Well, I'm happy that this positive step has been taken. Let's hope it's not a faux pas.

From a Russian angle, Putin has scored a fantastic success. His popularity in Russia must be at an all time high

He has also demonstrated that calling his bluff is a high risk strategy

Sadly, he has nicely demonstrated that the West is a paper tiger with no moral imperatives.

Whereas I am quite pro Obama (he would make a fine Supreme Court judge) I am disappointed in his lack of leadership. Drawing a line in the sand and then doing nothing is an error no school

boy would make

Time for real statesmanship now....

yes Putin intervention was wrong as Russia has zero ties in that region so it was wrong for them to be there in the first place.

They were asked to go here by Syria.

They were indirectly and directly supporting ISIS as well

what.

How exactly?

and bombing only opposition.

No

Russia was chased out, the speed they are leaving shows this is a Dunkirk, not a gradual withdrawal after mission accomplished. Hezbollah are also pulling out as of now.

I predict neither will return regardless of what happens with the negotiations surrounding Syria. Putin may yet end up smelling of roses if he can appear content with any agreement and keep too many pictures of burning tanks and planes from appearing.

Russia was chased out, the speed they are leaving shows this is a Dunkirk, not a gradual withdrawal after mission accomplished. Hezbollah are also pulling out as of now.

I predict neither will return regardless of what happens with the negotiations surrounding Syria. Putin may yet end up smelling of roses if he can appear content with any agreement and keep too many pictures of burning tanks and planes from appearing.

Chased out by who? I don't see the Wehrmacht on the horizon.

No, twaddle

Putin has played his cards brilliantly in a way George W can only wonder at

I hope there are some brighter people somewhere in the States

Russia was chased out, the speed they are leaving shows this is a Dunkirk, not a gradual withdrawal after mission accomplished. Hezbollah are also pulling out as of now.

I predict neither will return regardless of what happens with the negotiations surrounding Syria. Putin may yet end up smelling of roses if he can appear content with any agreement and keep too many pictures of burning tanks and planes from appearing.

Chased out by who? I don't see the Wehrmacht on the horizon.

No, twaddle

Putin has played his cards brilliantly in a way George W can only wonder at

I hope there are some brighter people somewhere in the States

Diplomatically speaking Obama makes anyone else look like a genius, that's how Putin looks. His timing was good too, but forced. First of all most of his generals in Latakia were taken out by a car bomb.

http://m.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-Dozens-of-Russian-generals-in-Syria-killed-after-a-car-bomb-hits-their-military-base-445975#article=6021MEIzNDk3OUExNDBEODE3MEQ1NjVFNjIwMzlDNTQ1Qjg=

And if that wasn't bad enough the Russians have come up against Arab league special forces using weapons they commissioned Israel to design. This includes missiles which can defeat the reactive armor on the Russians newest T90 tank.

http://www.thomaswictor.com/peace-through-superior-firepower/

Edited March 16, 201610 yr by Steely Dan

Putin’s maximum objective was, however, to transform Russia’s relations with the West after they had been destroyed by the Ukraine crisis. The Kremlin hoped that the common danger from Isis would prompt the West to overcome its scruples at dealing with the invader of Ukraine and form a new anti-Isis alliance. This was the subject of Putin’s speech to the United Nations on the eve of the opening of Russia’s air campaign in Syria in which he drew a parallel with the anti-Nazi coalition during World War II.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-four-reasons-why-russia-has-withdrawn-from-syria-a6933841.html

Putin has turned it around. Clever man, shame he's undemocratic.

Putin’s maximum objective was, however, to transform Russia’s relations with the West after they had been destroyed by the Ukraine crisis. The Kremlin hoped that the common danger from Isis would prompt the West to overcome its scruples at dealing with the invader of Ukraine and form a new anti-Isis alliance. This was the subject of Putin’s speech to the United Nations on the eve of the opening of Russia’s air campaign in Syria in which he drew a parallel with the anti-Nazi coalition during World War II.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-four-reasons-why-russia-has-withdrawn-from-syria-a6933841.html

Putin has turned it around. Clever man, shame he's undemocratic.

Putin had the advantage of being able to do whatever he wanted, good or bad, with no scrutiny by the press, his government, or the rest of the world. Nobody really knows what happened in Syria, but it's widely reported there were massive civilian casualties. As we know, IS wasn't Putin's #1 target. Anybody opposed to Assad was his target. IS or not.

I'm not sure any Western government would have taken such action. Too many civilian casualties. Which when shown on the local TV, would have caused immense problems at home.

So in the end, what did Putin accomplish? Lots of civilian deaths and a life line to a maniacal dictator who's been killing his own people for years. Perhaps made IS stronger? Success? I'm not so sure.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/02/putin-strengthening-isis-syria-uk-foreign-secretary-philip-hammond-russia

Russian president Vladimir Putin is undermining international efforts to end the Syrian civil war by bombing opponents of Islamic State in an attempt to bolster Bashar al-Assad, British foreign secretary Philip Hammond said on Monday.