Russia Warns U.S. Not to 'Play With Fire' in Syrian Conflict

[DonViejo]

Source: Bloomberg News


By Henry Meyer

February 19, 2018, 3:57 AM EST Updated on February 19, 2018, 10:38 AM EST

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the Trump administration not to “play with fire” as he lashed out at the U.S. over what he described as its “provocative” support for autonomy-seeking Kurds in Syria.

“The U.S. should stop playing very dangerous games which could lead to the dismemberment of the Syrian state,” Lavrov said at a Middle East conference in Moscow on Monday, alongside his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and a top adviser of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “We are seeing attempts to exploit the Kurds’ aspirations.”

An armed clash earlier this month in which U.S. strikes may have killed more than 200 Russian mercenaries attacking American-backed forces inflamed a standoff between Moscow and Washington in Syria. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it knows of five Russian deaths and the incident is still being investigated. While the U.S. accepted Russian assurances that it had nothing to do with the failed attack, the clash was the deadliest between citizens of the former foes since the Cold War.

After seven years of war, Assad has managed to reassert control over a large part of his country. But the conflict is entering a dangerous new phase as outside powers confront each other, with tensions sparked by Iran’s growing influence and Turkey’s bid to crush Kurdish forces it says are linked to separatists inside its borders.

Read more: Link to source

[dalton99a]

1. "Donald, once in a while we have to pretend we don't like each other"

[C Moon]

5. :D

[Cartoonist]

2. What will Donny do?

Bend over, of course.

[bronxiteforever]

3. The echo of history and the guns of August

Israel with a prime minister under an ethical cloud.
A resurgent Russia with a goal of stabilizing a long time ally in Syria.
Turkey, nato ally,looking to crush any Kurdish independence.
Iran looking to establish Middle Eastern dominance over Saudi Arabia
The US backing the Kurds with Russian influence in the White House and a corrupt casino owner as the leader of the worlds superpower.
What a cluster.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. link to article

Last edited Mon Feb 19, 2018, 02:51 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-19/russia-warns-u-s-not-to-play-with-fire-in-syrian-conflict

[vkkv]

6. It's STILL not about freedom, human rights, religion.. it's about oil... nt

[EX500rider]

7. Syria doesn't have enough oil for anyone to care about.

Syria has been torn apart, but its role as an oil producer simply isn’t that important to global supplies. To put Syria’s lost production in context, Syria’s neighbor Iraq – also ravaged by Islamic State attacks – has managed to more than make up for Syria’s loss of 380,000 barrels per day. Since last year alone, Iraq has succeeded in increasing output from an average of 3.37 million barrels per day to over 4 million barrels per day as of August 2015, or about double the entire lost output from pre-war Syria.



For comparison the Saudi's do about 10 million barrels a day.

http://energyfuse.org/why-the-syrian-war-is-not-pushing-up-oil-prices/


https://ycharts.com/indicators/saudi_arabia_crude_oil_production

[vkkv]

10. The Kurdish areas of Turkey, Iraq & Iran all have oil. It is the goal of Turkey, Iraq, Iran & Syria

prevent a Kurdish state, thereby removing oil from those nations. Such a Kurdish nation would be at those three points that join those three countries where Syria Kurds would most certainly join and strengthen.


It certainly IS ABOUT OIL in creating a Kurdish nation - Don't be fooled.


""" Baghdad is the first to reject the total secession and independence of a Kurdish state. This is largely attributed to the fact that the Iraqi economy is deeply dependent on the region. In 2013, before the conflict with ISIS, the region of Kurdistan accounted for 32.5% of Iraqi’s economy. Being an oil-rich region, it is clear that Kurdistan is an integral part to economic prosperity and stability in Iraq. Thus, the complete secession of Kurdistan will significantly weaken the nation’s economy, and consequently deeply affect the lives of the Iraqi population. Furthermore, Kurdistan’s secession will significantly affect the credibility and the power of the Iraqi state and its central government. A weakened state would also make it more vulnerable to internal and external threats from terrorists organisation like ISIS, who take advantage of governance weaknesses in countries.

However, this virulent opposition to Kurdish secession is not restricted to Iraqi borders. The Kurds are also facing regional and global hostility. Iraq’s close neighbours, including Syria, Iran and Turkey, also have considerable Kurdish minority populations. """

KURDS WANT TO CONTROL THE OIL IN THEIR AREAS OF POPULATION.

https://theowp.org/an-iraqi-kurdistan-state-realities-behind-a-century-old-dream/

OR::

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/we-have-been-here-longer-than-a-thousand-years-kurdistans-fight-for-nationhood-9093933.html

[EX500rider]

12. Of course Iraq doesn't want to lose their northern oil fields to a Kurdish nation..

...but that's got nothing to do with the Syrian civil war.

And the Turks don't want to lose any territory to a Kurdish nation, oil or not.

[vkkv]

13. It's about oil. just like I said.

I know you love to argue though.. no more.

[EX500rider]

14. Kurds and Iraqis issue is largely oil related...and no country like to lose land.

The Syrian civil war is not.

[keithbvadu2]

8. Dotard's pal Vlad

[Fred Sanders]

9. Putin says 5 Russians killed and Shitler says 2000....who to believe, now there is a conundrum.

My take is why would 2000 Russian mercenaries, I assume knowing what they are doing, congregate in a way that would expose them to this? And the injured must of been much more....gotta go with not Shitler.

[Lokilooney]

11. From the start

I always thought the best outcome would be for Assad to retake control and for things to go back to well, repetitively normal.

[Blue_Tires]

15. They're just trolling...