[radon1]

Russia has a lot to lose ...

Once Syria is taken out, all the likelihood is that the war will be spread to Russia, along with all its niceties such as sarin.

[evilgenius]

Saudis offer Russia secret oil deal if it drops Syria

“We understand Russia’s great interest in the oil and gas in the Mediterranean from Israel to Cyprus. And we understand the importance of the Russian gas pipeline to Europe. We are not interested in competing with that. We can cooperate in this area,” he said, purporting to speak with the full backing of the US.

telegraph

This is a veiled threat. The Saudis know the value of threats like this. The US used the same tactic with them over the oil embargo. The Saudis lost because there was real power in the economic threat of the US cutting back consumption. Likewise there is real economic power in the Arab world building a natural gas infrastructure to supply Europe, cutting out the Russians.

[dissident]

Saudis offer Russia secret oil deal if it drops Syria

This is a veiled threat. The Saudis know the value of threats like this. The US used the same tactic with them over the oil embargo. The Saudis lost because there was real power in the economic threat of the US cutting back consumption. Likewise there is real economic power in the Arab world building a natural gas infrastructure to supply Europe, cutting out the Russians.

Numbers don't figure in your thinking, do they.

[Graeme]

Syrian Oil And Gas: Little-Known Facts on Syria’s Energy Resources And Russia's Help

Syria possessed 2.5 billion barrels of crude oil as of January 2013, which makes it the largest proved reserve of crude oil in the eastern Mediterranean according to the Oil & Gas Journal estimate, besides Iraq.

But after two and a half years of war, exploration is at a standstill since international oil companies once operating in Syria have abandoned their operations as the violence escalates and sanctions target Syria’s energy sector.

Russia, the chief backer of the Assad regime, is the only remaining international partner still helping develop Syria’s oil and gas resources in the past year.
A Congressional Research Service report found that Syria was still in discussion with Russia and China over offshore exploration in April, but few details are known.

Syria also has oil shale resources with estimated reserves that range as high as 50 billion tons, according to a Syrian government source in 2010.

This may explain one of the reason’s Russia has a huge stake in Damascus as its state-owned energy companies have been profiting off the despotic Assad regime.

ibtimes

[evilgenius]

Saudis offer Russia secret oil deal if it drops Syria

This is a veiled threat. The Saudis know the value of threats like this. The US used the same tactic with them over the oil embargo. The Saudis lost because there was real power in the economic threat of the US cutting back consumption. Likewise there is real economic power in the Arab world building a natural gas infrastructure to supply Europe, cutting out the Russians.

Numbers don't figure in your thinking, do they.

You must think they would have to replace all of the Russian output to be successful. Don't you realize they only have to maintain a basic floor that can function in an emergency, when thinking strategically, and a presence that provides enough competition to give them pause when making threats, economically. It's a bargaining chip anyway.

[ROCKMAN]

Looks like Syria might be working it's way back on to our site:

AP - The Obama administration is considering allowing shipments of new air defense systems to Syrian rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. President Barack Obama's possible shift would likely be welcomed by Saudi Arabia, which has been pressing the White House to allow the man-portable air-defense systems, known as "manpads," into Syria. Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday evening for meetings with King Abdullah. Allowing manpads to be delivered to Syrian rebels would mark a shift in strategy for the U.S., which until this point has limited its lethal assistance to small weapons and ammunition, as well as humanitarian aid. The U.S. has been grappling for ways to boost the rebels, who have lost ground in recent months, allowing Syrian President Bashar Assad to regain a tighter grip on the war-torn nation. The actual manpad shipments could come from the Saudis, who have so far held off sending in the equipment because of U.S. opposition.

Maybe in an obtuse way this could be considered payback to Russia for Crimea. We'll just wait and see if the rebels do develop an anti-air defense against low flying Syrian planes. And the we'll see if the Syrians respond like the US did when N Vietnam began knocking down our low altitude tactical strikes and switched over to high altitude strategic strikes. Plays havoc with civilian casualties but that hasn't been much concern to the Syrian gov't up to now. And who knows: piss the Syrians off enough and maybe the KSA can get one practice with their SAM's. Hey...what could go wrong with escalating a conflict in the ME? LOL.

[Tanada]

Looks like Syria might be working it's way back on to our site:

AP - The Obama administration is considering allowing shipments of new air defense systems to Syrian rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. President Barack Obama's possible shift would likely be welcomed by Saudi Arabia, which has been pressing the White House to allow the man-portable air-defense systems, known as "manpads," into Syria. Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday evening for meetings with King Abdullah. Allowing manpads to be delivered to Syrian rebels would mark a shift in strategy for the U.S., which until this point has limited its lethal assistance to small weapons and ammunition, as well as humanitarian aid. The U.S. has been grappling for ways to boost the rebels, who have lost ground in recent months, allowing Syrian President Bashar Assad to regain a tighter grip on the war-torn nation. The actual manpad shipments could come from the Saudis, who have so far held off sending in the equipment because of U.S. opposition.

Maybe in an obtuse way this could be considered payback to Russia for Crimea. We'll just wait and see if the rebels do develop an anti-air defense against low flying Syrian planes. And the we'll see if the Syrians respond like the US did when N Vietnam began knocking down our low altitude tactical strikes and switched over to high altitude strategic strikes. Plays havoc with civilian casualties but that hasn't been much concern to the Syrian gov't up to now. And who knows: piss the Syrians off enough and maybe the KSA can get one practice with their SAM's. Hey...what could go wrong with escalating a conflict in the ME? LOL.

Well lets see, the Russian motivation to help Syria is a long standing naval base agreement. The Russian motivation for helping Crimea secede was...a long term Naval base agreement. Oh yes, I see Russia just rolling over and letting the El Qauida backed rebels in Syria win over Assad and throw them out.

[americandream]

The underlying issue will be accumulation as usual and a desire to monopolise world energy. Britain and the US rule the roost and any likely victor will have to pay tithes to these masters of capitalism's machine, the global financial services base of London and NY.

To date there has been a preference for the regressive and reactionary Saudi powerbase with its imperial dominion over the feudal kingdom of Islam.

Russia on the other hand suffers a major deficit. An unwarranted notion of having inherited the leadership enjoyed by the USSR. That was a leadership borne of its place at the head of a competing and global social economy. The oligarchic Russia in contrast enjoys no other standing and must make way for the US/UK who tend to dominate almost all of the global elite.