******************** POSTING RULES & NOTES ******************** #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. *****************************************************************
this news of course has sent all the liberals on the ufpj-activist list, into a tizzy, breathlessly expressing their admiration of Putin's bold and generous gesture and urging Obama to do the same. Why not, what's a few thousand Syrian corpses in the geostrategic game? On Mon, Mar 14, 2016 at 5:46 PM, Louis Proyect via Marxism < marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote: > ******************** POSTING RULES & NOTES ******************** > #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. > #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. > ***************************************************************** > > (Declining oil prices might get the Nobel Peace Prize.) > > NY Times, Mar. 14 2016 > Putin Orders Start of Syria Withdrawal, Saying Goals Are Achieved > By ANDREW HIGGINS > > MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Monday ordered the > withdrawal of the “main part” of Russian forces in Syria, a surprise move > that he said was justified by the “overall completion” of Moscow’s military > mission in the war-ravaged country. > > Mr. Putin’s order, reported by the state news media, came as the war in > Syria was about to enter its sixth year and a United Nations mediator in > Geneva was trying to revive peace talks to stop the conflict, which has > displaced millions and created a humanitarian catastrophe. > > Russia has operated a naval base on the Syrian coast since the Soviet > period, but Mr. Putin’s order seemed to relate to warplanes operating from > a new air base in Latakia that since September have carried out intensive > bombings against rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad of > Syria. > > Mr. Putin said the withdrawal would not mean the closing of the Latakia > base, and he gave no indication when the withdrawal would be concluded. > > Since Russian warplanes began their campaign on Sept. 30, Mr. Assad has > gained ground against rebel forces and headed off the risk that his regime, > Russia’s closest ally in the Middle East, might collapse. > > “I believe, that the tasks put before the defense ministry have been > completed over all,” Mr. Putin told Defense Minister Sergei K. Shoigu and > Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov at a meeting in the Kremlin on Monday > evening. “Because of this, I have ordered that from tomorrow the main part > of our military groups will begin their withdrawal from the Syrian Arab > Republic.” > > The Kremlin said Mr. Putin had telephoned the Syrian president to inform > him of the Russian withdrawal, but gave no details of Mr. Assad’s reaction > to the move, saying only that he had expressed thanks for Russia’s help and > had praised the “professionalism and heroism” of Russian servicemen. > > “The leaders noted that the actions of the Russian air forces have allowed > a significant turn in the fight against terrorists,” a statement on the > Kremlin website said. > > In tandem with the military withdrawal, Mr. Putin called on Russian > diplomats to strengthen their efforts in reaching a negotiated settlement. > > “I am asking the Foreign Ministry to intensify the participation of the > Russian Federation in the organization of the peace process on the > settlement of the Syrian problem,” he said at the meeting. > > Although the timing of Mr. Putin’s announcement was a surprise, some > analysts had been expecting it, suggesting that Russia had accomplished > what it wanted in Syria and that prolonging the deployment might lead to > unanticipated problems. > > The partial cease-fire in Syria, which began Feb. 27, has proved more > effective and durable than expected, significantly reducing the level of > violence. > > At the same time, Mr. Assad and his aides have shown increased > unwillingness to negotiate a political settlement, which may have irked his > Russian allies. > > “Over the past few weeks, the Assad regime has made a number of statements > indicating their negotiating position with the opposition remains quite > rigid,” said Andrew J. Tabler, a scholar of Arab politics at the Washington > Institute for Near East Policy. “Putin’s announcement, coming on the same > day U.N. peace talks started in Geneva and in the absence of a decisive > victory by Assad’s forces, indicates that Moscow might not be with Assad > till the bitter end,” Mr. Tabler said. > > Russia’s military intervention in Syria, which involved the deployment of > 45 strategic and tactical bombers as well as fighter planes, helicopters > and antiaircraft systems, was Moscow’s first such action outside the former > Soviet Union since the collapse of communism in 1991. > > The state-controlled news media in Russia trumpeted the intervention as a > sign that Moscow had regained its role as a global military power. > Television news broadcasters, after weeks of hailing the operation daily, > seemed stunned Monday evening when news of the withdrawal first broke. > > Russian warplanes gave a major boost to Mr. Assad’s fading military > fortunes, flying more than 9,000 sorties and helping the Syrian government > regain control of 400 settlements, according to Mr. Shoigu, the Russian > defense minister. > > The decision to withdraw, announced as abruptly as Russia’s initial > decision to intervene, could allow Mr. Putin to avoid the risk that what > has been a relatively painless and, in both military and public relations > terms, highly successful mission for Russia could turn into a quagmire > costly in lives, money and political capital for the Kremlin. > > Mr. Putin’s announcement appeared to catch the United States and other > Western countries by surprise. > > Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said he had not seen > reports of Russia’s possible withdrawal from Syria, but the Obama > administration has frequently expressed frustration with Russia’s continued > military support for Mr. Assad, whom the Americans have long insisted > should step down. > > “Obviously, we have talked about how Russia’s continued military > intervention to prop up the Assad regime made the efforts to make a > political transition increasingly more difficult,” Mr. Earnest said. > > Mr. Putin’s announcement came as the United Nations mediator, Staffan de > Mistura, resumed his efforts to broker a peace deal, acknowledging the gulf > still dividing the warring parties and putting the onus squarely on Russia, > the United States and other powers to apply whatever pressure was needed to > bring them together. > > Speaking earlier to reporters, Mr. de Mistura remarked that “the real > peacemakers here are the peacemaking powers who wanted these talks,” > adding, almost as an afterthought, “and hopefully the Syrian sides.” > > If he saw no willingness to negotiate, he said, “we will bring the issue > back to those who have influence.” > > Reporting was contributed by Neil MacFarquhar from Moscow, Nick > Cumming-Bruce from Geneva, Gardiner Harris from Washington and Rick > Gladstone from New York. > _________________________________________________________ > Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm > Set your options at: > http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/acpollack2%40gmail.com _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
