When asked to choose between partnership with Russia or these guys, Washington chose these guys.
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said earlier this week that he expects Russia will soon suffer casualties.
The comment has sparked a good deal of debate as to whether Carter is just another hopeful US psychopath, or if the Pentagon has a Soviet-Afghanistan redux in mind for Syria. Either way Russia is infuriated, and a dangerous game just got downright scary.
Vladimir Putin's ISIL "end game" in support of Syria's armed forces has put the United States and the coalition in an untenable spot, that's for sure. For over a year Central Command has been reporting damage assessments telling of hundreds and thousands of destroyed targets, and completed mission objectives against ISIL, but no tangible victory was ever in sight.
As we see now, the US posture on ISIL has been one of "wait and see" in the hopes ISIL, and other extremist jihadists supported by the coalition, might overthrow Syrian President Bashar Hafez al-Assad.
It's crystal clear this was the only mission Barack Obama had in the region, and now Vladimir Putin has forced his hand. Destroying ISIL, as far as Pentagon strategy was concerned, was counterproductive to the greater mission. Now the US Defense Secretary is in the spotlight, chirping ill advised warnings about a Russian intervention he should be welcoming. The question is, why?
Comment: Looks like 'A new wave of bad press' for Monsanto! Hopefully the biotech giant will crash and burn!