Letter to Sen McCain RE CBRN use in Syria

[Randy Daytona]

“Interesting times,” indeed.

You're not kidding. Meanwhile.... For the first time in its history, Saudi Arabia is allowing direct overflights of its airspace into Israel. (Air India is the airline.)

http://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-israel-airspace-marks-policy-shift-2018-2

 

[Flash]

Pretty active day in and around Syria, first the Iranians flew a UAV into Israel where an Apache shot it down, in response the Israelis struck back at Iranian-related sites in Syria but one of their F-16I's went down, fortunately both crew were recovered, then finally a Turkish T129 attack helo was shot down.

 

[Flash]

The Russians may have brought some of their newest toys out to play with in Syria.

 

[Brett327]

Let's see if they bring something more than flight student level SA along with their new jets this time.

 

[Jim123]

Ouch. Sounds like somebody knows something but can't say what.

 

[Flash]

We've struck Syria for the second time in a year over their use of chemical weapons, in conjunction with the French and the Brits this time.

 

[nittany03]

We've struck Syria for the second time in a year over their use of chemical weapons, in conjunction with the French and the Brits this time.

Oh, so the Brits are actually on board this time? There's a change.

(still bitter we didn't put a stop to this in 2013; it was only 2 months of my life spent dicking around, and two shipmates from my air wing dead)

 

[picklesuit]

Glad we are doing something, instead of handwringing and acting truly appalled at the chemical attacks.

Glad we found our balls again as a country.

 

[BACONATOR]

Oh, so the Brits are actually on board this time? There's a change.

(still bitter we didn't put a stop to this in 2013; it was only 2 months of my life spent dicking around, and two shipmates from my air wing dead)

Yeah, just not Germany. But at least they called the use of chemical weapons "unacceptable"...

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

Oh, so the Brits are actually on board this time? There's a change.

Yeah, with 8 Storm Shadows from 4 Tornado GR4s. Not real participation, just a hint.


BTW, Russian military counted overall 103 cruise missiles (SSs, Scalps - evidently from French FFG, the rest are TLAMs), 71 of them shot down by Syrian AAW. Don't think it's accurate, though.

 

[picklesuit]

Yeah, with 8 Storm Shadows from 4 Tornado GR4s. Not real participation, just a hint.


BTW, Russian military counted overall 103 cruise missiles (SSs, Scalps - evidently from French FFG, the rest are TLAMs), 71 of them shot down by Syrian AAW. Don't think it's accurate, though.

And nobody here will refute or confirm those numbers for you.
#nottodayboris

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

And nobody here will refute or confirm those numbers for you.

That wasn't a question, just information to contemplate. The problem is that you, as well as all active and a good half of retired airwarriors are seeing this all from hostile standpoint. I'm not Russian resident finally and though I have a lot of friends and mates on active duty in Russia, to me it all is just a subject to study. I don't expect, thus, that you or somebody else will show me the numbers. I just see the information war along with the real one. 103 missiles of total? How had they counted them with no AEW asset in the air right over USS Donald Cook and second one watching the RAF and FAF? 71 killed/fooled? How did they count them with no evaluation groups of infantry in each target's visinity in just 4 hours from the beginning of the strikes? This way. An armchair expertise. I don't want to know what has happened in reality right now in alert, this is not my business at all, my active duty is in the past.

 

[zippy]

That wasn't a question, just information to contemplate. The problem is that you, as well as all active and a good half of retired airwarriors are seeing this all from hostile standpoint. I'm not Russian resident finally and though I have a lot of friends and mates on active duty in Russia, to me it all is just a subject to study. I don't expect, thus, that you or somebody else will show me the numbers. I just see the information war along with the real one. 103 missiles of total? How had they counted them with no AEW asset in the air right over USS Donald Cook and second one watching the RAF and FAF? 71 killed/fooled? How did they count them with no evaluation groups of infantry in each target's visinity in just 4 hours from the beginning of the strikes? This way. An armchair expertise. I don't want to know what has happened in reality right now in alert, this is not my business at all, my active duty is in the past.

I think his point is that no here one is an authorized source of information regardiing information on the event... it has nothing to do with hostility. Just that no-one who knows anything is allowed to say anything.

 

[phrogdriver]

All signs point to these attacks being completely symbolic.

Maybe if the guy who said he'd never telegraph his military movements hadn't been tweeting about this all week, the Syrians (and the Russians) wouldn't have evacuated many of their facilities.

Assad will resume killing as before. Just maybe with fewer chemical weapons. Russia will keep their buddy in power as well as a Mediterranean port.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

I think his point is that no here one is an authorized source of information regardiing information on the event... it has nothing to do with hostility. Just that no-one who knows anything is allowed to say anything.

Fine, if so. No one asked to confess.