What's Behind Carter's Claim That Russia Will Suffer Casualties in Syria?

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When US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that he expects Russia will soon suffer casualties, his phrase sparked the question whether the Pentagon has a Soviet-Afghanistan redux in mind for Syria, Germany-based political scientist and analyst Phil Butler remarks.

The real life "war on ISIL" conducted by the US is completely different from what Washington's tame media sources are telling the public: in fact it is a part of a US strategy of widespread regime change across much of the world, Germany-based American political scientist and analyst Phil Butler notes.

Update: Russian Aerospace Forces Conduct 64 Sorties in Syria, Hit 55 ISIL Targets

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The Russian Aerospace Forces have conducted 64 sorties in Syria hitting 55 ISIL targets, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

The Russian military has increased the intensity of combat flights in Syria as the number of ISIL targets has grown, the Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman said.

"The increased intensity of the combat missions of our aircraft is related to a significant rise of the number of ground targets identified by means of air and space reconnaissance throughout the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic," Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said adding that the strikes are conducted by Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25SM aircraft.

Russian airstrikes in Syria have significantly reduced ISIL's combat potential, their mobility as well as the terrorists' ability to attack, he said.

Russian Aerospace Forces Conduct 64 Sorties in Syria, Hit 55 ISIL Targets

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The Russian Aerospace Forces have conducted 64 sorties in Syria hitting 55 ISIL targets, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday. The Russian military has increased the intensity of combat flights in Syria as the number of ISIL targets has grown, the Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman said.

"The increase in the intensity of the combat missions of our aircraft is related to a significant increase in the number of ground targets identified by means of air and space reconnaissance throughout the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic," Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said adding that the strikes are conducted by Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25SM aircraft.

Details to follow

Game-Changer: Russia's Involvement in Syria Shifts Balance of Power

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Russia's military involvement in Syria is undeniably a game-changer in the Middle East, US geopolitical analyst Eric Draitser told Sputnik, adding that Washington will definitely try to restore its shrinking positions in the region at all costs.

It is naïve to believe that Washington will eat its humble pie and admit that its decade-long policy in the Middle East has been a complete failure; it is more likely that US hawks will do whatever it takes to bolster their shrinking influence in the region.

What are NATO Colonial forces Doing in Syria? ...Nothing

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At a time when members of the international community could take meaningful steps to assist Syria in its fight against Islamic extremists, NATO has chosen to play the blame game and engage in tough rhetoric.

In general, the answer to the simple question of what the North Atlantic Alliance is exactly doing in Syria is nothing, journalist Artem Aslanyan maintains. "NATO representatives mostly criticize the Assad regime and Russian airstrikes in Syria."


The alliance lacks a comprehensive strategy towards Syria. Member states did not come up with one during NATO's latest summit in September 2014. Back then, the years-long civil war and Islamic State activities took backstage to the conflict in Ukraine.