Three Russians killed in Syria: pro-government source

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Source: Reuters

At least three Russians fighting alongside Syrian government forces were killed and several more wounded when a shell hit their position in the coastal province of Latakia, a senior pro-government military source said on Tuesday.

If confirmed, the deaths which occurred on Monday night would be the first known incident of Russians killed in Syria since Moscow began air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad on September 30.

Syrian officials could not be reached for comment. Russia's defense ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict, told Reuters that his sources in the area had confirmed the deaths of Russians, but did not have a figure. He said he believed they were not regular Russian forces but volunteers.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/20/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-idUSKCN0SE1YO20151020

[geek tragedy]

1. the dangers of being a tourist in Syria nt

[7962]

3. Ahhhhh, yes, I forgot. They're volunteers on vacation!!

[uawchild]

2. geo-political gamesmanship is a contact sport

THIS was from Mar 15, 2015:

"Kerry seeks peace talks with Syria's Assad"

"Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday he is willing to negotiate personally with Syrian President Bashar Assad to end that country's four-year-old conflict.

With 215,000 dead and no sign that the Syrian civil war is about to wind down, the United States and its allies are looking for new ways to build pressure on Assad to come to the bargaining table, Kerry said.

“We are working very hard with interested parties to see if we can re-ignite a diplomatic outcome,” Kerry told CBS News during a visit to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. “We will have to negotiate in the end.” "

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-kerry-assad-20150315-story.html

AND THIS was from March 16, 2015 :

"Assad will 'never' have role in peace talks: US
Damascus (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will never be part of peace negotiations to halt the brutal civil war, US officials vowed, adding they were taking every step to bring an end to his rule.

Top US diplomat John Kerry appeared to suggest in a weekend interview that Washington would have to talk with Assad eventually if peace was to be forged, but State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki moved to clarify that assertion."
http://news.yahoo.com/syrias-assad-awaiting-action-kerry-comments-113922162.html

=============

All these military "solutions" just exacerbate the violence, especially the violence suffered by the "collateral damage" civilians.

Compromise and peace talks are the only way to end all the deaths and destruction.
Its time for us to stop waffling and sending mixed signals and really give peace a chance.

[7962]

4. And so it begins for the Russians. More to follow nt

[NuclearDem]

5. And so it begins.

[daleo]

6. 7000 or 8000 more

and they will have caught up the West's military losses in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. Didn't Putin make it against the law to report on Russian casualties inside Russia? Gee, it's good

to be King.

[pampango]

8. Moscow Times: Government says no dead Russian servicemen; others say perhaps volunteers.

Russian Officials Deny Reports of Servicemen Deaths in Syria

Russian officials have denied reports that at least three of the country's servicemen were killed while fighting alongside Syrian government forces.

A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said “there have been no casualties among Russian military servicemen in Syria,” the state-run TASS news agency reported Tuesday.

Three Russians fighting alongside Syrian government forces were killed and several more wounded when a shell hit their position in the coastal province of Latakia, said a senior pro-government military source, Reuters news agency reported earlier on Tuesday.

The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which monitors the conflict, Rami Abdulrahman, said his sources in the area had confirmed the deaths of Russians, but said the men were believed to have been volunteers, not regular military servicemen, Reuters reported. He did not give a figure of the alleged Russian casualties, the report said.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-officials-deny-reports-of-servicemen-deaths-in-syria/540028.html

[Igel]

9. It's the "beyond any doubt or denial" standard.

You have no Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

No matter what the parents say, medals issued posthumously for meritorious service during wartime, funerals that are suspicious, confessions from Russian soldiers, military ID and signed orders, Facebook/VKontakte/etc. postings from soldiers saying they're posted where a picture's shot and the picture's GPS-stamped.

All it takes is for the Russian government to deny it, and most people say, "Ah, so they weren't really soldiers."

It's the Crimean effect: They're not really Russian active-duty soldiers until it's admitted that they are.

The US should have done this in Iraq. "There are no active duty soldiers. Please ignore the planes, tanks, etc., and on-the-scene reports and video. Those 100k men aren't active duty. We have no soldiers there, and therefore none to withdraw."

Like those who so want to accept the Russians' word on the status of Russian military men in Ukraine and Syria would believe the US for an instant.