Alexis wrote:America and Western Europeans criticize Russia and say Moscow should only bomb the Islamic State, not other opponents to Assad. However, Russia is doing both.
Why?
There is presently little to no Syrians fighting for anything resembling democracy or freedom. According to some analysts, there were such people at the beginning of the civil war in 2011, but they have long been sidelined by Jihadists, or have joined them. Presently, the Syrian civil war has got three main sides - Loyalists, Jihadists outside of IS, Jihadists within IS, plus the Kurds on the sidelines.
Syrian Kurds are the closest to a regime Americans or Europeans could imagine living in, however they are only interested in securing their small regions in the north of the country - and protecting themselves both from IS and from Turkey who attacks them. They do not wish to conquer the rest of Syria, nor do they have the numbers for that - far from it.
America, France and Britain fight the Islamic State. At the same time, they support the other Jihadist forces fighting Assad. Most of the time that support is indirect, while Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey manage the direct support (weapons and finances). To America and her Western allies, there are "bad Jihadists" (IS) and "good Jihadists" (the other).
To Russia, there is no such thing as a "good Jihadist". So they strike both.
In his speech at the UN on September 28th, Vladimir Putin explained why he thinks Western policy on Syrian non-IS Jihadists is unwise:
It is equally irresponsible to manipulate extremist groups and use them to achieve your political goals, hoping that later you’ll find a way to get rid of them or somehow eliminate them.
I’d like to tell those who engage in this: Gentlemen, the people you are dealing with are cruel but they are not dumb. They are as smart as you are. So, it’s a big question: who’s playing who here? The recent incident where the most “moderate” opposition group handed over their weapons to terrorists is a vivid example of that.
Putin's question is a good one. Indeed, when Western powers choose to use Jihadists for specific goals, are they sure to be the ones doing the manipulation ?
.
First all those fighting Assad and Syrian army must be wiped out .. no matter who
Same should happen in Iraq .. anybody fighting Iraqi government must be wiped out, no matter who
After Syria and Iraq totally control their territory .. Syrians and Iraqi can decide who they want to rule them, Assad or anybody else
Seems to me, West, Americans, Europe, China, world powers, have already agreed on that
Looks like, Chinese military, airplanes, joining Russia to bomb terrorist positions in Syria and Iraq .. seems Iran will do the footwork.
West, world powers, came to this conclusion and agreement, after realizing things went really bad, and, Arab Amirs and Sheikhs and Kings in real danger.
In a sense, Putin came to the rescue.
That is why all powers keeping silence .. reason is, there is an agreement between Russia/US/China in this matter.
No such thing as "moderate opposition", they either killed by Islamist or escape to west.
Sheikhs and Amirs and Kings, Saudi, Ghatar, UAE, Kuwait + Turkey, will be the losers as they bankrolled and backed the islamist (to counter Iran)
Well, you guessed it, Iran will be the winner
A real possibility KSA will be no more .. things will change
.