Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Drones Launched in Syria, Russia Prepared to Defend Assad


 On Monday Russia launched drones in Syria, officials believe they are being used for surveillance of the country, officials do not know however whether the drones were armed. Experts are worried this is a sign that Russia is one step closer to using its air force to defend al-Assad.

U.S. officials have said “they would welcome Russian military airstrikes on Islamic State forces in Syria, but not if they help Mr. Assad.” Although it would be ideal for Russia and the U.S. to agree to a joint airstrike against the Assad regime and end the civil war once and for all it is unlikely to happen because Russian officials have said they intend to honor their commitment to al-Assad.  

Russia has been a strong supporter of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad; as of today they have supplied “over 25 fighter and attack aircraft, 15 helicopters, nine tanks, three surface-to-air missile systems and at least 500 personnel on the ground in Syria.” This is a major problem because the U.S. believes the only way for the civil war in Syria is for Assad to leave office.

U.S. officials are also worried because Russia’s intervention in helping Assad is counterproductive and it is likely to make the situation worse. Officials are also worried that Russian intervention may endanger “U.S. and coalition pilots flying daily missions over Syria.”

An end to the Assad regime would be ideal considering the mass refugee crisis it has been causing lately. Time will tell if the U.S. and Russia can come together and make some sort of agreement to remove al-Assad once and for all. However it is unlikely to end anytime soon with Russia condemning any anti-Assad attacks.




Ashley Rot

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