The United States is arranging dangerous provocations for the Russian military in Syria, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with Ash Shark al-Ausat. The tactics of half-measures and double standards used by the United States in Syria are a matter of serious concern for Russia, reports the minister’s words "Star".
Lavrov explained that American tactics consist in dividing terrorists into “bad” and “not very bad”, in politically motivated decisions related to the coalition and in ignoring decisions of the UN Security Council.
"They allegedly accidentally hit the Syrian armed forces, after which the igilovs went to the counterattack, they would force other terrorists to strategic points, where the legitimate authority of official Damascus was restored, then they would organize deadly provocations against our servicemen."
Lavrov also recalled that, according to international law, the presence of a US-led coalition in Syria is illegal, since the government did not invite these forces.
The “provocations” that S. Lavrov mentioned, as well as the “serious concern” of Russia, are accompanied by the complaints of foreign experts that Moscow has taken Syria from the West.
Australian expert Roger Shanahan of the Lowe Institute, a specialist in the Middle East, explained "Free Press"what change came to Syria after the appearance of Russian military forces there.
His vision of the situation is as follows.
1. At that moment, when the US-led coalition headed for Syria, it was already clear that the Assad regime was about to end.
2. Assad, who committed "many crimes during the civil war," was ready to take any measures, just to save power: "He even gave some controversial areas to his opponents so that they would not continue the offensive."
3. Assad was not a supporter of peace. He relied on force.
4. Iran constantly sent him "thousands of soldiers." But Assad "requested the full participation of Iran in the war." They refused: it was "very dangerous."
5. If foreigners had not intervened, the end of Assad would have been close. But the United States announced the beginning of a war with terrorists. And the first thing they did was not Asad, but the “Islamic State” (ISIS, ISIL, prohibited in Russia). That is what saved B. Assad.
6. And here "Russia came to his aid." “Nobody waited for her here, probably, even Assad himself was surprised,” the expert comments on the appearance of Russians in the country.
To the journalist’s remark, “Bashar Assad personally asked the Russian Federation to come to help in the fight against terrorism. He was hardly surprised. ”Roger Shanahan answered historical argument: "In the 60s, Castro asked Khrushchev to deliver a nuclear strike against the United States, but no one did."
Russia in Syria needed to tell the United States that it had its own interests here: “After a series of failures in agreements with Arab leaders, Russia could not leave Syria. She lost Hussein, whom she called a friend, lost Gaddafi, who was friends with Putin. Every time Russia protested, but no one listened to it. But now Moscow has begun to speak louder and more impressive. Now she does not just speak, but does. This is a big policy, in which there is no place for the pain and suffering of the Syrian people, everyone thinks about it last. ”
According to the expert, Russian aircraft caused great damage to Syria. Proof: "... everyone knows that." But in this way, Russia "was able to regain the status of a superpower."
Finally, Russia liberated almost all of Syria for Assad, and now "Assad is a big man." If before Assad in the West wanted to kill, now "his officials are negotiating with the US military." The only threat to B. Assad, the expert believes, is the Kurds. That is why the United States supports them. But the Kurds will have to negotiate with Assad: Syria, which is recognized by the UN, does not have another president.
Bottom line: Russia "was the first, she took Syria herself." And this is a defeat for Washington, which "will have to be recognized."
Another analyst, Richard Frank, also from Australia (a military expert, a specialist analyzing international relations), went even further: he believes that Moscow will have to pay for Syria.
He believes that the actions of the Russian military forces in Syria lead to casualties and destruction. “After Russian planes, there are almost no buildings left in the cities. Who will restore all this? Assad will not have enough oil for which he is fighting, and that he already has. Russia will have to restore the country itself. This is not humanitarian aid, but tens of billions of dollars. This question needs to be raised at the UN, ”he said. "Free Press".
As a sad example, a military expert cited the city of Aleppo. Nobody began to restore it. And if so, Russia "must pay" for what has been done in the country:
“What about Aleppo? Has anyone started to restore it? No, Russia is busy with other things. She has so many problems of her own that she can offer nothing but war, but she must pay for what she did in Syria. ”
Otherwise, the operation in Syria is estimated by Russian experts. The first thing that catches your eye is the specifics of the ratings.
In the Moscow edition "Federal News Agency" A round table was held on the second anniversary of the start of the Russian military campaign in the UAR. The counter-terrorist operation of the Russian troops in two years led to a fundamental change in the distribution of forces in Syria.
In particular, A. P. Leonkov, a military expert, one of the leaders of the magazine Arsenal of the Fatherland, with reference to the data of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, recalled that during these two years more than 30.000 combat sorties were carried out and 90.000 was attacked on militants. The contribution of the VKS RF is estimated at 55% of the destroyed equipment and infrastructure of the gangs.
In 2015, the main facilities for the Russian military aviation was the oil business of the IG. At that time, 70% of the territory of Syria was under the control of the "caliphate". In 2015, more than 2.500 tanks for the transportation of "black gold" were destroyed, thanks to which funding for a terrorist group went. The reconnoitered objects were separately destroyed: camps, places of concentration of equipment. In 2015, over 5.000 sorties were completed. The main load fell on the Su-25 and Su-24. Used and new: Su-34 and Su-30SM. Air operations were carried out in the area of the cities of Hama, Homs, Aleppo and Derya. IG oil facilities were also destroyed: over 300 refineries and stations were destroyed.
In 2016, the Russian group was changed as a result of the rotation. Helicopters were added to it (Mi-24, Mi-35, Ka-52, Mi-28). The effectiveness of helicopters has been proven. Basically, they tried to destroy the technique at night. In that year, the main attacks were made on the military infrastructure of IG and Dzhebhat-en-Nusra (banned in the Russian Federation). In 2016, the main task of the VKS was the destruction of key fortified areas. Cities and whole territories were freed.
According to the expert, through the Syrian campaign, “almost all types of aircraft that the Russian Federation has in service, with the exception of MiG and Yak-130 aircraft, were“ let through ”. “Therefore, our VKS received that practical experience, the same combat training, which is very difficult to create in the conditions of the landfill,” says Leonkov.
In general, the expert estimated the contribution of the VKS to the operation in Syria as significant.
Russia is strong, and Syria is saved - this is the leitmotif of the assessments of all experts who summed up the two-year Syrian campaign.
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Obviously, we note, the views of foreign and Russian experts are essentially the opposite: in Russia they talk about the destruction of terrorists, abroad they tend to blame Moscow almost for invading Syria and achieving their own goals there, which Asad himself was allegedly surprised with. Hence the logic: the Russians will have to "pay" for Syria! After all, it was they who destroyed it: Russian airplanes caused great damage, “everyone knows that.” The American coalition is depicted as the savior of Syria from terrorism and even the savior of Assad.
Probably, it will not surprise anyone (and Assad too) that the United States will be inscribed on the pages of American textbooks of recent history as the main winner in the war with the Islamic State.
Observed and commented on Oleg Chuvakin
- especially for topwar.ru
- especially for topwar.ru