According to a report in the Mirror, a British tabloid paper, the Russian ambassador to Lebanon announced that if there is a missile attack by the West on Syrian bases belonging to the Assad forces, Russia will shoot down the missiles and target the launch sites in retaliation. In a rather understated note, the Mirror adds that this would be a major escalation of tensions in Syria.
Think about this for a moment. If the USA launches missiles, they will almost surely come from American navy ships sailing in the Mediterranean Sea. First, will the Russians be able to shoot down US cruise missiles? I doubt they could get them all. Last time we sent 60 and 59 hit their targets. This time, I would expect a much bigger response. There is no way that the Russians could shoot down 150 or 200 cruise missiles all coming at once even if the site being attacked were in Russia itself rather than in Syria, a nation where the Russians do not have a very robust anti-missile defense. But that's a minor issue compared to the idea that the Russians would target US navy ships in retaliation. A Russian attack on American military vessels would surely lead to ongoing armed conflict between the USA and Russia. In other words, the USA and Russia would be at war. Putin may be a believer in a greater Russia with a larger international role, but he knows that in a direct confrontation with the USA and its allies, Russia would be crushed or else completely destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. I don't think that Putin would take that road. In other words, the likelihood that this statement by the Russian ambassador is meaningful is exceptionally low.
Still, you have to love the British press. They never go halfway in their stories.
Think about this for a moment. If the USA launches missiles, they will almost surely come from American navy ships sailing in the Mediterranean Sea. First, will the Russians be able to shoot down US cruise missiles? I doubt they could get them all. Last time we sent 60 and 59 hit their targets. This time, I would expect a much bigger response. There is no way that the Russians could shoot down 150 or 200 cruise missiles all coming at once even if the site being attacked were in Russia itself rather than in Syria, a nation where the Russians do not have a very robust anti-missile defense. But that's a minor issue compared to the idea that the Russians would target US navy ships in retaliation. A Russian attack on American military vessels would surely lead to ongoing armed conflict between the USA and Russia. In other words, the USA and Russia would be at war. Putin may be a believer in a greater Russia with a larger international role, but he knows that in a direct confrontation with the USA and its allies, Russia would be crushed or else completely destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. I don't think that Putin would take that road. In other words, the likelihood that this statement by the Russian ambassador is meaningful is exceptionally low.
Still, you have to love the British press. They never go halfway in their stories.
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