Stumbling into Big War: Hands on the Trigger in Syria’s South
The US, UK, and French military strikes against Syria on April 14 paved the way for Russia to supply President Bashar al-Assad with S-300 air-defense missile systems. Any moral hurdles that might have blocked that deal were destroyed in the attack. With a range of 200 kilometers (120 miles), this air-defense system can engage as many as six targets at once, with two missiles trained on each target to increase the kill probability. This weapon will greatly enhance the Syria’s government forces’ ability to repel strikes. Any attacker will have to think twice before violating Syrian air space.
The move might cause friction with Israel but it was not Russia who started this whole thing. Moscow has respected certain agreements in order to avoid any escalation. The purchase of the S-300 was suspended in 2013 after talks with EU leaders and Israel. On April 9, Israeli warplanes attacked the T4 air base in central Syria. A few days later, the US and its allies launched their strikes so as to give the impression that the Israeli raid was actually one phase of a joint operation. Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the Israeli PM to discontinue the strikes in a phone conversation on April 11. On April 16 and17 Israel launched another attack. Now the S-300 might be on its way. You reap what you sow.
Israel’s April 9 strike resulted in the death of Iranian servicemen. Iran said it would retaliate. As a result, both parties now have their fingers on the trigger.
A group of over 12,000 militants known as the Southern Front, along with armored vehicles, have amassed in southern Syria, bracing for an assault on the government forces. If they do so, that will be a breach of the agreement governing the de-escalation zone. Their mission is to capture the city of Daraa, which would become the capital of a US-controlled quasi-state outside of the Syrian government’s control. The convoys providing arms and logistics are crossing the Jordanian-Syrian border under the guise of delivering “humanitarian aid.”
The attackers may use the “violation of the de-escalation zone agreement” by the Syrian government forces as a pretext for launching an assault. The militants may be plotting a chemical attack. Such a provocation would justify their actions and spur the involvement of the US and its allies……more here