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Russia's air strikes in Syria explained

submitted by theali

8 years 7 months ago

YT: At the request of al-Assad’s government, Russia has started an air strike campaign over Syria. Moscow stated that they would target extremists groups such as ISIS but so far the air strikes have mainly targeted NATO supported rebels.

Even though most of the mainstream media has put a negative spin of the Russian air strikes, one thing must be put into perspective. None of the external actors involved in the Syrian conflict, are in it for the sake of the Syrian people, democracy or human rights. This is a geopolitical conflict, not a soap opera. Russia is pursuing its own interests in the region, just as the US, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia are respectfully pursuing theirs.

Russia has been engaged in the Syrian conflict since the start. Ever since 2011, Russian diplomats have provided crucial support in favor of the al-Assad government. By casting vetoes, the Russians prevented the adoption of UN resolutions aimed at banning the al-Assad government from the international community. And now, at al-Assad’s request, Putin has launched an air strike campaign in Syria. Since al-Assad’s administration is still the only legal executive authority in the state of Syria, the Russian air strikes are entirely within international laws. So what does Russia hope to achieve in Syria and how do the air strikes fit in the Russian geopolitical design?