Let's talk about Syria. It's currently the "hottest" war zone- and the U.S., Russia, Syria, Turkey

[cali]

appear headed on a collision course.

For instance, this story illustrates that:

U.S. jets scramble as Syrians bomb near American forces

U.S. fighter jets scrambled to eastern Syria this week when Syrian bombers attacked in the vicinity of American and coalition Special Operations forces working with Kurdish and Arab opposition fighters, the Pentagon said Friday.

The unprecedented incident, near the Syrian city of Hasakah, did not result in a direct confrontation or any injury to U.S. or coalition forces.

But it illustrated the increasingly tense and ambiguous Syrian battlefield, where aircraft and ground troops from multiple countries — with multiple agendas and loyalties — are fighting overlapping wars.

Following the initial Thursday incident, the coalition began “actively patrolling the airspace nearby,” a Defense Department official said. Early Friday, “two Syrian SU-24 aircraft attempted to transit the area and were met by coalition fighter aircraft,” which “encouraged” the Syrians to depart “without further incident,” said the official, who spoke on a Pentagon-imposed condition of anonymity.

Pentagon Warns Assad Regime to Avoid Action Near U.S. and Allied Forces

http://www.wsj.com/articles/pentagon-warns-assad-regime-to-avoid-action-near-u-s-and-allied-forces-1471633476

Turkey to take more active role on Syria in next six months, PM says

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-primeminister-syria-idUSKCN10V0AF?il=0

Yesterday, Russia fired cruise missiles from warships in the Mediterranean into Syria

MOSCOW — Russia flexed its muscles again over Syria on Friday, for the first time launching cruise missiles at targets from warships in the Mediterranean Sea days after beginning bombing runs from a base in Iran.

Taken together, the new military moves appeared to be a demonstration that Russia has the ability to strike from virtually all directions in a region where it has been reasserting its power — from Iran, from warships in the Caspian Sea, from its base in the Syrian coastal province of Latakia and now from the Mediterranean.

The United States also asserted its military might in a new way, scrambling its aircraft to protect its forces, and those it is supporting, from Syrian government airstrikes. The Pentagon issued a blunt warning to the Syrian government after its warplanes struck a Kurdish-controlled region where American military personnel were on the ground.

“The Syrian regime would be well advised not to interfere with coalition forces or our partners,” said Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.

<snip>

read:http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/world/middleeast/russia-syria-mediterranean-missiles.html?_r=0

The Syrian Civil War has been raging now for 5 years. It has displaced over 10 million people from their homes. Almost 4 million have become refugees. It has spilled over into Lebanon and Turkey and Iraq. Russia is using Iranian air bases.

It goes without saying that the people in Syria are suffering greatly day in day out, month after month and year after year. There is no accurate count of the deaths incurred; estimates range from around 120,000 to 500,000.

I haven't a clue as to what can or should be done, beyond supporting humanitarian efforts and enabling more Syrian refugees to enter the U.S., but that it's the tensest place on earth, from a geopolitical point of view, seems all too obvious.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_civil_war

[cali]

1. Add China to the mix

China Aligns With Russia in Syria, Creating a Headache for the US


http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/08/18/China-Aligns-Russia-Syria-Creating-Headache-US

[cali]

2. And this

Kurds versus Syrian army battle intensifies, complicating multi-fronted war

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKCN10V0GD

Issues and world events once mattered here.

[ghostsinthemachine]

3. World war 3. All over resources

This battle is one Russia cannot lose. If they do, and Assad is removed, and the US replaces him with a West friendly face, the war will be fought outside the middle East.

[cali]

4. I don't think it's all about resources.

I think it's become a power struggle over... power.

I have no idea what will help the Syrian people, beyond peace negotiations, which are a remote possibility at this time. Should Assad be removed, the Alawite population would likely suffer genocide.

I don't know that it's a battle Russia can't lose. Seems to me that there can be no winners.

[ghostsinthemachine]

7. Rsources, pipelines and ports.

And a whole lot of ego. If Russia loses here then Crimea/Ukraine become do or die.

[pampango]

8. A dictator wants to stay in power. A outside power wants a military base there.

Marcos did the same with the US in the Philippines. The big country supports the local dictator who, in return, provides the big country with a military base or two (in the case of the US and Marcos).

[Arazi]

5. Climate change played a large part

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/03/150302-syria-war-climate-change-drought/

But a lot of blame belongs to the US and our meddling in Arab Spring revolts we thought we could control. We provoked a well protected asset of Russia - Syria contains a valuable Russian port and brought about a very predictable reaction from Russia

[cali]

6. for sure. and yes, the U.S. bears the responsibility you refer to re the Arab Spring revolutions

But it seems to me to be so much more complex than those two factors and incorporates so much history- from colonialism under the British Empire to the Iraq War to historic religious tensions....