The U.S. Launches a Limited, Coordinated Missile Attack against Syria with France and the U.K.

[DonRocks]

Apr 14, 2018 - "Trump Orders Strike on Syria in Response to Chamical Attack" by Luis Martinez, Elizabeth McLaughlin, and Tara Fowler on abcnews.go.com

Does anyone know why Russia so vociferously supports Syria? I'm sure the answer is "strategic national interest," but what, exactly?

I suppose a Russian could ask the same question about the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

---

Remember also this:

Apr 7, 2017 - "US Launches Strike on Syria Air Base after Chemical Weapons Attack" by Luis Martinez, David Caplan, and Adam Kelsey on abcnews.go.com

---

And I suspect many people have forgotten this:

Sep 17, 2016 - "U.S. Admits Airstrike in Syria, Meant To Hit Isis, Killed Syrian Troops" by Anne Barnard and Mark Mazzetti on nytimes.com

---

And also this - I distinctly remember there was an issue when Congress was in recess, Obama became furious with Syria and was thinking of acting unilaterally, but then cooled off, and decided to wait for Congress' return. I know that sometimes, Presidents must act decisively, but I remember feeling somewhat relieved that Obama calmed down and waited for Congress - there was no rush to do this, and it was only a matter of about a week; still, the attack was never carried out: This was a moment of (relatively) minor crisis in recent American history, and the tension surrounding it was very real:

Sep 1, 2013 - "Obama Seeks Approval bu Congress for Strike in Syria" by Peter Baker and Jonathan Weisman on nytimes.com

---

See also these related threads:

Nov 16, 2015 - Daesh, not ISIS, and Certainly not ISIL

Oct 27, 2015 - US To Send Ground Troops to Iraq and Syria To Combat ISIS

Jan 1, 2015 - Kurdistan - A Region, Not A Country

[Steve R.]

Follow the $$$$?  Isn’t Russia’s economy benefitting from its relationship to Iran and Syria?

[Tweaked]

1945, FDR is returning from the Yalta Conference and visits with Middle Eastern leaders, including King Abdul-Aziz al Saud.  They meet for several days aboard a US destroyer and strike a pact, oil for security.  The birth of the US Saudi special relationship. 

[DaveO]

10 hours ago, Steve R. said:

Follow the $$$$?  Isn’t Russia’s economy benefitting from its relationship to Iran and Syria?

8 hours ago, Tweaked said:

1945, FDR is returning from the Yalta Conference and visits with Middle Eastern leaders, including King Abdul-Aziz al Saud.  They meet for several days aboard a US destroyer and strike a pact, oil for security.  The birth of the US Saudi special relationship. 

I think it always has to come back to oil in the MidEast which sparked initial US interest from the time it was first discovered in 1908 and generated prime US focus since WW2.  

By the way I view it as a horrible collection of nations with crappy policies, oppression, mostly limited human rights, lousy education etc.  (think Arab Spring) But the MidEast has lots of oil and In many parts of it it is remarkably cheap to extract- hence the US has taken it upon itself to be involved.

It seems no matter our involvement over many decades it is always controversial and always subject to intense criticism if not hatred.  Regardless of our involvement it is always worse for the vast majority of the population (again- think Arab Spring). 

Syria estimated 11-13 million displaced or as refugees, essentially half or more of the pre war population, plus 1/2 million dead from this war.

Why is Russia/Putin there?  Oil?  Just basic anti US/West?  A naval base on the Mediterranean? Fill a power vacuum? One piece I read suggested that it’s a great place for Putin to experiment with his now somewhat new mercenary army(s)?  More oil??