Putin decided to show who is really in charge in the Middle East by shooting cruise missiles from the Eastern Mediterranean into Syria today. This adds a fourth avenue for leveling his foes in the Syrian and Western Iraqi combat theatres. The other three now consist of shooting missiles from the Caspian Sea, launching long-range bombing missions from Iran, and utilizing his base in Latakia, Syria.
As the USA continues to flounder in the ongoing proxy war, the Kurds are becoming more and more isolated by a rapprochement between Russia and Turkey with the latter now getting free rein against the Kurds of Syria and at times Iraq. This is compounded with a fresh assault from the Syrians against the Kurdish positions in its North.
The USA, trying to establish some sort of footing within the fast changing alliances in the Middle East tried to put its foot down on behalf of the Kurds. The US Airforce actually scrambled its fighter jets in response to te Syrians ignoring America’s warning to stop bombing Kurdish and Coalition forces.
“This was done as a measure to protect coalition forces,” Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said.
“We will ensure their safety and the Syrian regime would be well-advised not to do things that place them at risk… We view instances that place the coalition at risk with the utmost seriousness and we do have the inherent right of self-defense.”
The intended target of the Syrian airforce was Hasakeh, a city mostly controlled by Kurdish forces. Up until now, the US has pretty much stayed in the background in context to Russia’s proxy war. This new bellicose tone come at a time where most observers see American influence and might waning in the Middle East. The sabre rattling, might feel good, but Kurdish forces need more seriousness in tackling their growing isolation. If the Kurds succumb to the combined Turkish, Russian, and Syrian might then nothing will stop the three of them and Iran from controlling the Middle East. Israel will have to make tough choices in the coming weeks as events have taken over the agenda.