Syria: What’s Next for the Russian Steamroller?
The Russian military has conducted its campaign in Syria in a carefully planned and methodical way in line with Russia’s military traditions and the practice of its General Staff Daniel Fielding 31/03/2016 The Syrian army’s offensive, which has resulted in the liberation of Palmyra, provides a good opportunity to the review the situation in Syria since the Russian intervention began in September. A good starting point are the objectives we attributed to the Russians in an article we published on 7th November 2015. This is what we said there: ‘“The Russian air campaign is therefore carefully judged and is achieving its objectives. 1. It has prevented the US and its allies carrying out their plan for a bombing campaign that would have resulted in the overthrow of the Syrian government; 2. It has provided time and space for a renewed diplomatic effort paving the way for an eventual political settlement based on Russian ideas. These exclude the setting up of an Islamist jihadi state on Syrian territory. As the Saker correctly says the US appears to have conceded the point; 3. It has provided time and space for the Syrian army to recover, so that it can eventually go on the offensive, creating the conditions for the political settlement the Russians want to impose; and 4. It is weakening the rebels’ infrastructure, preventing them launching an offensive and weakening them...
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