Item number 1 on the agenda of the hawks in the U.S. foreign policy establishment is to order the American military to impose a no-fly zone over at least part of Syria. The hawks, who dominate in the Hillary Clinton campaign, insist that U.S. warplanes can protect civilians from air attacks by the Assad regime and its Russian allies. Critics have warned that the measure risks an air war with Russia.
But what if a Syria no-fly zone is impossible to impose in strictly military terms? Colonel Mike “Starbaby” Pietrucha and Major Mike “Pako” Benitez are American military veterans with 406 combat missions between them. In a detailed post at the increasingly important War on the Rocks website, they argue that a no-fly zone over Syria would be “much more difficult than the casual strategist or armchair operational planner realizes.”
The two men review the no-fly zones that were established over Serbia/Kosovo (1999) and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq (1998-2003), and explain that Syria in 2016 is entirely different. There was no “meaningful resistance” in Serbia or Iraq, but Pietrucha and Benitez point out that the Assad regime today is armed with anti-aircraft missiles and is ready to use them. The two explain:
By comparison to Kosovo’s 41 1960s-era SAMs [surface-to-air missiles], Syria’s robust air defenses total over 130 systems, most of which are vastly more lethal than their older counterparts. As many as a dozen encompass the area surrounding Aleppo, the crucible of the civil war. Syria also has over 4000 air defense artillery pieces and a few thousand portable infrared-guided missile systems.
The two veterans remind us that Serbia, despite its much more primitive air defenses, still shot down two U.S. warplanes. Pietrucha and Benitez add that the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated back in 2013 that a Syria no-fly zone would cost $1 billion a month — ten times the cost of imposing a no-fly zone over Iraq.
Pietrucha and Benitez do not ignore the millions of Syrian refugees. But they caution that
a no-fly zone is problematic for both practical and policy reasons, as the majority of civilian casualties do not occur from air attack. The challenges of protecting civilian populations in a multi-faceted civil war are far more comprehensive than anything seen before.
It is yet another measure of the unjust world we live in that the United States is so powerful that American citizens must concern ourselves with the effectiveness of our warplanes against missile defenses halfway across the globe. But if we ignore these kinds of seemingly technical questions, the foreign policy elites in Washington will make more bad decisions for us.
almost 100% of the Syrian airforce is Sunni, no worries they ain’t going to fight for Alawites.
“It is yet another measure of the unjust world we live in that the United States is so powerful that American citizens must concern ourselves with the effectiveness of our warplanes against missile defenses halfway across the globe”
if only there was a word for Empire in English, it would be so much easier to explain.
The Russians have been upgrading a Syrian military airbase, T-4, about 60 km west of Palmyra. When that is complete, and the aircover of west Syria is enhanced by the aircaft on the Kuznetsoz, the Russians will move a isgnificant amount of air forces there. That will include S-400s to protect the airfield, along with other shorter range systems.
Currently the S-400 air defense system barely extends to Deir ez Zor and Raqqa. Once located at T-4, the will cover all of east Syria, appart for the very north eastern tip between Iraq and Turkey. The airbase will enable them to clear wahabbists from Raqqa and Deir ez Zor, and all points east in Syria.
Russia will then have a de facto fully legitimate no-fly zone (should it wish) over 99% of Syria. It is legally covered both by express permission of the legitimate Syrian government and the UN article of self-defense invoked following the shoot down of the Russian A320 in Egypt.
For the US to establish their own, outside of UN legitimacy, they would have to destroy all Syrian and Russian land and air forces. That includes those within Syria itself and those in the eastern Mediterranean off the coast of Syria.
And that would be an act of war.
“And that would be an act of war.”
yes but on the other hand there is no denying Syrians are meddling in Syria.
It is very, very sad, that the results of this huge mess, are innocent civilians, especially little children, suffering beyond imagination. Assad/US and it’s allies/Russia/ISIS, and those playing proxy wars, do not really give a damn for the people. War mongers involved in this conflict use the people as the justification of their involvement, but if they really cared this would not have been so complicated. Meanwhile it seems little children are dying while fleeing, and those remaining behind are dying of terrible diseases. This reminds me of the children of Iraq who suffered without medical help and medicines during the time of sanctions against Iraq. At the end we bombed them anyway. It is so sad that as always it is the innocent people that suffer most.
“Before the war, public hospitals provided free medical care to all cancer patients. But violence isn’t the only thing hitting hospitals hard. The Syrian government says that EU and U.S. sanctions on the country have made the work of public hospitals near impossible.
Dr. Mazen Haddad, Director of General Children’s hospital, says with the sanctions imposed on Syria, they can’t get the medical equipment or medication.
“We can’t get it from Europe, which is where we used to get our supplies. And while public hospitals continue to receive all the cases, we can only provide 50 percent of the needed cancer medication,” said Dr. Haddad. “So we had to ask parents to buy the treatment themselves, though prices have multiplied twenty-fold. We are admitting the children, but we can’t treat them all.”
Many argue that the government is spending on the wrong thing. Children’s hospitals, after all, may not be a priority for a country at war.
Sanctions have affected every aspect of life here. Perhaps this is why activists have launched a campaign to lift the sanctions, with posters spread across the capital.”
http://www.cctv-america.com/2016/10/16/syrian-children-with-cancer-suffer-as-health-sector-crumbles
the usa is allowing the russians to end israeli air superiority.hence the usa limited involvement in syria but not iraq.tanks are neutralized as 2006 showed and now in syria.the basic rpg in numbers never mind the tow or kornet has reduced tanks as a offensive weapon.
so that leaves tunnels and infantry.special forces for raids.missiles may be useful against radar but they are not tested.if russian radar is neutralized in syria.both on sea and land then the no fly zone is useless.no eyes no spies