Can Putin pull off the miracle? [View all]

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Reactions to the Russian intervention in Syria essentially fall into three categories: Ambivalence, consternation and enthusiasm.
The first of these is the broad western response. There was little question of deterring Moscow once it had made its mind up to step in, and given that its official agenda highlighted a determination to combat the so-called Daesh, the West found it difficult to reject a military role for Russia out of hand.
There was a sharp intake of breath when the first Russian air strikes struck targets apparently unconnected with Daesh, and the determination to prop up the Assad regime appears to have taken some commentators by surprise. That’s a disingenuous response, given that “stabilizing” the government in Damascus was Moscow’s clear-cut objective from the outset, and there was always the likelihood that it would be more indiscriminate in defining terrorism than the US and its allies.
The consternation comes mainly from Turkey and the Gulf states, all of which are partners to some extent in the US-led military action against Daesh, but are at the same time convinced that Syria’s key problem is Bashar Assad, whose forces have claimed far more Syrian lives than Daesh and the plethora of other opposition groups.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/820056