Although the Russian Government moved into help Assad of Syria sustain himself in power to pre-empt his removal by the opposition and thereby keep the United States at bay and deal a heavy blow to Islamic fundamentalists supported surreptitiously by Turkey, it has landed itself at the epicentre of Near Eastern politics in a way … Continue reading Russian Anxieties. War Between Iran and Israel?

The accidental downing of the Russian electronic intelligence aircraft Il-20 with fifteen crew on 18 September by Syrian air defence forces was immediately followed by claims from the Ministry of Defence to the effect that the shootdown did not result from Russian ineptitude but due to Israeli air force planes bombing the Syrians but hiding … Continue reading Another Ministry of Defence Cock-Up

The Russian Chief of the General Staff has repeatedly exaggerated Russian military capabilities globally. He has boasted in equally inflated fashion of his great military achievements in Syria. Two inept operatives from the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff then screwed up the attempted assassination of Skripal' in England just before President Putin's re-election. And … Continue reading The Russian Military has a Severe Credibility Problem Again

A poll was conducted in Russia among 25,954 voting. Of these 26.9% believed what the two had to say about their unusual trip to Salisbury in England. Just a coincidence that the Skrival' was poisoned. 34.1% more or less believed them but had doubts about parts of their story. Given how brief the interview was … Continue reading A Russian Poll on the Credibility of Tweedledum and Tweedledee

The two unpleasant, weather worn faces that appeared across the world as the RU operatives sent to assassinate Skrypal', but who ended up accidentally killing someone entirely without connexion to Russian military intelligence, have now appeared on Russian Television (RT) interviewed by the chief editor, who, reminding one of a very severe school teacher, to … Continue reading “Petrov” and “Boshirov”: Tweedledum and Tweedledee

The issue at stake in Russo-Japanese relations has not changed since the 1950s: ownership of the southern tier of the Kurile Islands. During the Second World War and in the expectation of entering the war against Japan or forcing the Japanese to make weighty concessions in negotiation once the tide had turned in Europe after … Continue reading President Putin’s “Revolutionary” Offer to Prime Minister Abe of Japan?

Turkey has flirted with Russia since they last collided in 2015 over conduct of the war to save Assad of Syria. This looks like repeating itself as the Russians and Syrians gear up for the bombardment of Idlib. The Russians, as noted in the previous two blogs, seem to be preparing for the likelihood that … Continue reading A Turkish-Russian Collision in Sight

The Russian Ministry of Defence, evidently in anticipation of the Syrians deploying chemical weapons against civilians in Idlib, now accuses the Americans of bringing in to their base area in Syria aircraft armed with phosphorus munitions. The Ministry goes on to say that these are banned by the Geneva Convention (Rossiiskaya gazeta, 9 September 2018). … Continue reading Calling the Kettle Black

A very thin veil was drawn over who exactly is responsible for pulling Syria back together when the three Powers, Turkey, Russia and Iran - three economic disaster areas united in their dislike of the United States - met last week in Teheran to agree what should be done about resistance outstanding from the city … Continue reading Bombing More Syrians Senseless

The release by the British security authorities of the identity (photos and cover names on passports) of two men involved in the attempted assassination of former GRU officer Skripal' received predictable attention from the Russian press. Today the vigorously liberal defender of human rights Novaya Gazeta, which is currently in a desperate campaign for more … Continue reading Russian Assassins Identified as GRU