We'll Be Lucky To Live Through It

That's what actor Fred Thompson said when he portrayed Admiral Painter on "The Hunt for Red October." In this thriller, international events were spiraling out of control and a military confrontation between the USA and Russia seemed imminent.

The conflict in Syria has the potential to do the same thing. Obama's pussy footing diplomacy has worsened the situation and Russia is calling the shots now. Putin has not hesitated to put Russian boots on the ground in Eastern Ukraine, Georgia, the Crimea and in Syria.

It's not the boots so much that is of concern, it's the tanks and combat aircraft that are raising the possibility of a NATO-Rooskie showdown.

First, LL's comments about the fighting around Aleppo near the Syrian-Turkish border.

The Turks and Saudis appear desperate to try to keep Aleppo under opposition control. Aleppo’s capitulation would virtually end the organized opposition in western Syria. ISIL and militant groups affiliated with al-Qaida. At the recent pace of the offensive by the Syrian government and allied forces, the Turks, NATO and the Saudis appear to have missed the opportunity to rescue the Syrian opposition forces in western Syria.

While all this was going on, Syrian and allied forces continued their offensive to encircle Aleppo. Several news services reported that Aleppo is effectively cut off from any high volume line of communication to Turkey. A million people are trapped in Aleppo, according to one credible report.

The Kurds are fighting the ISIL terrorists in Northern Syria. No way the Turks are going to let the Kurds get a foothold in Syria without a fuss. And Putin is still stewing over the loss of a Russian SU-24 fighter that was downed by Turkish F-16s. It could be very possible that Putin is putting together a scenario wherein Turkey's goose is cooked and the US is asked to come to the aid of a NATO member. Now the question is; is Putin banking on a limp wristed American response? Might could be...

After years of weakness and vacillation, the Obama administration may find itself backed into a corner by aggressive Russian action. Particularly if coupled with intemperate Turkish reactions, that could create a nightmare of historic proportions around Aleppo. Although the White House has foresworn any military intervention in Syria’s fratricide, it’s worth noting that Mr. Obama led NATO to war in Libya exactly five years ago to prevent possible slaughter in Benghazi, a far smaller humanitarian threat than the terrifying sword of Russian artillery and airpower that’s hanging over Aleppo right now.

For their part, the Russians are upping the ante with regime media publishing claims by the Defense Ministry that air attacks on Aleppo yesterday that killed civilians, including the bombing of a hospital, were actually perpetrated by U.S. Air Force A-10s, a war crime that they say the Pentagon has tried to pin on Moscow. In fact, American intelligence knows this was the work of the Russian Air Force: “We have intercepts of the Russian pilots talking during the attack,” a Pentagon official explained. “As usual, the Russians are lying.” Yet this sort of dishonest Kremlin propaganda, what spies term disinformation, is exactly what the Obama administration has refused to counter...

Between the Bitch of Benghazi and Obama, America is facing an Islamic nightmare that has been mishandled from the get go. That wasn't just a phone call at 3:00 AM that Clinton was referring to years ago, it turned out to be a D-9 bulldozer taking out the front door. And this administration is still hiding under the bed.

By letting Mr. Putin get away with whatever he likes in Syria, Mr. Obama has created a deeply dangerous situation in the region. By abandoning his infamous Syria “redline” in September 2013, the White House in effect outsourced American policy there to Mr. Putin, as I warned at the time, and which the Obama administration, powerless to influence terrible events in Syria, is slowly realizing.

“Are we heading for our ‘Sarajevo moment’?” a senior NATO official bluntly asked. “It’s clear that there has to be some actual ‘redline’ for Mr. Obama, something that the United States cannot tolerate Russia doing—but where is it? If I don’t know, I’m sure the Kremlin doesn’t either.”

That is NATO’s top concern right now: After years of weakness and vacillation, the Obama administration may find itself backed into a corner by aggressive Russian action. Particularly if coupled with intemperate Turkish reactions, that could create a nightmare of historic proportions around Aleppo.