Accident or design

That Vladimir Putin has decided to actively intervene on the side of Assad, doesn't surprise me at all. What does surprise me is how long it took to make the decision.

The first attacks seem confused. Russia says it was against the IS, while the US claim it wasn't. Whoever it was aimed at, civilians were killed, among them innocent children, but it must be kept in mind that all sides have no compunction about using children as human shields, as we saw the last time Israel was forced to defend itself against Hamas. It was noticeable then, despite what the UNHCR and Hamas claimed; that Israeli troops and pilots, not only went out of their way to avoid civilians being killed, but put themselves at even more risk by doing so. I doubt there will be any such humanitarian consideration among Russian pilots. I'm not saying that Russian pilots are any more bloodthirsty than ours. Most Russians are the same as us. Their military training however is so rigid that they will carry out their orders to the letter. (befehl ist befehl)

If the intervention of Russia results in the destruction of IS that will not do anything to depose Bashir al Assad. Quite apart from it bringing the Russians back into conflict with us. It seems that the leaders in the west are incapable of realising that Islam and democracy are not bedmates. they are diametrically opposed. The leaders in Iraq and Libya were tyrants by our standards. Now that Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi have gone, can anyone say they are better places to be?

Afghanistan is another case in point. If the overt fighting ever stops in Syria, what will replace it? daily suicide bombs, basically killing their own people for the crime of being born on the wrong side of being a Christian/Sunni/Shi'ite/Alawite etc.