Russian and American allies objectives in Syria

(B2) The appearance of Daesh as the ultimate threat has transformed the situation in the Middle East. Despite appearances, Russians and Americans today seem to be "allies", each with different functions. To the Russians, the care of consolidating the regime to avoid its brutal fall and the installation of a No Man's Land favorable to all the extreme radicals, better organized on the military level. To the Americans, and their allies, the task of carrying out air strikes on the objectives of the organization of the Islamic State. To the Iranians (and to the Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan), the task of fighting on the ground in Syria and Iraq.

Patiently Moscow bided its time. And this week at the UN General Assembly, Vladimir Putin himself should give the "the". Russia holds the threads of a possible plan to stabilize Syria. And she intends to play it. This is the primary objective of the various countries, particularly European ones. Bashar cynically used his population, depriving them of essential means of life (targeting bakeries, markets, hospitals...), pushing them into exile. A scorched earth policy that pays...

The sudden and noisy revelations drawn from “good sources” of increased arms deliveries from Russia to Syria have come at the right time to bring Russian military assistance back to the fore. But they did not prevent the rapprochements initiated by the various diplomacies. In fact, these deliveries did not stop throughout the conflict another “good” source told B2. If the establishment of an air base in Latakia is a new fact, and complements the maritime base of Tartous rebuilt in 2011, " we are more in the classic of a military assistance contract, aimed at renewing and supplementing a military system ».

The Syrian regime, since the start of the war, has suffered significant material losses (vehicles, helicopters, etc.). Its fleet of helicopters, in particular, over-used needs to be reinforced. And, in the spirit of a possible political solution in Syria, there is no question of the regime in Damascus collapsing too quickly to give way to the most extreme movements.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

(Maj 28.9 - Read also on Opinion, JD Merchet's comment on the Syria, way of the cross for French diplomacy)