Syria - could it become the next 'cold war' front

[Immortality]

As the title says, could Syria become the next cold war battle front or East Vs West battle for dominance?

An interesting article in the NZ Herald today Britain should help 'crush' Isil in Syria, former Archbishop of Canterbury warns - World - NZ Herald News

But more interesting was this article yesterday Vladimir Putin confirms Russian involvement in Syria's civil war - World - NZ Herald News

It's become very clear that once again the UN is useless with the current permanent member veto system where Russia has vetoed a number of resolutions in regard to the Syria issue.

I think it's also fairly well known that Russia has been supporting Assad for years, just exactly how much support is now coming to light.

What is also abundantly clear is that the current refugee crisis in Europe is directly related to the ISIS/Syria problem and the only long term solution to the refugee problem is to solve the ISIS/Syria issue. How this is to be achieved is debatable (and it pains me to say) but it's looking like boots on the ground is becoming a much greater probability because it is abundantly clear that the middle east themselves seem very dis-interested in dealing with it.

 

[c2105026]

Though he's been dead 35 years, John Lennon sums it up well....

 

[AirStrike]

Not sure a heavy substance abuser understands it all.

Boots on the ground is the only answer. Bombing is not effective. Arab countries don't give a ****.

 

[c2105026]

But thing is....what will be the actual aim? Get rid of ISIS....then what? Western powers have a long history of short term strategies in intervening in other countries that don't extrapolate long term. Also since WW2 western powers have shown they aren't very good at fighting guerrilla warfare against native populations.

Not sure what the ultimate solution is but history has always shown that violence only begats more violence.

 

[Immortality]

The problem is that boots on the ground runs the very real possibility that you will get an American/Allied Vs Russian engagement.

Then as above, we still have the issue that once IS is defeated what do we do next. The exit strategy hasn't worked in Iraq and Afghanistan is a mess as well.

 

[c2105026]

The problem is that boots on the ground runs the very real possibility that you will get an American/Allied Vs Russian engagement.

Well yeh that's a possibility. But it won't be a contest. Russia has lost a lot of power since 1989, and US and allies have gone from strength to strength. Unless China gets involved. That'll make things interesting.

Of course though both countries (and allies) still have nukes, still enough for MAD. In the 1973 yom kippur war USSR nearly got involved, and the US actually readied themselves for nuclear attack.

 

[Immortality]

It seems you haven't accounted for the Putin factor. That guy has Stalin type ambitions, just look at what he's doing in Ukraine.

Russia is definitely trying to re-assert dominance in that part of the world and Putin is always spoiling for a fight.

 

[XUV]

The problem is that boots on the ground runs the very real possibility that you will get an American/Allied Vs Russian engagement.

Then as above, we still have the issue that once IS is defeated what do we do next. The exit strategy hasn't worked in Iraq and Afghanistan is a mess as well.

Well yeh that's a possibility. But it won't be a contest. Russia has lost a lot of power since 1989, and US and allies have gone from strength to strength. Unless China gets involved. That'll make things interesting.

Of course though both countries (and allies) still have nukes, still enough for MAD. In the 1973 yom kippur war USSR nearly got involved, and the US actually readied themselves for nuclear attack.

It seems you haven't accounted for the Putin factor. That guy has Stalin type ambitions, just look at what he's doing in Ukraine.

Russia is definitely trying to re-assert dominance in that part of the world and Putin is always spoiling for a fight.

The thing is that Putin/russia has no problem throwing men at the problem

During the brief Chechen war the russian Army had 10,000 dead per month.

Coalition had 1000 per at it's worst Iraq afghanistan combined.

and they've already lost , depending on which report you read, between 5-25k russians soldiers that aren't in the Ukraine , but have died weirdly during training.

Not sure a heavy substance abuser understands it all.

Boots on the ground is the only answer. Bombing is not effective. Arab countries don't give a ****.

Hopefully there are clear boundaries.... sh1t unless they go in under the UN and get paid for it as well.

 

[AirStrike]

But thing is....what will be the actual aim? Get rid of ISIS....then what? Western powers have a long history of short term strategies in intervening in other countries that don't extrapolate long term. Also since WW2 western powers have shown they aren't very good at fighting guerrilla warfare against native populations.

Not sure what the ultimate solution is but history has always shown that violence only begats more violence.

We have to fight by the rules, the enemy don't.

 

[Immortality]

Spot on, Russia has been providing weapons support to Assad for years, they have also provided some high tech ****, unfortunately for Assad Israel had hit some of that stuff hard as soon as it's arrived and started to head toward Israel as Syria seems to be a funnel for getting weapons to other nations intent on destroying Israel.

It seems now that indeed Russian soldiers have been on the ground for some time (so called advisors), what strength we don't know but more will be coming. And yes, Russian soldiers lives mean nothing to Putin, he has no trouble adding to the pile of cannon fodder. It's always been the Russian way, to overwhelm with numbers rather than the technological route the West has taken.

War zones are great places to test new weapons systems, starting to sound more like Vietnam every time I contemplate the implications of what seems to be brewing.