Confirming what’s been know for a long time, Israeli Defense Chief Moshe Yaalon confirmed that Russia was sending more troops and military supplies to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Battling a Wahhabi Sunni insurgency, led by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and al-Qaeda since March 11, 2011, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to escalate Russian involvement in Syria. Throwing a monkey wrench into President Barack Obama confused Syrian policy, Putin sends a loud message to Washington that backing al-Assad was Moscow’s his top priority. Since crossing Obama’s red line of using chemical weapons at Aleppo March 19, 2013 and Damascus suburbs in Aug. 2013, White House policy shifted to regime change. Today’s confirmation of Russian military and financial backing of al-Assad should force the White House to rethink its Syrian policy.
Watching the chaos in Iraq after former President George W. Bush ordered Operation Iraq Freedom March 20, 2003 to topple Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the U.S. should reconsider its Syrian policy. Toppling Saddam opened the floodgates of Islamic terrorism, giving rise to ISIS and other terrorist groups now controlling some 30% of Iraq and Syria. Whatever the problems with al-Assad—including his unforgivable use of chemical weapons—his regime is preferred over ISIS, al-Qaeda or other radical Sunni groups. Iraq’s lesson showed the value of authoritarian regimes keeping radical groups out of the Middle East. Whether the U.S. State Department likes it or not, Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have the right policy when it comes to preserving al-Assad’s rule. They know whatever would follow would be far more dangerous to the region.
Confirming the presence of Russian advisors in Syria should surprise no one, certainly not the State Department. “As far as we understand, at this state, we are talking about a limited force that includes advisors, a security team and preparations for operating places and combat helicopters,” said Yaalon. Asked about Russia’s involvement in Syria, Lavrov confirmed joint operations with the Syrian military to fight terrorism. U.S. Syrian policy currently finds itself on the same side as ISIS and al-Qaeda, despite al-Qaeda’s No. 1 Ayman al-Zawahri declaring war today on ISIS. With an estimated 250,000 civilians killed since the insurgency began in 2011 and millions more displaced now flooding Europe, the U.S. urgently needs to coordinate a common strategy with Moscow to end the insurgency. Ending the insurgency would be the quickest fix to the current humanitarian crisis.
Ending the humanitarian crisis in Syria is a top priority for the United Nations, faced with disruptive hoards of Syrians fleeing for their lives to Europe. Joining forces in a coordinated strategy would Moscow would be the best way to stop the carnage and stabilize the region. Admitting he’s “looking at various options,” Putin acknowledged that he’s working with al-Assad to help end the insurgency. Taking up the Syrian crisis at the U.S. General Assembly in New York Sept. 15, there’s only one approach that can end the bloody four-year insurgency. Putting aside one’s feeling about al-Assad, Putin offers the best possible approach to ending the humanitarian crisis. As long as Wahhabi groups continue to fight al-Assad, there can be no let up in violence. Whatever went wrong in Ukraine, Putin’s approach in Syria should be seriously studied by the White House, EU and U.N.
As long as the U.S. joins the terrorist fight against al-Assad, the humanitarian disaster will continue to plague Europe and beyond. Civilians wouldn’t be fleeing from Syria if they weren’t in the crosshairs of ongoing battles. No one, including Putin, thinks al-Assad has done things right in Syria. Faced with a Saudi backed insurgency, al-Assad’s Shiite Alwawite government has tried to survive. Putin sending in troops and military hardware does more than protect Moscow’s interests at Russia’s Tartus Mediterranean Naval Base. Calling Russia’s involvement in keeping with “military items in accordance with existing contracts and humanitarian aid,” Lavrov put the U.S. on notice that Moscow isn’t backing away from its commitment to al-Assad. Lavrov insisted “Russian isn’t taking an additional steps” in accordance with existing treaties and obligations in Syria.
Faced with some big decisions to help fix the Syrian crisis, the White House needs to urgently retool its current regime change strategy in Damascus. Given that Europe faces humanitarian Syrian immigrant crisis of epic proportions, the U.S. must find a way to help end the current Wahhabi insurgency led by ISIS and al-Qaeda. When Putin presses his case to the U.N. General Assembly, the White House and Capitol Hill hawks should listen carefully to what can be done to end the four-year-long insurgency. Having tried and failed to fund-and-supply so-called moderate Syrian groups, like the Free Syrian Army, the U.S. and European Union must look what can be done realistically to end Syria’s insurgency. Instead of staying on the wrong side of the conflict with ISIS and al-Qaeda, the U.S. and EU should back Putin’s approach to coordinate a coherent military strategy end the insurgency.
