Escalation - By Matt Ward - http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/ward39.html
World changing events lay before us and potentially a war unlike any seen since the Second World War. Syria is becoming increasingly volatile and unpredictable; there is a bloodletting ahead in the Middle East.
The news that Turkish F-16's have engaged and shot down a Russian fighter jet inside Syrian airspace, has rocked the world. Apparently the two Russian pilots ejected safely although one was killed before he reached the ground. It also subsequently appears that a Russian marine has died in the rescue and retrieval operation.
Vladimir Putin is fuming and the world, collectively, is holding its breath.
The Middle East is a powder-keg and this incident serves as a stark reminder of the explosive situation that currently exists inside Syria. Just enough of a spark and chaos will ensue.
The air forces of twelve separate sovereign nations are currently operational inside one single airspace above the Syrian landscape. In battle, mistakes happen regularly and these mistakes often lead to an escalation in tension and confrontation. Having so many different competing air forces operational in the same airspace at the same time is inheritably dangerous. Wars start this way; world wars start this way.
We are, no doubt, on the brink of witnessing far reaching and world defining events in Syria.
While these events play out in real time Vladimir Putin has been in Tehran meeting Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Syria is front and center of their agenda and these two leaders have been open about a desire to develop ways they can deepen their grip on Syria and how they can secure the regime of Bashir al-Assad.
Apparently, as a side note, they are also discussing ways Russia can further bolster Iran's ever developing nuclear program. The Russian-Iranian relationship is a growing and flourishing one, formed around nuclear cooperation, a mutual hatred for ISIS and a desire to pillage the Middle East. This same nuclear program has Israel dead center in its sights and no doubt Israel will soon be obligated to take military action.
What a spark that will be.
Likely, though, there will be a number of very real consequences involved in the shooting down of this Russian warplane by Turkey, in the short term. First, this incident has seen and will continue to demonstrate the further decline of America under the current administration as a genuine leader on the world stage. Barack Obama's response thus far to this incident, the first time a NATO aircraft has shot down a Russian enemy aircraft in 65 years, has been lackadaisical at best.
This crisis is also now morphing into a contest between Western allies and Russia's Putin over the future of Bashir al-Assad. The West believe Assad must go before an agreement can be reached, Putin believes fervently that he must stay. What was once, even two weeks ago, a unified aim of destroying ISIS has now developed into a set of entirely different competing war aims for both sides involved. These competing war aims are increasingly hostile to those of our once Russian anti-ISIS partners in Syria.
This situation has the potential for rapid and extremely dangerous escalation. Russia have ordered the giant missile cruiser, Moskva (one of the largest warships on earth), to the coast of Syria, and also off the coast of Turkey. Its publically stated mission in the Russian press is to "destroy any target posing danger." That definitely now includes Turkish warplanes straying near the Syrian border, no doubt. Turkey is a member of the NATO alliance, I wonder what their response would be to number of downed Turkish aircraft?
Countering this measure the USS Harry S. Truman is said to be on route to the Mediterranean with its entire strike group to join with the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle. This means that very soon there could be two NATO warships and strike groups facing off against substantial Russian naval assets in the small area of the Mediterranean off the coast of Syria. Each naval battle group has different and competing war aims.
Again, wars start this way.
World events are now moving at a fast pace. Bible prophecy is literally jumping out of Scripture and being fulfilled before our very eyes. We know from prophecy that is eons old that this region is destined for war at the time of the end. We also know, through Bible prophecy, who the main protagonists are. These protagonists are in the Middle East right now, and the alliances necessary to bring about this conflagration are forming as we speak.
Bible prophecy also clearly details the ultimate future of this Russia-Iranian axis, in Ezekiel 38 and 39. They will come against God's holy people and when they do make their move, which they surely shall at the right time, they will meet their complete doom on the mountains of Israel.
Events now are moving at some pace. The stage is almost set.
Preventing World War Three in Syria between Turkey and Russia - http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Preventing-World-War-Three-in-Syria-between-Turkey-and-Russia-435670
There is an urgent need for de-escalation to salvage what little is left of peace and stability in the Middle East.
NATO entered uncharted territory on Tuesday when one of its members, Turkey, shot down a Russian warplane. There is an urgent need for Washington to bring both sides together to avoid World War Three.
Details are still emerging to corroborate Ankara's insistence that the jet had been repeatedly warned and violated Turkish airspace near its border with Syria. What is clear is that this incident has been a long-time in the making given the precipitous build-up between Ankara and Moscow over conflicting Syria policies. Since Russia started flying its warplanes over Syria in support of Assad, it has repeatedly violated Turkish airspace.
Despite hopes of a "grand coalition" forming in the wake of the Ankara, Sinai, and Paris bombings claimed by the so-called Islamic State, now there is an urgent need for de-escalation to salvage what little is left of peace and stability in the Middle East.
Moscow's immediate accusations of Ankara's "back-stabbing" and support for Islamic State followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin's warnings of "serious consequences," highlight just how high the stakes in Syria are for all parties involved. Hopes that the spillover effects from Syria could be contained are now dashed.
Turkey's support of their ethnic brethren, the Turkmen of the northern Syrian region where the Russian pilots likely ejected, will only further complicate the situation on the ground. Given the fissures among the Kurds, Islamists, and rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Russian and Iranian supported forces, there is no hope of victory on the ground. To avoid further confrontation in the air and to prevent Russia from any retaliatory action, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization must re-affirm its support of Turkey and call for an immediate no-fly moratorium over Syria.
America's unique role as mediator between its transatlantic allies in Ankara and rivals in Moscow has never been timelier. Many in Washington had hoped that in the wake of the recent attacks on Paris and progress at last week's G-20 summit in Turkey, a common approach to defeating Islamic State would develop. Even after their own bombings in their capital, Ankara, Turks are wary of outside intervention in the region that doesn't remove Assad as they fear they might be left to pick up the regional pieces.
Turkey already hosts the world's largest number of refugees and the Syrian civil war has become entangled in Ankara's decades-long struggle against Kurdish militants, some of whom are now supported by the United States. Now, the best that can be hoped for is that Ankara and Moscow will pragmatically focus on their interdependence and the costliness of further escalation to avoid letting Syria drag them into open warfare.
Bringing Russia and Turkey to the same table must now be part of a broader regional political compromise that centers on Assad's future. It will be difficult, but not impossible, to devise an exit strategy that contains Assad in the short-term, while allowing for the long-term transition of his regime. Any such solution must permit Moscow and Tehran to save face and the various coalitions to come back together. Given Turkey's calls for "regional solutions to regional problems," Ankara should be supported by its transatlantic allies in becoming a non-sectarian regional leader. That must include applying pressure on Arab and Sunni powers to provide critical development assistance to counteract Iranian and Russian influence in Damascus. Concurrently, Moscow must be assured that its Mediterranean foothold in Latakia will be maintained in any post-Assad Syrian outcome.
Due to contentious electoral politics earlier this year, Ankara had been paralyzed. But Putin may have misjudged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling AK Party's mandate is now clear: stability through strength.
Saving face for both leaders, who once considered each other friends, will be critical and best facilitated by calls of restraint from President Barack Obama and France's leader, Francois Hollande. Any shuttling between Washington and Moscow to discuss a grand coalition against Islamic State now must include Turkey to have any hope of success.
Pitting the region's largest economy, military/intelligence power, and only NATO ally, against Russia is a recipe for further Middle Eastern disintegration. To avoid further war, all sides must focus on the common interest in de-escalating the situation. They must focus on their common enemy - Islamic State - which must be military defeated to facilitate a strategy for politically reconstituting Syria and Iraq as sovereign states. Obama has studiously avoided repeating President George W. Bush's actions in Iraq, but now America must exert itself to prevent further war.
Power vacuums in the heart of the Middle East have almost always led to worse outcomes. Preparing now for a peace that the region will own is critical to all parties and should be an area of mutual agreement. A regional summit called by NATO to include Ankara and Moscow will allow both sides to put this week's incident behind them, and help all involved focus on the common enemy.
Russia speeds tons of heavy artillery and MRLs to Syria for expanded ground combat - http://www.debka.com/article/25050/Russia-speeds-tons-of-heavy-artillery-and-MRLs-to-Syria-for-expanded-ground-combat
After several incidents, in which 130mm shells fired by Syrian rebel groups, particularly the Al-Nusra Front, reached the center of the Russian Khmeimin military enclave outside Latakia, the general staff in Moscow decided to rush heavy artillery reinforcements to Syria. debkafile's military sources report that Russia has transferred two types of heavy weapons systems by sea and by air to the front near Latakia during the past few days.
First, a body of three battalions of 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers was deployed at Khmeimin and has already started pounding rebel lines and command centers in the area. This heavy artillery system, capable of firing 152mm bombs at a rapid pace, is a veteran of Russia's former campaigns against Islamic terrorist groups, especially in the Russian war against Islamic rebels in Chechnya in the 1990s.
The 2S19 Msta-S has a modified chassis of a T-80 tank and a diesel motor of a T-72. It is effective against fortifications as well as military and terrorist targets in wooded mountain areas, exactly the kind of geographical environment in which the rebels around Latakia area are operating.
This self-propelled howitzer is also expected to be effective in battles being fought in the Qalamoun mountains, in order to break the stalemate in which the combined Iranian, Syrian, Iraqi and Hezbollah forces have been bogged down for months in their efforts to knock over rebel strongholds.
Another heavy weapons system that Russia brought to Syria in recent days is the TOS-1 220mm multiple rocket launcher. This system, which is mounted on the chassis of a T-72 tank, has been deployed near the embattled Syrian cities of Hama and Homs.
debkafile's military sources point out that, even though Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu continue to claim that Russian forces will not be engaged in Syrian ground warfare, the heavy artillery systems brought to the country and their use in battle tell a different story. They show that Russian ground combat in Syria is expanding.
200 Years Ago, War Between Turkey and Russia Prophesied as Sign of Redemption
https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/54943/200-years-ago-war-between-turkey-russia-prophesied-sign-redemption-jewish-world/?utm_source=Breaking+Israel+News&utm_campaign=605d2179d7-BIN_evening_11_15&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d3627f72-605d2179d7-86610633#xjmt6eym3ISWRYdk.97
"If the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not occur and does not come about, that is the thing the Lord did not speak. The prophet has spoken it wantonly; you shall not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:22)
With tensions escalating between Russia and Turkey, many are wondering if the world is being witness to a divine act of messianic intervention.
Just before his death in 1797, an exceedingly well-respected Jewish sage known as the Vilna Gaon (the genius of Vilna) left his followers with a prophetic statement about two specific events that would happen just before the appearance of the Messiah.
After being held as "a closely guarded secret" for over 200 years, Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch, a great-grandson of the Vilna Gaon, shared the full prophecy publically for the first time in 2014. The text of the Vilna Gaon's prophecy was reported by Rabbi Lazer Brody, an American-born Hasidic rabbi and teacher from Ashdod, Israel in March, 2014.
"When you hear that the Russians have captured the city of Crimea, you should know that the times of the Messiah have started, that his steps are being heard. And when you hear that the Russians have reached the city of Constantinople, you should put on your Shabbat (Sabbath) clothes and don't take them off, because it means that the Messiah is about to come any minute."
In this prophecy, the Vilna Gaon mentioned two signs of the imminent arrival of the Messiah - Russia capturing Crimea and Russia invading the Turkish city of Constantinople (now Istanbul). The first prophecy was fulfilled in 2014 when Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.
Current tensions between Russia and Turkey, including Turkey shooting down a Russian fighter jet on November 24, are setting the stage for the second sign, the Russian invasion of Istanbul, to occur soon.
The prophecy of the Vilna Gaon is strengthened by the existence of a similar prophecy, this one from the Jewish sage known as the Ba'al Shem Tov, the founder of the Hasidic Judaism. Like the Vilna Gaon, the Ba'al Shem Tov lived in the 18th century.
The Kloisenberger Rebbe, a 20th century Hasidic rabbi, echoed the Vilna Gaon's second sign when he wrote "in the name of the Ba'al Shem Tov, when you see the Russian horse in Constantinople, a city in Turkey, you should know Moshiach (Messiah) is about to arrive."
According to the Kloisenberger Rebbe, in addition to the Russian military presence in the Turkish city of Istanbul, the Ba'al Shem Tov foretold another sign of the impending arrival of the Messiah - "the Russians will come, they will come and be together with the sons of Ishmael." That is, when the Russians join forces with the spiritual descendants of Ishmael, who today are identified as those of Islamic descent, it's another sign of the coming of the Messiah.
Militarily, Russia is already connected with its Shiite Muslim allies in Syria and Iran. As reported in Breaking Israel News, a 75-year-old prophecy connects Russia's unfolding role in Syria to Gog and Magog. Since late September of this year, Russia has become a central player in Syria, leading many to hypothesize that Putin is Gog and Russia is Magog.
The messianic alliance between Russia and the Shiite Muslims of Syria and Iran was deepened by a recent gesture of friendship off the battlefield. On November 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a rare and valuable gift to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Putin gave Khamenei one of five copies of the original handwritten Koran, the Muslim holy text that dates back to the 7th century.
World War III Draws Closer As Russia Accuses Turkey of Being 'Secret Allies' With ISIS - By Michael Snyder -
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/world-war-iii-draws-closer-as-russia-accuses-turkey-of-being-secret-allies-with-isis
Are Russia and Turkey on the verge of going to war? In remarks that were almost entirely ignored by the western media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the Turkish government of being "secret allies" with ISIS on Friday. And on Monday, the Russians announced that they would be attempting to seal the border between Syria and Turkey, and we also learned that the Russians have been rushing heavy artillery units into Syria. As tensions between Russia and Turkey continue to escalate, could we be in danger of seeing World War III erupt in the Middle East?
The Russians have clearly become convinced that Turkey is at the core of the problems in Syria, and that is why the Russians now plan to completely seal Syria's border with Turkey. Lavrov seems to think that this will represent a giant step toward defeating terror groups such as ISIS...
"We are convinced that by blocking the border we will in many respects solve the tasks to eradicate terrorism on Syrian soil."
And the Russians are right about this. ISIS militants use Turkey as a home base, and it has been documented that Turkey has been "training ISIS militants, funneling weapons to them, buying their oil, and tending to their wounded in Turkish hospitals".
It was already common knowledge that Turkey was doing all of these things, but now the Russian government is publicly accusing the Turkish government of being "secret allies" with ISIS. When Lavrov chose to use these words on Friday, he knew exactly what he was saying...
"We think it highly cynical when some of the countries speak about their commitment to the corresponding United Nations Security Council resolutions and declare themselves members of anti-terrorist coalitions but in reality are playing a game where terrorists are allocated the role of secret allies," Lavrov stressed. "We have more and more questions about Ankara's real plans and the degree of its readiness to exterminate terrorism, in particular in Syria, and its commitment to the normalization of the situation in Syria."
So why would Turkey want to be allies with ISIS?
Well, first of all the Turkish government hates the Assad regime in Syria and would love to see it eliminated.
Secondly, ISIS has been selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of stolen oil in Turkey, and it has been alleged that the Turkish president's own family is involved.
This was all supposed to be on the down low, but now the Russians are extremely angry and they are airing this dirty laundry for all the world to see. On Monday, Vladimir Putin said that his government had "received additional information" that ISIS is shipping oil to Turkey on an "industrial scale"...
Russia has received additional intelligence confirming that oil from deposits controlled by Islamic State is moved through Turkey on an industrial scale, said Vladimir Putin. President Recep Erdogan said he will resign if this is confirmed.
Moscow has grounds to suspect that the Su-24 was downed by Turkish jets on November 24 to secure illegal oil deliveries from Syria to Turkey, he said speaking on the sidelines of the climate change summit in Paris on Monday.
"At the moment we have received additional information confirming that that oil from the deposits controlled by Islamic State militants enters Turkish territory on industrial scale," he said.
"We have every reason to believe that the decision to down our plane was guided by a desire to ensure security of this oil's delivery routes to ports where they are shipped in tankers," Putin said.
And of course it isn't just the Russians that are making these claims.
Mowaffak al Rubaie is a former member of the Iraqi Governing Council, and he says that sales of ISIS oil in Turkey have amounted to approximately 100 million dollars a month...
"In the last eight months ISIS has managed to sell ... $800 million dollars worth of oil on the black market of Turkey. This is Iraqi oil and Syrian oil, carried by trucks from Iraq, from Syria through the borders to Turkey and sold ...[at] less than 50 percent of the international oil price," Mowaffak al Rubaie said in an interview with RT.
"Now this either get consumed inside, the crude is refined on Turkish territory by the Turkish refineries, and sold in the Turkish market. Or it goes to Jihan and then in the pipelines from Jihan to the Mediterranean and sold to the international market."
"Money and dollars generated by selling Iraqi and Syrian oil on the Turkish black market is like the oxygen supply to ISIS and it's operation," he added. "Once you cut the oxygen then ISIS will suffocate."
You can't sell 100 million dollars of stolen oil a month without the U.S. government knowing about it.
That means that Barack Obama has been fully aware of what has been going on, and he hasn't told the American people the truth.
One of the reasons for his silence could be the fact that the president of Turkey's own son has been involved. Just check out what Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said just the other day...
"All of the oil was delivered to a company that belongs to the son of Recep [Tayyip] Erdogan. This is why Turkey became anxious when Russia began delivering airstrikes against the IS infrastructure and destroyed more than 500 trucks with oil already. This really got on Erdogan and his company's nerves. They're importing not only oil, but wheat and historic artefacts as well."
For much more on all of this, please see my previous article entitled "The Biggest Obama Scandal? He Knows That Turkey Is Buying Oil From ISIS And He Is Doing Nothing To Stop It".
Previously, the Russians had promised not to commit ground forces in Syria, but now that appears to be changing.
According to Debka, the Russians have already deployed three battalions of 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers at this point...
First, a body of three battalions of 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers was deployed at Khmeimin and has already started pounding rebel lines and command centers in the area. This heavy artillery system, capable of firing 152mm bombs at a rapid pace, is a veteran of Russia's former campaigns against Islamic terrorist groups, especially in the Russian war against Islamic rebels in Chechnya in the 1990s.
In addition to the 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers, the Russians have also brought in TOS-1 220mm multiple rocket launchers...
Another heavy weapons system that Russia brought to Syria in recent days is the TOS-1 220mm multiple rocket launcher. This system, which is mounted on the chassis of a T-72 tank, has been deployed near the embattled Syrian cities of Hama and Homs.
With each passing day, we seem to be inching ever closer to the start of World War III.
And it is important to keep in mind that if war does break out, Turkey is a member of NATO, and so the U.S. would be obligated by treaty to help defend the Turks.
So let's keep a close eye on what is happening in the Middle East, because it could end up having tremendous implications for all of us.
Iran-Russia alliance: Tactical or strategic? - Shahir Shahidsaless - http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/iran-russia-alliance-tactical-or-strategic-1719997937
Russia's strategic foreign policy goal is to prevent the consolidation of the United States' global dominance. This strategy became even more apparent in 2014 from the strong Russian response to the ouster of the pro-Russian government in Ukraine and the emergence of a pro-Western leadership in the former Soviet state.
Russia was extremely worried about the close proximity of the newly pro-Western government and was concerned about the possibility of a NATO military presence in its back yard. This sparked a tit-for-tat chain of actions and reactions between Russia and the West, led by the United States.
In pursuit of the same objective, Russia began its intensive air campaign in Syria in September 2015. The Russian military operation in Syria elevated the US-Russia conflict into a geopolitical confrontation.
As events unfolded in Syria, the rise of jihadists added a new element for serious concern. Russia has been in a state of war with radical Islamists from Chechnya and other North Caucasian republics since the 1990s, and the country has been targeted by several terrorist attacks. In June 2015, the Chechen jihadi group pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
Iran's strategic interest in Syria
For a host of reasons, Iran's hostility toward Israel has been the most entrenched determinant of its foreign policy since the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
To counter Israel's unchallenged hegemony in the region, Iran organized Hezbollah in Lebanon in the 1980s to serve as a proxy force. Iran viewed Hezbollah as a deterrent force and a constant potential threat to Israel's security.
In this respect, Syria, as an anti-Israel, anti-American strategic ally of Iran, served as a vital corridor connecting Damascus to Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. This corridor enabled Iran to continue to provide weapons to Hezbollah.
With the overthrow of the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, in 2003, Iran emerged as a major player in Iraq thanks to the armed Iraqi opposition groups that Iran had supported for over two decades. This paved the way for the formation of the Iran-led "axis of resistance" which extends from Iran to Lebanon and passes unobstructed through Iraq and Syria. "Resistance," as it is called by the Iranians, is also tasked to act as a deterrent to thwart American hegemony in the region.
As chaos grew in Syria, the rise of the anti-Shia Salafist group, Daesh (also known as ISIS, ISIL, and Islamic State, or IS) became a formidable threat not only to Iran's strategic interests in Iraq and Syria but also to its own national security. Iran could no longer rely on the Syrian army to continue to prop up the Bashar al-Assad regime, which was in a brutal asymmetric war with Daesh as well as with numerous opposition groups.
The opposition groups were being backed by several Arab countries in the region as well as by Turkey and the United States. The US supported these opposition groups in a strategic attempt to curb Iran's influence in the region. To combat this situation, Iran created the National Defense Forces, a large paramilitary base in Syria modelled after its success at organizing proxies in Iraq and Lebanon.
A temporary friendship?
As the Russia-Iran de facto alliance in Syria has emerged, opinion pieces and analyses increasingly appear in the Western media arguing that this partnership will not survive in the long term. The predominant arguments to support this position are as follows:
Distrust
Some experts argue that there is a history of distrust between the two countries dating back to the 19th century when Russia annexed Iranian territories. They also refer to the USSR's support of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), Russia's opposition to Iran's nuclear program and its support of UN sanctions on Iran. They also point to the suspension of the delivery of S-300 missiles in 2011 that Iran had already paid for. Tehran filed a lawsuit against Russia in return.
The reality is that alliances between countries are not based on trust - they are based on self-interest. A country's self-interest leads a government to enter into alliances with other countries. The more these interests converge, the stronger the relations.
As evidenced by numerous cases, even close allies do not trust each other: Israelis spy on Americans, Americans spy on Israelis, Germany helps Americans spy on its neighboring European countries, and all the while Germany's own chancellor's mobile phone is being tapped by Americans.
To determine the strength of the ties between two countries, one should examine how well their interests converge. Russia and Iran's major common interest is denying US hegemony. The United States rejects the view of building friendly relations based on equal partnerships or on taking the interests of other parties into account. This frustrates its relations with countries whose worldview, principles, values, and interests are different from that of the United States.
Logically, it is in Russia's national security interests to support sanctions if it perceives that there is a military dimension to Iran's nuclear program. However, that does not mean Russia will turn its back on Iran as the most reliable partner in the region helping it to thwart US dominance.
Competing in the global energy market
Some observers argue that Iran and Russia are competitors in energy markets. They claim that Iran may become Russia's competitor if it begins exporting natural gas to Europe where Russia dominates the market. Contrary to this argument, Russia desperately needs Iran's market and has already positioned itself as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the removal of sanctions on Iran.
Last September, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding worth $74bn to develop their trade and economic ties in an array of sectors. These sectors are mainly in gas and oil but also include heavy industries, mining, trade, agriculture, tourism, banking, technology and electricity.
According to Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Iran and Russia are in the process of negotiating oil and gas swap contracts. They can also "establish a bank that will finance the joint [oil and gas] projects," according to Novak.
Further evidence that Russia does not view Iran as a competitor can be seen in the active role Russia played in the culmination of the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 (the UN Security Council permanent members plus Germany), a role that resulted in Iran's leader expressing his appreciation for Russia's help.
Iran, Russia have differing motives in Syria
A group of experts, in an effort to prove that the Iran-Russia alliance will be short-lived, claim that the national interests of the two countries differ in Syria. As described earlier, while it is true that Russia and Iran view their strategic interests in Syria from different angles, these are not contradictory.
Russia realizes that without a motivated and reliable ground force, their military operations will not have the slightest chance of success in the Syrian asymmetric war. The two most severe bombing campaigns in history - by the United States in Vietnam and the Soviet Union in Afghanistan - illustrate how insurgents can absorb tremendous losses and still continue to fight.
This is where Iran's presence, through its ally Hezbollah of Lebanon, and the National Defense Forces organized by Iran in Syria, becomes crucial to the realization of Russian objectives in Syria. As Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed it, Russia's "complex" campaign in Syria "would be impossible" without Iran. Without a highly ideologically and politically motivated ally, Russia would face what the Soviet Union faced in Afghanistan.
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