Russian Plane Crash

[vorlon13]

Looks like with all the security upgrades at Egyptian airports since the crash, there wasn't much security to begin with.

[Anomalocaris]

You can never upgrade security enough to preclude a inside job.

The appearent appeal of ISIS for the young across social strata in the region suggests no security in the region will be enough.

BTw, was it still the right thing to do to topple saddam, tony?

[Thumpalumpacus]

So now United States and its puppets can justify bombing (insert Arabian country here) some more? Either someone turned a blind eye to the bomb (and let it onto the plane) or the bomb managed to get past airport security because it's more sophisticated than the average bomb. In either case, it doesn't look good and I believe this is being used to sway public opinion to support further acts of aggression by the United States.

You think we're going to use terrorism against Russia as a pretext for our own actions?

That makes no sense. What's going to happen is that the US and UK are going to wag fingers at Russia, saying "we told you to stay out of Syria, see?", and nothing else. Russia and Egypt both have every interest in portraying this as an accident and not a bombing.

[Minimalist]

What's going to happen is that the US and UK are going to wag fingers at Russia, saying "we told you to stay out of Syria, see?"

Pretty ironic that we would say that to the Russkis after putting targets on our own backs.  Why would the Russkis be any smarter than us?  Maybe now they will bomb ISIS in addition to every one else opposed to Assad.  We can use the help.

[vorlon13]

I don't want to sow more confusion (heh, heh)

-however-

the Russians only said they were attacking ISIS in Syria, apparently, they were actually attacking faction(s) the US supports.

So, ISIS, theoretically, has no reason to down a Russian (other than their being general assholes to everybody).

It occurs to me, the non-ISIS factions would have an interest in downing a Russian plane and making it look like an ISIS plot, and the goal would be to get Putin's panties in a twist and get him doing what he said he was doing.

(of course, there are several  unfounded assumptions in this theory)

[Thumpalumpacus]

What's going to happen is that the US and UK are going to wag fingers at Russia, saying "we told you to stay out of Syria, see?"

Pretty ironic that we would say that to the Russkis after putting targets on our own backs.  Why would the Russkis be any smarter than us?  Maybe now they will bomb ISIS in addition to every one else opposed to Assad.  We can use the help.

That's certainly our aim, to get them to target ISIS more.

[abaris]

On a side note, I just read the news that the Russians killed civilians in a bombing raid. Have to say I'm shocked. That never happened before with anyone dropping bombs. At least not in the headlines. Unless it's some hospital.

[Anomalocaris]

Pretty ironic that we would say that to the Russkis after putting targets on our own backs.  Why would the Russkis be any smarter than us?  Maybe now they will bomb ISIS in addition to every one else opposed to Assad.  We can use the help.

That's certainly our aim, to get them to target ISIS more.

Their ability to target ISIS isn't any better than ours, and their involvement will not make any major difference against ISIS.   They also have little to gain in really rolling back the ISIS because such a move helps the US and has little in it geostrategically for Russia, especially since the US would do everything possible to prevent Russia from filling any resulting power vacume.

The major difference russia made and aimed to make was to prevent Assad from falling to fraction we idiotically tried to use to topple Assad.  leaving Russia a dominant influence in Syria remains Russia's primary objective.

Our wishthinking scoffing aside, I see no reason to believe Russia is so easily diverted from pursuing their core interests by something so trivial as the death of a few hundred citizens.

But, instead of letting this event divert Russia from pursuing its true interests abroad, I am sure Putin is canny enough to use it instead to better pursue other agendas,such as really visciously cracking down on restive Islamic regions inside Russia.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yeah, I'm not saying the US and UK will achieve their aims vis Russia. Their objective is to secure Assad'a regime and i think they will succeed.

[abaris]

Their objective is to secure Assad'a regime and i think they will succeed.

Which, from a purely Western perspective is the saner approach than removing him at all costs.