The Cold War - Russia - US rivalry

US to Intensify Anti-ISIL Campaign to Counterbalance Russia, Iran

The United States has decided to intensify military efforts against the Islamic State in response to Russia’s air campaign and to counter Russian and Iranian influence in the Middle East, former Pentagon official Steven Bucci told Sputnik.

Sputnik,

28 October, 2015

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the United States was bolstering efforts to fight the Islamic State a day after reports surfaced that the Pentagon was considering embedding US Special Forces with local units in Iraq and Syria.

"There is concern that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s support of Iranian policy objectives will destabilize the region, and therefore needs to be counterbalanced," Bucci said on Tuesday.

Russia’s more robust military action, which is primarily intended to support Syrian President Bashar Assad, Bucci claimed, has nevertheless left President Obama’s anti-Islamic State policy looking less than effective.

"There is no doubt that the Russian actions have influenced this decision."

The fact the United States, Bucci added, has spent a lot of time and effort replacing the Soviet Union, which is now Russia, as the major influencer in the Middle East is another contributing factor.

On September 30, Russia began an air campaign against Islamic State terrorists in Syria at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Russia, Syria, Iran and Iraq have established the Baghdad Information Center in the Iraqi capital to coordinate intelligence and security cooperation against the Islamic State.

Boots on the Ground: Pentagon to Launch 'Direct Action' in Syria and Iraq

In a major reversal for the US military, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced Tuesday that the Pentagon will begin "direct action on the ground" in Iraq and Syria, in an effort to the combat the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group

Sputnik,

28 October, 2015

Last week, US forces conducted a rescue operation in northern Iraq. Working alongside Kurdish forces, the maneuver led to the freeing of hostages being held by IS. Curiously, the Pentagon insisted that the mission “represents a continuation of our advise and assist mission,” and should in no way be thought of as US boots on the grounds.

But speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Carter indicated that not only would be US forces be deployed in Iraq to fight the terrorist group, but also in Syria.

"We won’t hold back from supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL, or conducting such missions directly whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground," he said.

Responding to the rescue op last week, Carter said that continued missions in the region could mean that American soldiers "will be in harm’s way, no question about it," telling NBC News that "this is combat and things are complicated."

On Tuesday, the defense secretary also acknowledged that Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler, a US commando involved in the IS raid, was "killed in combat."

In response to Carter’s announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, stressed that the Kremlin is waiting for more details on Washington’s plans.

"It’s not an announcement, no," he told reporters. "Not until we know, until we clarify the details, what [the Pentagon] has in mind. For now it’s not clear."

Hawks in Washington have been calling for a more aggressive stance on Syria after the embarrassing failure of the Obama administration’s plan to train and equip so-called "moderate" rebels. Originally hoping to create a fighting force of 5,000, the program fell apart after the CIA was only able to identify a handful of "moderates." Of those, most surrendered to IS soon after being sent into the field.

The US has also insisted that the only way to insure peace in the region is to remove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power. In its own fight against IS, Moscow has maintained that the fall of the country’s legitimate government would only lead to more conflict, and that no one but the Syrian people has the authority to decide who is in power.

On Tuesday, Congress expressed its frustrations to Carter over the US’ muddled foreign policy. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham described Washington’s effort in Syria as a "half-assed strategy at best," and said that the US is not doing a "damn thing" to achieve its goals in the country.

_{US ground ops in Syria ‘illegal’, may lead to ‘unpredictable’ consequences}

The CNN version

What will they dream up next?!

The Next Russia Scare: Their Subs Sailing Too Close to Internet Cables

The Russians are after your internet!!

The stories of Russian aircraft flying in international airspace but “dangerously close” to US or UK (or Norwegian) airspace (no mention of far more numerous NATO flights on Russia borders) are getting old now so here's The New York Times with a reshuffle: 

Now Russian subs (only the Russian?) are sailing “dangerously close” to undersea cables. Gasp! The Russians are sabre rattling again! 

RT Chief Outraged at 'Shocking' Proposal to Seize Channel’s US Assets 

RT television channel Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said Tuesday that she was outraged at the proposal by a former US assistant secretary of state that the United States must freeze RT assets

_{First Amendment flop: McCain & gang calls for ‘shutting down’ RT}

_{In the latest ‘McCainikaze’ attack on President Putin, RT and anything else that happens to inhabit the 11 time zones between Murmansk and Vladivostok, David J. Kramer offers an embarrassingly reckless plan to “knock Putin on his heels.”}

_{Yes, at the very same time the Russian leader has his hands full battling Islamic terrorists that US smart bombs just aren’t smart enough to hit, Kramer, senior director for human rights and democracy at the McCain Institute for International Leadership (a do-tank, as opposed to think-tank, according to its website), has decided it’s a good time to go after RT.}

_{“Wouldn’t it be nice to go on the offensive, in a non-military way, to knock Putin on his heels, while also shutting down his odious propaganda machine? Here’s how it can be done,” schemes Kramer.}