... increase Russia’s global power by
a.) framing the intervention as Russia taking a responsible and leading role in combating ISIS and preserving state sovereignty/the world order; this in turn can hopefully
b.) Relieve pressure/sanctions regarding Russian ... ... that is a small minority in Syria) Bashar al-Assad and is controlled mainly by Alawate Shiites. It is backed by Shiite Persian Iranians and the Arab Shiite Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Sunni Muslims, in general, do not like Shiites, and that is an understatement; ...
... America was not in the midst of the worst economic and financial crisis since the Great Depression. Still even more amusing and amazing ... ... Egypt to Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran to (the recently departed) King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and ... ... leadership—led by Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri Kemal al-Maliki—with the Sunni or Kurdish minorities, agreements ... ... and treasure to give Iraqi politicians breathing room to make politics work—the explicit stated objective of the “Surge”—while ...
... presidency, he and his Administration realized that Nuri Kamal al-Maliki was part of the problem, not part of the solution. It ... ... first the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/the Levant/al-Sham (ISIS or ISIL) and now just Islamic State (IS) might possibly have ... ... would also strengthen an Iraqi government that was in line with Iran in many ways and had resisted accommodating the U.S. government ... ... onslaught and possible formal disintegration?
The Solution: Local Politics First, or No Cavalry
Obama brilliantly approved and ...
