"The force deployed in Syria could end up helping the Islamic state indirectly. The Russians are present in areas where there is no presence of ISIS fundamentalists, but of other enemy groups of the Islamic State ". The Royal United Services Institute has published (the timing is curious to say the least considering the meeting between Putin and Obama at the United Nations scheduled for next Monday) a report that analyzes the current military involvement in Syria.
The report, entitled "Inherently Unresolved" (which we could translate as "Intrinsically Unresolved") assesses the global effort to counter the spread of the Islamic State.
"Iraq and Syria may not survive as unitary states"
We have known for days that the Russians have deployed 28 aircraft, and some infantry and naval battalions as well as complete logistical support. However, analyzing the four Russian bases (Moscow fortified the base of Latakia, on the Mediterranean coast of Syria and the port of Tartus. The defensive perimeter now also includes the military base of Al-Sanobar, seven kilometers north of Latakia, and the Istamo storage complex, three kilometers westbound.
There is something wrong according to the British: "The Russians are deployed in the areas where groups like Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham are operating, enemies of Damascus, but also hostile to the Islamic State. If Russian troops fought against them, they would unwittingly help the caliphate ”.
The report stresses that the Russian deployment should not be seen as a change of policy towards ISIS, but a largely political move designed to save Assad and consolidate the Russian presence in the Region.
"The Russians could aim to win favor with the West and the Gulf Arab states, reluctant to fight ISIS on the ground. The Kremlin could also hope that the West, by showing its appreciation, will lighten the sanctions imposed in response to the situation in Ukraine ".
