We have seen that Libya was fast and surgical, will the Soviet move deter any attack by NATO?

As price oil plummets watch the Russian economy goes into a tailspin. They can't afford war. The US might economy allows it to wage war.

“Russian warships are due to arrive at Syrian territorial waters, a Syrian news agency said on Thursday, indicating that the move represented a clear message to the West that Moscow would resist any foreign intervention in the country’s civil unrest,” reports Haaretz.

If their role is close technical support, it's a huge problem for the West.  What you might see more is Russian technical support, Chinese moral support and a little more direct intervention by Iran.  This is a war between Iran and a Saudi-Jordan axis.  The big powers are backing their "horses".

The "Soviets" have been history for quarter century.

Don't believe the price will plummet. That would be foolish thinking.

Maybe they have been dormat in terms of actions, but  they still do have that 'bite' within their arsenal as for instance they have vetoed any international action agains't Syria, giving Assad the resolve to stamp out

his opponents as quickly as he can.

There are two  most important point that makes the issue of Syria in the ME

a headache for the American Administration viz

It is important to understand that Syria has become an apocalyptic tapestry woven from some of the most problematic situation of our time. The dominant desire of the US for stability in the Middle East is to protect the supplies of oil on which its economy still depends. The reason why they cannot railroad their way through, is that they have to contend with Russia, China and Iran – the only effective axis of resistance to the world's sole surviving superpower. Woven into that is the unpredictability of Israel, which every US president must treat with gloved respect, given the power of the Jewish vote. (Israel must be protected at all cost)

The other point to note which is becoming prominent is that of the conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Most of Syria's 22 million population are Sunnis, but they are governed by a Shia minority, the Alawites, to which the Assad family belong. Many of the massacres have been along this sectarian divide. Last week, a Sunni suicide bomber, possibly from al-Qa'ida, hit back by blowing up a vehicle near the Shia shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, to which hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, mainly from Syria's Shia ally Iran, travel each year.

The Sunni-Shia faultline has growing and frightening salience. Iran is Shia. So is the majority in Iraq. So is the Lebanon-based militant movement Hezbollah. By contrast, most of the West's traditional Arab allies are Sunni: Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and arms-supplying Gulf states such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. But, to complicate matters, al-Qa'ida is Sunni, too, so the West is nervous that those who replace Assad might turn out to be fundamentalist jihadists. There is a very real danger that the violence in Syria could turn to all-out sectarian war. And that could spread through the Arab world.

The Kremlin is determined not to lose Syria as the centre of its Middle Eastern sphere of influence. It has $20bn in investments there. It sells 10 per cent of its arms exports to Syria, which gives Russia its only naval base on the Mediterranean.

Moscow, which feels it was tricked into abandoning Gaddafi in Libya, is determined not to make the same mistake over Assad. The West has not been very skilful here. The harsh words of Hillary Clinton last week were typical. She announced that Russia had "dramatically" escalated the crisis by sending attack helicopters to Syria – but then had to admit that it was only sending parts for existing aircraft. The West's rhetoric has reverted to the Crusader indignation used in Iraq rather than the careful language about self-determination in Libya. It has put Russian backs up.

The chess game between the West and its opponent continues

Can Guyana become strategically important to the US if a huge oil reserve is found off its coast? It is widely known that the US would like to wean itself off Middle Eastern oil and possibly that of Venequela too.

You are a real piece of work being a moderator on this forum. Look how you tief this article, change up a few words and paragraphs and trying to pass it off as your own. Don't you have any shame? No wonder you support the PPP and it's scampishness and corruption.

http://www.independent.co.uk/o...lp-them-7856470.html

The US ain't weaning itself off of anybody's oil as long as they have those carrier tasks force out there plying the seven seas.  But, to your point, I'm sure significant oil found in Guyana will be very noteworthy to the USA.

As Wayana is a depopulated country it will be easy for US to take its oil, import Americans to inhabit the land and expatriate all the Wayanese to Falkland Islands.

Dwagface Andre, if you have a stick up your ass, blame yourself for being an altarboy. Whether i support the PPP or which ever political organisation, thats my business.

If you are going to comment on my topic then stick to the subject if not then piss off, I have no need for an altarboy.

Are you truly a person fit to be "moderator".  You have very strong views on issues and people's positions, which is not an issue, I also do, but is that the [profile of a "moderator", I doubt.  Amral should re-look and make Chamali or Alena moderators instead.

Now, on to the topic, you celebrate Russia's intervention.  What's your position of them wacking Grozny and others islamist strongholds.

First God was D2, then Stormborn, now he's assuming up another identity. 

A Stupid Jackass, are you so dumb that you cannot muster up a few sentences on your own? If you're going to make a post on this topic, then try and write something original. It is highly unethical to steal copyrighted material, change a few words and then try to appear bright by reposting it. As a moderator on this forum, you should be setting the example. Use that little pea brain of yours for a change.