west is in denial – perhaps not Trump since he made his money with distressed property deals?
There are many forces and dynamics in play in Syria, but I think I agree with your take. I think I agree because of the multi-national/collective/regional/allied/coordinated resistance. In particular, if the Iraqi military/PMUs get involved in repelling the US from regional military presence. I think the “The Iraqis are attacking us [in Iraq]!” fact would be impossible to ignore even by presstitutes. That single fact – if reported even a little bit – has the power to bring the whole current perpetual war enterprise crashing down.
I am not sure if you people get it. There is more and more pressure put on Russia the closer the football championships.
This is one of the main reasons for Russia to avoid throwing tens of billions of dollars down the drain.
Things will change after the games, if they ever come to fruition.
The question is ” To be or not to be”.
Well can’t say I am surprised – the US always attacks when sports events are on….Beijing, Sochi, Confederation Cup……
They want to provoke a bigger conflict and break-up Syria before the political talks. They want the Kurds to control the area. But they have exposed themselves as terrorist supporters – its clear for everyone to see.
Iran has sent a strong message to the US (this would not have been done without their allies knowledge). The US is not some invincible force that some commenters above seem to think. Russia’s role is to avoid WW3 with the insane people running the US. Syria,Iran, Hezbollah etc. will carry on their fight and Russia will help too.
I notice the upsurge with some commenters trying the age old tactic of divide and conquer – they are as bad as the US and their MSM with their Russia bashing and don’t seem to have read and taken on board anything Saker has said….but hey…that’s their schtick.
The US is calling Russia’s bluff on Syria and Putin will have to decide if Russian sacrifices to date in Syria is something worth defending, or if under the pretex of avoiding an all out war with the US.
This is a dirty deed perpetrated by the US against Syria today and it demands a qualified response from Syria and its allies.
If weakness is shown here it will invite reckless impunity on the part of those trying to tear Syria apart.
Iran gave the response on behalf of the Syrian coalition/allies. Mod
Putin kept on giving the Israelis a free pass to attack the SAA and Hezbollah under various pretexes of “weapons transfer to Hezbollah”.
It was a poor decision to leave those fighting shoulder to shoulder with you expose to attacks from the enemy.
Russia keeps saying that its defense assets are there to protect Russians and this policy needs to change.
Russia needs to either announce that its assets are there to defend Russians and all those fighting alongside them or they maintain that line, but ensure that Russian servicemen are placed within these units coming undet US attack, thereby giving Russia a legitimate reason to defend against such attacks.
I bet you that the minute US forces take a direct hit, they will turn and leave Syria, and Russia would’ve turned the table and called the US’ bluff instead.
Mark my word, Russia will lose big time if it allows the US to have its way in Syria.
@ mad as hell
The US objective in Syria is a pipeline from Qatar to the EU, cutting off Russia’s biggest customer. With a grip on the Ukraine russia-EU pipelines, the US thought it could swiftly bring Russia to its knees and take it to pieces. The US’s explicit, written intention – look it up – is the partition of Russia.
This objective failed, completely, including the loss of Europe’s and the US’s influence over Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, Syria and Egypt, cemented by the purchase by Qatar of 20% of Rosneft, Russia’s state owned gas company in Jan of this year. The US have already lost. All that remains is the jewish Yinon plan, which is a hard sell for Trump because there is nothing in it for the US but revenge.
The US have lost in Syria, OK. I firmly believe that the Russians are now making this another blood and money leaking Vietnam. Little win, big loss. Little win, big loss. Sorry for Syrians, though.
If I was the Americans …..I would unleash absolute hell on the Syrian armed forces if I saw Russia not coming to the aid of their so called Syrian allies.
It’s not like Russia is going to do anything right?
Can someone please explain to me why the Americans from a strategic military standpoint are not truely taking advantage of this Russian in action?
If the Americans truely want to destabilize and break up Syria…..Why not unleash your military might on the Syrians??
What is holding the Americans back??
Is it possible they want to keep Assad in power but only have control over Damascus??
Is trap. Muka cannot risk being seen to lose, as ships would quickly be smoking…
They have been testing the water to gauge Russia’s response to their attacks. The US is in a state of internal strife right now but don’t misinterpret that for the idea that the NWO has given up on it’s aims re Syria. Didn’t the US Defence secretary say this very week regime change in Iran is still their aim?
It is clearly obvious that the US and Russia don’t want to engage in conflict so now with the official Russian government statement that Russia will not shoot at attacking NATO planes or missiles the US will be content enough to let Russia go on bombing ISIL who have more or less outlived their usefulness, whilst the US can now concentrate on attacking the Syrian people and government unimpeded by any Russian defensive action.
I agree with the comments above that Iran and Syria will fight on (they have no choice) but the way I see it with Russia stating it will not defend Syria against the US/ Nato the terrible truth is that a war against Iran/Syria is almost certain now because of that.
In calculating the US strategy for war on Iran/Syria they know Russia is staying out of it.
This likely would not have been the case if American/NATO aggression had been challenged earlier.
For the Zionist global domination project the destruction of Syria/Iran is a must.
It is now down to Iran to defend against theUS/NATO and whilst they do have formidable weaponry will it be enough to deter the US/NATO?
They can pick off Syria and see what happens.
As Harry Red says – if you were the US wouldn’t you “go for it” now?
To those who think Syria can prevail I would just ask if they think that there can now be a peaceful conclusion to Syria’s ordeal? How?
Why would anyone make an official statement that Russia will not shoot at attacking NATO planes or missiles ?
Russia’s politics were always wired, and even silly.
Whatever is the answer the war in Syria is far from over, or won.
For perspective, look at the Korean war. Non-nuclear China had to do all the heavy lifting, not unlike Hezbollah and Iran today. The Soviet Union had minimal involvement, opting to avoid escalation while making sure the strategic balance is preserved. I’m certain Russia will again act rationally and avoid kneejerk reactions, even if a limited number of its own assets get hit, so as to minimize the chance of a nuclear war and provided her vital interests aren’t threatened.
@ s
Spot on. This is the Russian attitude, in my view, too.
The allies of Syria are not the Russians. The allies are Hezbollah and Iran. Russia went to save Christians, kill ISIS terrorists and preserve Syria’s sovereignty and Tartus naval base for Russian fleet. Assad is sort of part of the Syrian landscape to be determined by Syrian people.
Russia is not going to fight unless fought. So, whoever threatens or attacks Russian bases, ships, planes or personnel will be fought.
Syria and Hezbollah are not getting “protection”. Neither is Iran.
Of course, if a real war was proclaimed, Russian interests become targets and they will join and alliance in that event.
A few attacks by the US on sitting duck Syrian targets is criminal but hardly war.
Even the chocolate cake Tomahawk attack was not war. It was criminal.
The US is desperate to look like a winner. Mosul doesn’t look like a US victory. Nor does Raqqa. The US flag up there with the Kurds YPG flag won’t look triumphal.
CENTCOM and the warmongers know Trump loves the sound of military explosions and vainglorious talk of “dominance”. They are trying to curry favor with him to give them more, more, more.
He also has a meeting with G20 in Hamburg in three weeks. He will want to go there sitting atop an embarrassing event held over Putin, an advantage that looks like he is a winner and Putin is a loser.
The US only knows this sort of international behavior. Trump’s good with it. He likes to think he is a winner. He’s halfway to impeachment but keeps going as if he is immune from a takedown.
The military can make him look good. Imagine if he serious destroys Assad’s hold on power. He can say he is forcing out the chemical weapons user who killed “those beautiful children”. You know Trump loves children. He’s blind to the children of Donbass and the children killed in Raqqa or the children killed in Afghanistan. But he does love children.
So, look for lots more in the three weeks and during the G20 when maybe the CIA or the Military can arrange a real disaster that make Putin look bad and weak.
The US objective in Syria was part of a strategy to defend the petro dollar. See my comments above.
That objective has been lost.
There is no direct benefit to the US of continuing in Syria, other than revenge, the safe exit of its ‘assets’ and implementing the regional interests of its only ally, Israel.
You have to assess whether the US want those things that much, or can afford them.
There are two ‘other methods’ that no commenter has yet mentioned, both of which are already known about. I intend to keep my powder dry; but have a go at thinking out of the box and forget for a moment what you see in the Middle East. If you guess correctly, then remember that ‘other eyes’ visit this site for Intel.
It is preferable to bear an insult than to invite a disaster.
The Russians must be re-evaluating their capabilities to challenge American forces continuously. The results do not favor the Russians.
The Americans took action to effectively halve the price of oil and to otherwise cripple the Russian economy. Russia’s ability to modernize its military forces, while at the same time to maintain a smooth-functioning consumer economy, have been badly damaged by American actions. Countries have gone to war for less (most significantly Germany and Japan) and suffered devastation at the hands of superior strength.
America is also implementing a long term strategy to destroy Russia, plus other holdouts like Iran ans Syria. Call it “death by a thousand cuts”, where no single measure appears unbearable; but where the cumulative damage will be irreparable.
By itself, Russia cannot defeat the American strategy. And China cannot afford to help. China has its own economic problems -which would turn into a catastrophe- should the Americans impose sanctions against it or cut off its access to US domestic markets.
So, for the indefinite future, Russia must act in ways to retain its independence and to frustrate America’s quest for dominance, but to never seek a confrontation. At the same time it must hope that something will happen -either for good or bad- which will dramatically weaken either American resolve or American ability to continue this quest.
For a while in 2016, the populist appeal of both Trump and Sanders gave some cause for hope. But the establishment has ended that.
However, there is a possibility that the decades of excesses of the military-industrial complex may give the Russians an opening.
It appears that the American forces have wasted their resources and cannot sustain a high-intensive level of combat operations against a “near-peer” military force (Russia, obviously, but maybe China or even Iran). It certainly cannot contend with multiple wars.
For example, should any two of these long-simmering conflicts flare up coincidentally, it could alter the course of history:
North Korea, with its pittance of a nuclear program, blackmails South Korea and/or Japan.
Iran becomes de facto leader of the Shia Crescent, and goes after Saudi Arabia and then Israel.
Turkey decides to take control of Syrian and Iraqi Kurdistan
China decides to take Taiwan and to “demilitarize” Vietnam and the Philippines.
Russia liberates Donbass, and imposes an order of sanity in the rest of Ukraine.
Russia has given hope to the Shia crescent, and has encouraged Turkey to pursue its own interests, while adroitly maintaining good relations with Israel and Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Russia is steering China into land bridge with Europe,thereby offering it another way to develop its economy apart from serving the American consumer. Russia has not retaliated against America’s European vassals, who have reluctantly accommodated America’s sanction against Russia.
This is the long game. And if Russia is able to continue to frustrate the American quest for domination, until either the politics within America change, or until these interminable conflicts around the world exhaust American power, the Pax Globis Americana will come to an end.
If slightly repackaged for a different era and different bad guy. I could read your comment in 1938 when discussing “Herr” Hiltler and the need for “peace in our time”. Move forward a couple of years to 1941 and I figure there were many of Stalin’s advisers saying the same thing in the months and weeks before Barbarossa. Go back another century from then and we could see Alexander I’s advisers in 1811 saying Napoleon needed to be out waited. He would overstretch himself so far that he’d never dare invade Russia. There is never an ideal time to fight a war. But there is also never an ideal time to sell your country and your friends to avoid fighting either. In today’s World when your enemy wants war. The ability to wait is totally up to them. It wasn’t Alexander’s choice,nor Stalin’s,nor now Putin’s. Unless any of those three were willing to knell to their enemy. We know today 2 of the 3 wouldn’t. The clock continues to tick for the 3rd.
I see the rhyme in your history, Uncle Bob1.
In 1811, Alexander chose not to go to war with Napoleon. He let Austria fight alone -and lose!- despite a valiant fight at Wagram. Napoleon chose the time to attack a year later.
In 1939, Stalin cared nothing for Europe either. Hitler would make his move 2 years later.
In both wars, “General Winter” proved to be a decisive factor. But General Winter could not have helped either Alexander or Stalin, if either of them chose to attack rather than wait.
Beyond Russia’s borders, the Russian military is incapable of protecting its supply lines from US naval and air forces. So, Russia’s interests in Syria are indefensible from a deliberate attack by the United States.
But the United States cannot amass the men and material in Europe in any reasonable amount of time take on the Russian military. From the Pacific, the US Navy cannot support anything larger than a division-sized invasion. So, it is only along Russia’s southern border where the two countries could engage directly. Russia acted decisively in the Caucasus, and swiftly+brilliantly in the Crimea. But the Americans were able to put enough effort -diplomatic, economic, and military- to put off the Russians in Ukraine. (There has been plenty written, trying to explain why Russia did not act. We will never know in our lifetimes why Russia did not respond in a manner similar to Czechoslovakia in 1968.)
A direct Russian attack on US forces may well activate NATO responses including wider trade, financial systems and a push on Kaliningrad. A lot of pain for little Russian face-saving gain. Putin rode out the Turk plane attack and bent it to his will. I see little to suggest that the Syrian war will not simply slowly proceed as it has been until peace and Chinese rebuilding are instituted. Sure, a heavy price will be paid by Syrian forces but in the end the US assets will be either eliminated or confined to the Jordanian/Iraqi/Turkish borderlands and play little if any strategic role other than petty criminal activities.
murka internal “fissures” bring defeat inevitable. little to do with Ivan… He has only to temporize while these defects evolve. Empire is now seen as incoherent and immoral and broke at the edge of abyss…
We’re down to the “short strokes now baby!” (Tom Waits in “Cold Feet” – good movie…)
@ Arthur G Brina
This is a good assessment. Uncle Bob’s response, that Russia needs to bare its fist, is exactly the provocation that the US has wanted since 2010, if not before. The US is not like Napoleon or Hitler, who ran openly aggressive formal wars of acquisition. The US’s strategy of acquisition has always been to create a situation that justifies a ‘peace keeping’ presence or invasion, or installation of a puppet regime. Russia is better to sit on its hands and see if the US can sell a conspicuous war of aggression to its vassals, whilst continually working diplomatically to take away those opportunities (Qatar pipeline, EU trade relations, Nord Stream, China, Egypt, etc).
In general, Russia has learned that when the sharp shooter throws a pistol on the floor and says ‘pick it up’, you know very well that if you do, you are going to get shot as stand up.
Predictable Schlomo attack on Russia in the comment section as usual given the topic.
Annoying as it may be, nothing changes on the ground. Pentagram & CIA are losing and are constantly being blocked. This attack won’t change that fact. RuAF will take over the duties on these parts. Pentagram, CIA and their clown in the White house will have to openly declare war on Syria in order to change anything in their favour. Syria could however give Russia a formal request to wholly or partially protect its airspace from such attacks, something that Russia would agree to and something that US won’t challenge according to Breedlove among others. US would then increase its support to isis and its other proxies. As long as the anti terrorist/anti US proxies cutthroat forces are winning there is no need for that.
Bravo. Syria is a sovereign entity and has been bravely defending itself in the undeclared war being made, illegally, by the US upon it. Please give thanks for the courage of these fighter pilots. Well done Syrian Air Force.
disgusting – how can we be seeing this ?~ I can’t believe the US is so awful –
I would have thought there are many US soldiers that are feeling this way too –
What a web of disease this country – the US – is spinning –
How about the possibility that the US shot down the Syrian plane as it departed the theater because US special forces, or some of its ‘advisors’, were killed alongside or within the ISIS convoy. In other words, were traveling with them?
The spontaneous nature of this US attack, ignoring protocol, has the hallmark of a special forces asset calling in a strike in an emergency and some US commander acting to defend ‘his boys’.
There are plenty of reports of exactly this level of co-operation.
I am not well-informed enough to give a good analysis. But I do want to raise some questions.
First, a minor point: the USA has been trying since the Ukranian putsch to get the World Cup soccer/football games taken away from Russia. As one commentator to the post noted, that would greatly damage Russian prestige and income. So, heating things up could be a pretext for that move. Worth thinking about, yes?
Second, major: we’re all talking about Syria now. But don’t we need to be mindful of the overall picture? It would make complete sense for the USA to simultaneously heat things up a lot in both Syria and Ukraine, perhaps even to create an “incident” of “Russian aggression” in the Baltics. Surely Russia is mindful of that, and is holding back just in case.
Third, Trump. He is remarkably like Mussolini—a fact almost never discussed. He would like nothing better than to be “Il Duce” leading his nation at war. And if the war has to be escalated, so much the better. It would almost certainly unite the country behind him and distract attention from all his other problems, yes? (Note: given that he has done a complete reversal on his major campaign promise with regard to Russia, he appears to be in the pocket of the armed forces/CIA. So, a severe escalation—largely via his beloved missiles—would be in keeping with the new tune he’s singing.)
Fourth: Russia. I’m surprised at those who commented that Putin is turning chicken. He might be playing a deep game, laying behind the log, and letting America get itself into a situation where a major military adventure would prove catastrophic for the USA. Apparently Russia has the means to blind US air forces. Arguably, the USA has been trying to provoke same, as a means of learning the nature of Russia’s capabilities. There is no point in letting the cat out of the bag prematurely, right? As Sun Tzu said: “Where strong, appear weak.” Maybe that’s the case here. Maybe. (The Saker had recommended the novel Twilight’s Last Gleaming. It’s well worth reading.)
Fifth, back to Trump: IF the US heats things up, and loses badly and quickly, even Trump’s supporters would turn on him the way the Italians turned on Mussolini. How that would play out, who knows? And with Trump removed (by whatever means), Pence would have a free hand to double up even more, in the American manner. So, one disaster might be followed by an even bigger one…or WWIII.
Sixth, back to Putin: I suspect he’s smarter and better-informed than all of us combined. And I’ll bet he’s intimately familiar with Russian history vis-a-vis foreign aggressors and provocations. Keep in mind that he rose to the top in a Russia that had collapsed and was chaotic, and has done a staggeringly good job of restoring his country to a position of relative prosperity and international respect—despite a highly disloyal opposition within his own government. The rest of us are really just armchair “experts,” taking shots in the dark (or something like that).
Last: great post! THANK YOU FOR IT!
Can you please indicate the author of the novel? There are several novels with the same name (Twilight’s Last Gleaming) and different authors?
You want “Twilight’s Last Gleaming” by John Michael Greer.
Many thanks sgage.
Thank you all, most of all, for your comments. This day and age, digging for the truth becomes harder and harder. Thank you Saker for what I think of being one of the most honest and straight website on the net.
I agree in most of your comments except about Trump. In my opinion he (Trump) like his predecessors has no real power. Only similarity between Trump with Mussolini may be his narcissism but it stops there. Be aware that all these aggressive actions are product of the Deep State. I would guess that Israel, Saudi have more power over US decision making in Syria than Trump.
Oscar–
I did not mean to suggest that Trump is in Mussolini’s league. Rather, the point was only that Trump loves the grand gesture and posturing, seeing himself as some sort of modern-day Caesar, perhaps (as did Mussolini). It’s worth noting that Mussolini virtually eradicated the Italian Mafia, no mean feat. (The US Army, alas, restored the surviving Mafiosi to their former power to undermine Il Duce when the Americans invaded Sicily and then the Italian peninsula.) Trump appears to merely be taking the credit (assuming “credit” is due) for things his apparent puppet-masters have told him will be done. Sorry for not making myself clearer on this point.
Y’all may recall last year when the US bombed SAA positions for an hour. I believe Russians were killed in this attack. Then, a couple of days later a C&C center was struck by Kalibr missiles, and assets from all over the Zio-conspiritors were vaporized. This left Uncle Scam so flummoxed that he resorted to shelling an UN Aid convoy, in a dubious attempt to blame the RuAf and SAAF. I don’t think the last line of this story has been written.
US has been at war with Syria for 6 years and so far Syria has managed to survive. Syria was a week away from falling when Mother came to her rescue, pure and simple.
Putin will always play the long game and while he may take a punch in the face from time to time in the end he will prevail. We all know the days of US Empire are closing. This will not be an overnight fall, far from it, but like a fading star our grandchildren will live to see US degenerate, for lack of a better term, to a second rate world power or at best the least of equals as a first rate power.
One can not pick and parse hourly, daily, weekly or even yearly events. In the end Russia et al will prevail and bring some peace to this warring rock we call home although I may not live to see it.
Auslander
@Auslander
We Brits went from phenomenal wealth, scope and power, the like of which the US citizen can only dream about, to empire families queuing for food (for 6 years) with the plebs they once sneered at, their estates gone, their silver plate sold off, their sons dead, and the thousands of paladian mansions and parkland demolished and sold off in just 35 years. If the state had not effectively handed the Anglo baton to the US and retained power and standing that way, we would have fallen to the bottom of the well.
America’s conspicuous fall started in 2000ish, and they are 17 years in. They are one decent war away from total ruin. To who can the US pass the baton? Who is going to grab their hand as they go down?
The Brits found out they were zeros without the planet slaving for them. You are being optimistic about the post fall status of the US, Auslander. The US is in a very bad way, quickly, if the golden shower of debt issuance even slows.
Proper Gander–
If you’ve not read it, you might relish Corelli Barnett’s masterpiece, The Collapse of British Power. It came out decades ago. I assume he’s dead now. I read it when it was still a fairly new release, and wrote Barnett (this in the days before the internet) to ask if he saw parallels between Britain and the USA. He kindly answered, and of course said Yes. I would say the seeds of America’s own collapse were sown well before the years you gave, just as the seeds for Britain’s eventual collapse were sown in the 1850s. Anyway, other than the minor details, I agree with you.
Thank you for that, DR. I have made a note.
You are correct. 1850ish. The east India company with a turnover greater than the GDP of the British Isles. The whole government edifice of family members making policy decisions to defend the corporate empire and domestic interests of other family members and their peers. Very similar to the US, whose first step downwards was 15 August 1971, the termination of the Bretton Woods agreements and the start of the petrodollar. It was a formal admission of a) unsustainable economic growth b) impending bankruptcy c) a desire to maintain a standard at home at the expense of others aka empire.
But you can go further back. I think this is the final phase of the 15th century ‘reformation’/redistribution – the sequestering of power into the hands of a few rapacious and consciousless men, started by Henry VII (7th) with the crushing of the Barons.
In return, I offer you Cobbett’s ‘History of the Protestant Reformation’. It is not a religious book. Cobbett was a social reformer, and saw the reformation as such. You will see that a multi polar world order ends a behavior of those in power that flowered then.
Zion feels the heat and is forced to order its main puppet state, America the Brave, to commit silly war crimes not by proxies, not by false flags, but – for all to see – with its US Air Force.
Expect the already record high chaos and hysteria levels in Washington DC to go through the roof and reach uncharted territory.
Dangerous times ahead.
Russia I believe has achieved its primary objectives by;
Destroying the terrorist threat to the major conurbations of Syria
Securing a Med navy base
Destroying the dream of Qatari gas to Europe to decouple Europe from Russian gas.
Its Always Been About Gas!
Everything else is just clutter on the radar.
Theres enough Qatari gas to last 120 years-Russia will go to war with anyone to prevent this happening.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is either wilfully ignorant, delusional or both.
All Russia need do is sign off the necessary A2D2 equipment then its up to the SAA. Once America starts losing planes it will go home, it always does in the end
America is legally speaking guilty of breaking international law by committing acts of war against a legally constituted country.
America therefore is just as guilty as Germany when setting up the fake Polish border attacks at the beginning of WW2.
America is a political and economical calamity and all this murder and mayhem is just the suppurating sores.
When the USD loses its seniorage its bye bye America. The country will fragment and become just a.n.other Brazil.
When a beer in New York costs….one ruble…it’ll be time for the murkinz to learn Judo, as they will decide themselves to do that…
time to grow up…
Russia just got very mad
From June 19, Russia is halting all interactions with the US within the framework on the memorandum of incident prevention in Syrian skies, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday following the US-led coalition’s downing of a Syrian army’s jet near Raqqa.
Russian missile defense will intercept any aircraft in the area of operations of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria, the ministry said.
“In areas where Russian aviation is conducting combat missions in the Syrian skies, any flying objects, including jets and unmanned aerial vehicles of the international coalition discovered west of the Euphrates River will be followed by Russian air and ground defenses as air targets,” the Russian Defense Ministry announced.
No more “Mr Nice Guy”…
“…Russian missile defense will intercept any aircraft in the area of operations of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria, the ministry said.
“In areas where Russian aviation is conducting combat missions in the Syrian skies, any flying objects, including jets and unmanned aerial vehicles of the international coalition discovered west of the Euphrates River will be followed by Russian air and ground defenses as air targets,” the Russian Defense Ministry announced…”
Sputniknews
LZ99
The Duran carrying a summary of the situation by Adam Garrie earlier…..sorry cannot paste link
i meant this summary article
http://theduran.com/international-law-vs-imperialism-the-new-phase-of-war-in-syria/
from Moon of Alabama:
“Syria Summary – U.S. Attack Fails To Disrupt Push To Deir Ezzor”
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/06/syria-summary-us-attack-fails-to-disrupt-push-to-deir-ezzor.html
“One can only interpret this as an attempt by the U.S. to prevent or hinder the Syrian forces from reliefing Deir Ezzor as soon as possible. The U.S. is, willingly or not, helping the Islamic State forces who are engaged in heavy attacks on the besieged Deir Ezzor garrison. The Russian government called the U.S. attack an “act of aggression” in “breach of international law” and in “assistance for the terrorists” of the Islamic State. It will halt its air space coordination with the U.S. operations command in Syria. Additionally:
“In the areas of combat missions of Russian air fleet in Syrian skies, any airborne objects, including aircraft and unmanned vehicles of the [US-led] international coalition, located to the west of the Euphrates River, will be tracked by Russian ground and air defense forces as air targets,” the Russian Ministry of Defense stated.”
If I were a U.S. pilot, I would try to avoid the area …
Whatever the U.S. intend was it did not stop the Syrian army. Resafa has just now been taken by the Syrian army forces.”
Now this makes sense!
According to a track of the container ship’s route by MarineTraffic, it made a sudden turn at about 1:30am, as if it was trying to avoid something. It then continued eastward before making a U-turn and returning to the area near the collision at around 2:20am.
https://www.rt.com/news/393048-japan-destroyer-collision-late/
Cowboy or asleep on the Fitz….either way…considering the limited visibility from bridge of CS it’s all a radar problem in navigation and the onus of res is on the Fitz, which seems to have been at fault…
Now, as is often done, as in 911 and so forth, JFK – all that – they will have to invent a fairy-tale…and “promote” skipper to a job ashore…
Disparaging remark removed … mod
You can condemn China and Russia all you like – this site has been taken over by a pack of puerile fools !
Russia is the ONLY country that has stepped up to the plate – China is not hoarding GOLD for nothing !
If the Russian/Chinese plan comes to pass (and it will) – The Zionist/US will be defeated comprehensively both militarily and economically.
The world population in 1925 was 1.8 billion – 45 years later(1970) it doubled to 3.5 billion – 45 years later (2015) it had doubled again to 7 billion – 2060 14 billion !
This is simply not sustainable in the direction we are headed !
Russia ( organic farming commitment) China ( 50 trillion toward FREE energy by 2050 commitment) KNOW the direction we are are headed !!
2nd disparaging remark removed. Please note we are here to discuss ideas and events and not trash readers and contributors … more comments of this style will not be posted in the future… mod
Dear Friend, Everyone understands how knowledge and science make for an endless process of growth and, in the fullness of time, if Atropos’s shears and the other Fates permit, understanding and wisdom.
So you will understand that it looks to others as though you might say other things if you knew more about it.
It’s war, nobody can see the outcome… Only thank God if you have a chance to do good for your country and the world.
Peace be With You, Comrade.
Pax