Assad needs friends, where Iran and Russia are ready to help the Syrian regime. But there is the NATO component, where Russia is threatening more. Where is the White House? Where is the State Department? Where are the ambassadors or the National Security Council?
The Islamic State jihadist group has added to the pressure by attacking government-held areas in central Syria. Its most recent attack was on ancient Palmyra.
Noting that “the situation is trending less favorably for the regime”, a top U.S. military officer said on May 8 he would look to the negotiating table if he were in Assad’s shoes.
Yet the setbacks do not appear to have forced a change in strategy on the part of Assad or his most important allies, Iran and Russia.
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — About 600 U.S. and Georgian troops are conducting joint exercises aimed at training the armed forces of the former Soviet republic for participation in the NATO Response Force.
Col. Michael Foster, commander of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade, said the exercises are “an absolutely unique opportunity for us” and “the way we are going to be fighting in the future.”
Georgia has aspirations of joining NATO and contributed troops to the NATO-led military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. List of Russian military incursions.
Mapped: Just how many incursions into Nato airspace has Russian military made?
The number of Russian military flights probing Nato airspace has increased. In this map, the Telegraph maps the latest provocative operations, click on a submarine or plane to find out more information
RAF Typhoons were scrambled to intercept two Russian long-range bombers off northern Scotland on Wednesday, in the latest in a series of provocative operations by the country’s air force.
As tensions between Nato and Russia have worsened over the Ukraine crisis, Moscow has significantly increased the number of military flights probing Nato airspace – and submarine activity probing its waters.
The number of interceptions over the Baltic States trebled last year and Nato members including Britain have stepped up air policing support in the area.
Russia’s TU-95 Bear bombers – strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons – make probing flights towards UK airspace about once a month.
The Ministry of Defence says the Russian bombers have never violated Britain’s sovereign airspace, which extends 12 nautical miles from the coast, and publicly regards them as more of a routine nuisance than a threat.
But defence officials have expressed mounting concern over the nature of the flights. Michael Fallon, the then-defence secretary, said the appearance of Bear bombers over the Channel in February marked the first time they had been seen in that area “since the height of the Cold War.”
“We had to scramble jets very quickly to see them off,” he said.
