Way back when Russia stumbled and fell apart, the US rulers gleefully chortled that they now ruled the entire earth and all people. Then 9/11 happened and this led to the US plunging into insane wars aimed directly at rulers who had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 while protecting Israel and Saudi Arabia which both had a lot to do with 9/11 and the rulers there chortled with glee. But things are falling apart at the seams, it seems. Meanwhile, Russia is rising again as a world power thanks to Putin’s long game in the Middle East – NY Daily News
Russia, to its credit, never does things halfway. For many states, conducting air strikes on U.S.-trained rebels in Syria would be daring enough, but Vladimir Putin also saw value in lobbing a few missiles at them from ships in the Caspian, 900 miles away. The missiles weren’t more accurate or even more destructive than air strikes, but did serve as a brutal object lesson for all of Syria’s neighbors: America will not protect you. Take note. The first thing Putin will ask the Saudis — and now is the time, with their memory of those missile strikes still fresh — to cut back oil production to raise prices, which would resuscitate the Russian economy and make a mockery of the West’s Ukraine sanctions.
This article was written by Mr.Peek who was a U.S. Army intelligence officer and is a professor at Claremont McKenna College.
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