Russia To Keep Bombing Rebels, Weapons Sale To Iran Shifts Balance Of Power In Mideast

Russia: We Will Ignore Obama And Keep Bombing Rebels

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev confirmed Russia will continue to bomb so-called “moderate” rebels in Syria, despite pleading from President Barack Obama to follow the ceasefire.

Medvedev said in an interview with Time Magazine he sees no reason why rebels running around with automatic weapons near Aleppo should receive any kind of immunity. They should be targeted along with Islamic State militants, he said, especially because it’s almost impossible to distinguish U.S.-designated moderate rebels from more extreme elements.

“So it is very difficult for us to tell the difference between the very moderate ones and the not-so-moderate ones, the good from the bad,” Medvedev said in Munch.

Medvedev’s remarks completely throw into question the seriousness of the Syria peace treaty, which was officially signed Thursday.

For Medvedev, the strikes will stop when peace comes back to Syria. A lack of clearly stipulated conditions for when airstrikes become unnecessary means the war is likely to continue for a long time. Even Syrian President Bashar Assad, several hours before the peace deal came about, said he intends to take all of Syria back.

Medvedev did say the rebels need to sit down with Assad and negotiate some kind of solution. The problem, of course, is that who belongs at the negotiation table has yet to be determined.

“We would like Syria to stay within its historic borders as a unified country,” Medvedev told Time. “None of us need another Libya, which broke up into several pieces, nor do we need the kind of chaos in which various territories are under the control of field commanders or, to put it plainly, bandits, regardless what religious rhetoric they use as cover.”

U.S. objectives are held hostage by Russian activity, as Russia now seems to have seized the position as the most important player in Syria.
“There’s recognition that the Russians now dominate the agenda in Syria and the Western approach is to yield to Russia,” Ayham Kamel, Middle East and North Africa director at Eurasia Group, told Bloomberg.

In full acknowledgment of that position, Medvedev said the U.S. shouldn’t even think of sending in ground troops to support rebel forces because of how badly it failed in Afghanistan. He also added the U.S.’s Arab allies should also stay out of Syria, if backing opposition forces is the goal.

Obama asked Russian President Vladimir Putin Sunday to put a stop to the airstrikes, but his requests will likely fall on deaf ears.

Russia Will Not Stop Syria Airstrikes Regardless Of Ceasefire

Over the weekend, Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev made it clear that even if there’s some manner of agreement with the “moderate opposition” in Geneva, any ceasefire will not apply to “terrorists.” But again, they’re all terrorists in Russia’s eyes so there will be no cessation of strikes until either the opposition surrenders or until they’re all killed.

"People who run around with automatic weapons should be fair game — not only the terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria. They are all bandits and terrorists. They move around amongst themselves for various reasons: They get paid more somewhere else, or somebody has a falling out with somebody else. So it is very difficult for us to tell the difference between the very moderate ones and the not-so-moderate ones, the good from the bad.”

Medvedev left little room to hope that the peace deal would actually take hold. Its hard-won provisions, he said, “at least give us grounds for some cautious optimism in the hope that we will be able to reach an agreement about the future, about the way the resolution process in Syria will go, about intra-Syrian dialogue, its principles, its participants.” He paused before adding, “And about a cease-fire.”

“We would like Syria to stay within its historic borders as a unified country,” he said, adding: “None of us need another Libya, which broke up into several pieces, nor do we need the kind of chaos in which various territories are under the control of field commanders or, to put it plainly, bandits, regardless what religious rhetoric they use as cover.”

 Medvedev warned the U.S. and its Arab allies not to send ground troops into Syria to support any of the opposition forces. “Let’s remember what happened in Afghanistan,” he said, referring to the U.S. invasion of that country in 2001. “They still can’t leave. So, as soon as a conflict moves to the point of ground operations, it becomes endless. This is what’s dangerous. So don’t do it. Don’t even use it as a scare tactic.”

Russia’s Latest Weapons Sale to Iran Shifts the Balance of Mideast Power

Iran is purchasing more and more military hardware from Russia, as Tehran moves to aggressively beef up its military capability after decades of international economic sanctions.

Moscow will deliver S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran in "the nearest time," RIA news agency quoted Russia's Foreign Ministry as saying on Monday.

Russia and Iran signed an $800 million contract in 2007 for the supply of five S-300 systems, but the advanced defensive weapons system deal was frozen in 2010 due to U.N sanctions. Russian President Vladimir Putin approved delivery of the air defense missile system in April 2015.

Iran has also shown interest in buying more advanced, S-400 missile systems, which are currently deployed at Russia’s airbase in Syria, but no formal talks have reportedly been held.

The news of the S-300’s imminent delivery comes on the heels of an announcement last week on Iran’s Ministry of Defense web site that the Islamic Republic will sign a contract with Russia for the purchase of Sukhoi-30 fighter jets. The fighter jet, which is part of Moscow’s military arsenal in the war in Syria, is said to be comparable to the American F-15E fighter-bomber.

While the exact number of fighters and the timeline for signing the deal remain unknown, an Iranian defense official said that Iran would be involved in the production of the aircraft.

Iran needs to "seriously focus on the air force and fighters," the official said. "We are moving toward a contract. We told them that we need to be involved in the production (of the plane) as well.”

The acquisition, and Iranian involvement in the production, mark a significant step for the country as it seeks to become an even greater regional power in the already volatile Middle East.

Iran's air force relies on domestically altered versions of outdated warplanes, including former Soviet Union-era MiGs. At the same time, Tehran is backing forces in conflicts in Syria and Yemen; if those allies begin demanding more support, or Iranian leaders want to expand their influence, the nation’s military arsenal would benefit from a massive upgrade and from the technical knowhow gleaned from helping build the new equipment.

Russia also stands to benefit economically and diplomatically from turning Iran into a client. Moscow’s economy has been walloped over the last several years, thanks to international sanctions over its aggression toward Ukraine and the tumbling price of oil. Arms sales offer an easy cash infusion into Russia’s economy.

It’s no secret that Russia’s foray into Syria was motivated by Moscow’s concern over losing a major arms partner in Damascus. By increasing its entanglements with Iran, Russia bolsters a partner and leaves the U.S. and its allies playing catch-up as the Kremlin draws the Islamic Republic deeper into its orbit.

Strong Earthquake Rattles New Zealand City

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake shook the New Zealand city of Christchurch Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake was centered 17 kilometers east of the city at a relatively shallow depth of 8 kilometers. 

Oklahoma sees dramatic spike in earthquakes

The third most powerful earthquake in Oklahoma's recorded history jolted the northern part of the state this weekend.

The magnitude 5.1 quake -- centered near Fairview -- was felt in seven states overall. Oklahoma has recently seen a dramatic spike in earthquakes.

The ground keeps shaking in Oklahoma, and more violently. 

This year has already seen 140 quakes 3.0 or larger. That's an average of 2.5 earthquakes per day. Before 2008, the average was one and a half per year.

The small town of Fairview is quickly gaining a big reputation for large quakes. It was the epicenter of Saturday's five point one. And just last month, a 4.8 quake.

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