(Bloomberg) For anyone who thought that the winding down of the campaign against the Islamic State would cause the Syrian civil war to recede from the headlines, the last few weeks have been a rude awakening. Far from abating, the Syrian conflict is intensifying, with a brutal assault -- reportedly involving chemical weapons -- by the Syrian government on rebel-held areas near Damascus, sharp aerial clashes between Israeli, Iranian and Syrian forces, and a bloody and one-sided confrontation between American airpower and Russian "mercenaries."
by Barry Strauss via Military History in the News
The war in Syria just seems to go on and on, with civilians in the line of fire as often as not. Currently an estimated 400,000 civilians are trapped in Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb and rebel enclave, currently under bombardment by government forces. Fighting since February 18 has killed over 600 people, including many children.
By Daniel L. Davis, RealClearDefense: “It is difficult to overstate how chaotic, violent, and intractable the situation in Syria has become. Regional powers such as the Syrian regime, Russia, Iran, and Turkey—along with hundreds of rebel groups—employ armed forces or violent militia in search of competing objectives.”
Nina Khrushcheva argues that Russia's goal is to send a message that popular revolts against its allies will not succeed.
Brigadier General Suheil al-Hassan has won over Putin and played a central role in the assault on eastern Ghouta.
By Pavel K. Baev, Eurasia Daily Monitor: “Putin attacked the theme with passion resembling Nikita Khrushchev’s braggadocio and presented video animations that outshone even the Cold War–era Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, or “Star Wars”) proposals of the Ronald Reagan administration.”
The Flawed Logic of Russia’s New Weapon Systems
By Victor Abramowicz, the interpreter: “Putin said the U.S. system might eventually be able to intercept of all Russia’s missiles, resulting “in the complete devaluation of Russia’s nuclear potential” and leaving the country open to attack. ”