NEWS Russia building barracks at Syrian airport

[zippy]

Beyond the Iraqi dimension of ISIS, I think I'm content with leaving Syria alone and trying to contain things as best we can. It sucks for the thousands who have been killed and millions displaced, but Syria has had an adversarial relationship with the West for a long time, and I'm not sure what our involvement there really gets us in the long run. Let the Russians and Iranians spill their blood and treasure.

Agree. Let the Russians and Iranians deal with Syria and ISIS... Of course the Israelis, Turks and the Saudis et al. won't like that very much so we're kinda stuck with our half assed involvement, pretending it's an effective solution.

 

[Brett327]

All three of those countries have large standing military forces. If they're so concerned, they can jump into the fight.

Edit: just saw this. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-syria-20151009-story.html
Probably a good thing, but the optics are terrible.

 

[xj220]

Sounds like a blast. Sign me up for that 1600 mile walk from Greece to Germany. I lived in the housing projects in France during the late 1970s, along with a bunch of poverty stricken Algerians, Moroccans, West Africans and Vietnamese. I can only speak to the French situation, but life as in immigrant or refugee is no walk in the park. In the larger cities, they're warehoused like animals in the banlieues. It's better than being blown up in your country of origin, or gang-raped by ISIS, but it definitely doesn't not suck.

It's that isolation of the immigrants and treatment that also breeds anger and discontent, and without getting all Yoda-like in here, hate leads to radicalization and eventually ISIS type groups. I'm not blaming the countries completely either, it's a very difficult situation. You have two very different cultures combining here and not in a smooth transitional way over time, but in a flood of people. So you now have this very large group of people that barely speak the local language, if at all, and have next to nothing. It's going to cause a lot of issues.

 

[jmcquate]

Edit: just saw this. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-syria-20151009-story.html
Probably a good thing, but the optics are terrible.

Meh.......can't end something that was never happening. The administration wants out of the middle east business. That's why the Iranian accounts were un-frozen and the arms embargo was lifted, and we are giving a wide berth to the Russians. I can see our air campaign slowly winding down to nothing over the next 6 months. There's a new Iranian sheriff in town..........eventually with nukes.

 

[Pags]

With oil prices low and the ability to get oil from fracking at home is there as much of a reason to be involved in the Middle East as there once was? It's not like we were there to spread democracy just ensure stability to keep oil prices low.

 

[Brett327]

With oil prices low and the ability to get oil from fracking at home is there as much of a reason to be involved in the Middle East as there once was? It's not like we were there to spread democracy just ensure stability to keep oil prices low.

Well, the Saudis have managed to help out on that front (along with the U.S. domestic production boom), in spite of increasing instability throughout the Arab world. Though there are spill-over effects to consider of instability, the Levant doesn't produce much oil.

 

[nittany03]

It's not like we were there to spread democracy just ensure stability to keep oil prices low.

Uh, both the desired and actual end states of OIF put the lie to that idea, each in their own special way.

Edit: I'm going to smack myself for putting JPMEisms in two separate posts in this thread. There must be some rum or vodka mixed in this Kool-Aid . . .

 

[Randy Daytona]

Well, the Saudis have managed to help out on that front (along with the U.S. domestic production boom), in spite of increasing instability throughout the Arab world. Though there are spill-over effects to consider of instability, the Levant doesn't produce much oil.

Recent large finds of hydrocarbons (oil and natural gas) in both Egypt and Israel is a big change.
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/major-shale-find-could-guarantee-israels-oil-supply-for-years-cm528693

Granted natural gas is a regional commodity due to the difficulty to transport it and has disconnected from its historical correlation with the price of oil - but it does give the Europeans a new source of non-Russian energy.
http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-N...-Make-Or-Break-Geopolitics-In-The-Region.html

It also allows these countries to spend more on the military as evidenced by Egypt purchasing the 2 helicopter carriers from France.
http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/why-is-egypt-buying-two-orphaned-mistral-class-aircraft-1732595299

 

[Brett327]

Recent large finds of hydrocarbons (oil and natural gas) in both Egypt and Israel is a big change.
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/major-shale-find-could-guarantee-israels-oil-supply-for-years-cm528693

Granted natural gas is a regional commodity due to the difficulty to transport it and has disconnected from its historical correlation with the price of oil - but it does give the Europeans a new source of non-Russian energy.
http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-N...-Make-Or-Break-Geopolitics-In-The-Region.html

It also allows these countries to spend more on the military as evidenced by Egypt purchasing the 2 helicopter carriers from France.
http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/why-is-egypt-buying-two-orphaned-mistral-class-aircraft-1732595299

While undeveloped resources won't alter the prices of these commodities in the short term, this will add even more negative pressure on the Russian petro-economy.

 

[Flash]

With oil prices low and the ability to get oil from fracking at home is there as much of a reason to be involved in the Middle East as there once was? It's not like we were there to spread democracy just ensure stability to keep oil prices low.

Oil prices are still set by the market and Saudi Arabia still has the biggest impact of any individual country on them. Middle East stability is still desirable for many reasons and we are still the biggest outside influence in the region.

It also allows these countries to spend more on the military as evidenced by Egypt purchasing the 2 helicopter carriers from France.
http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/why-is-egypt-buying-two-orphaned-mistral-class-aircraft-1732595299

Egypt isn't exactly purchasing them with cash, I believe with credit supplied by the Gulf countries and at a reduced price from the French. I bet you they rot pierside.

 

[HH-60H]

Meh.......can't end something that was never happening. The administration wants out of the middle east business. That's why the Iranian accounts were un-frozen and the arms embargo was lifted, and we are giving a wide berth to the Russians. I can see our air campaign slowly winding down to nothing over the next 6 months. There's a new Iranian sheriff in town..........eventually with nukes.

It was? When?

 

[jmcquate]

Ok, a "rollback".

 

[Flash]

Ok, a "rollback".

Five years from now, if they stick to their end of the agreement.

 

[jmcquate]

Five years from now, if they stick to their end of the agreement.

They have figured out that whole "patience" thing.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Looks like a Turkish F-16 pilot is painting a Russian star underneath his canopy this morning.....