Keeping Peace While Prosecuting War
"[Israeli pilots attacking Syrian targets] used the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences."
"We consider these provocative actions by Israel as hostile. Fifteen Russian military service members died because of irresponsible actions of the Israeli military."
"It's absolutely contrary to the spirit of Russia-Israeli partnership."
"We reserve the right for adequate response."
Igor Konashenkov, Russian military spokesman
Explosions seen in the Syrian city of
Latakia after an attack on a military facility nearby on September 17,
2018. (Screen capture: Twitter)
"Israel expresses sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire. [The Russian plane that was hit] was not within the area of the operation.""The Syrian anti-air batteries fired indiscriminately and, from what we understand, did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air.""[The downing of the plane by Syrian air defenses represented a] chain of tragic accidental circumstances."
"[The target of Monday's night strike was a Syrian military facility that manufactured] accurate and lethal weapons about to be transferred, on behalf of Iran, to Hezbollah in Lebanon."
"These weapons were meant to attack Israel, and posed an intolerable threat against it. Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident. Israel also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization accountable for this unfortunate incident."
Israel Defence Forces statement
"An Israeli jet did not shoot down our plane. No doubt we should seriously look into this."Too many jets being juggled in a finite airspace, deconfliction agreement aside. Moscow is intent on preserving its agreement with the Syrian regime to aid it in recapturing and consolidating all of its territory, even territory upon which its ancient cities and monuments have been destroyed, where millions of its people have been dispersed. On the one hand, there is Syria and attached to Syria are Lebanon's Hezbollah twinned with the Iranian Republican Guard Corps, and Iran's Shiite militias.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
On the other hand, there is Israel with which Vladimir Putin has soft relations, supporting the Jewish state's right to exist, a matter entirely divorced from Moscow's support of Syria whose intent is the destruction of Israel in union with Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah. While Moscow provides the aerial backbone of the Syrian regime's recapture of its territory, at the same time ensuring its deep sea base and aerial land base remain intact, its alliance with the trifecta threatening Israel's existence creates a fissure in its support for Israel.
The enemy of my friend is not necessarily in this instance a distanced enemy. The Monday airstrike when Syrian missiles rose in defence of its own allies targeted by Israeli strikes found the wrong target. A Russian reconnaissance plane returning to base after completing its mission was being tagged for cover by IDF planes intent on destroying new weapons bases being installed by Iran and Hezbollah in their intent to carry through their plans to confront and destroy Israel.
A so-called 'friendly fire' event in which 15 Russian airmen lost their lives. Ironically, a Russian-made S-200 air defence system that Moscow supplied to Syria was involved in shooting down the Ilyushin aircraft. The Ilyushin was reported missing just as Moscow announced it had reached an agreement with Turkey for a demilitarized zone in the remaining rebel stronghold of Idlib, averting a humanitarian catastrophe for the Sunni Syrians who had sought shelter in Idlib province, among the rebels. Three million citizens with nowhere to flee for shelter from an aggressive bombing mission.
The military reconnaissance plane was identified as an Israeli jet by the Syrian defence forces which saw the IDF planes and failed to recognize the Russian one. Israeli F-15 pilots flew after the Ilyushin Il-20 turboprop using it to cover their own strikes against targets in Latakia province where fire from Syrian missiles hit the wrong mark. The clumsy lack of proper identification prowess reflects a military that is somewhat less than proficient.
Returning to a Russian airbase near Latakia, the 15 Russian crewmen would never have imagined the danger they were in. And nor did the IDF contemplate the danger they were placing the Russian plane in, reasoning without doubt that the plane's proximity would protect their interests even while they were targeting an ammunition depot linked to Hezbollah. What is virtually certain, however, is that despite his refusal to directly blame the IDF for the loss of 15 Russian airmen, relations between Moscow and Jerusalem may become slightly more restrained in the near future.
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| Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they prepare to deliver joint statements after a meeting and a lunch in the Israeli leader’s Jerusalem residence, Monday, June 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Jim Hollander, Pool) |
Labels: Conflict, Hezbollah, IDF, Iran, Israel, Russia, Syria
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, September 20, 2018
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