What’s it like playing chess with Obama? – asks a top official of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin replies – “It’s like playing chess with a pigeon. First it knocks over all the pieces, then it shits on the board, and finally it struts around like it won.” That was, of course, a popular joke in Russia as the Russian supremo hasn’t actually said so on record.

 

But the joke was enough to tell how Vladimir Putin outplays Barack Obama at almost every world stage. Putin outmaneuvered the West in Ukraine and now in Syria. Most importantly, he has outflanked Western sanctions – architected by Obama administration – through increased financial and economic cooperation with China, Iran and other Eurasian powers.

However, if Putin had actually said those words about playing chess with “Obama the Pigeon”, former Russian opposition leader and chess world champion Garry Kasparov has this to offer – “We have to make sure we play chess, not poker.  That’s because Putin, the one man dictatorship, is less dangerous playing chess. He is very good at playing poker.”

 

Not many have listened to Kasparov – Russian chess Grandmaster – who became the world’s youngest-ever world champion chess player at the age of 22. Now working for the New York-based Human Rights Foundation, Kasparov claimed that lame duck Obama’s playing into Putin hands in the conflict of Syria.

Obama thought he was smart when his administration architected and endorsed a Turkish F-16 fighter jet to down a Russian Su-24 bomber jet over the Turkish-Syrian border last November. Outrages, Putin called the incident a “stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists” but behind the scene, he was grinning from ear to ear.

 

While Obama was still celebrating his little victory, Putin’s boys were waiting for instruction to send the precious cargoes of “Triumf” S-400 SAM (better known to NATO as the SA-21 “Growler”) into Syria. Depending on the types of missile, the system targets 400 kilometers in distance and heights of 27 kilometers (up to 56-km). It is now protecting 75% of Syrian territory.

The U.S. realized their mistake. They needed to eliminate Russia’s military presence in Syria if they do not want to be defeated – in a humiliation way. Russia must be made to leave Hmeimim Air Base in Syria. Obama was advised to send F-16 fighter jets and A10 ground attack aircraft on a mission to bomb Syrian Army, and thereafter screams a “mistake” airstrike.

 

Almost immediately after the so-called “accidental and unintentional” airstrike which killed 62 and injured more than 100 Syrian soldiers near the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power put up a drama and instantly went bonkers, accusing the Russia of distracting the incident by calling for an emergency U.N. meeting. Of course, the airstrike was U.S. strategy to provoke the Russia.

Obama administration hoped that Russia would retaliate, call off the ceasefire and start bombing civilians. The U.S., U.N. and NATO would then play the normal SOP – condemn Syria and Russia and apply pressure on Vladimir Putin to pull out of Syrian Civil War, or risk another round of economic sanction. After all, Putin had partially pulled out some military hardware from Syria.

 

Refused to be intimidated, Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad launched the biggest ground assault – backed by Russian warplanes – on a mission to crush all rebels into oblivion in the “Battle of Aleppo“, backed by Lebanese and Iraqi Shiite militias, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. At the same time, Russia refuses to officially call off the ceasefire.

Instead, Putin has chosen to play another card – the Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA). Moscow conveniently accuses Washington of failing to fulfil its obligations to dispose of at least 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium – signed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and then US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on April 13, 2010.

 

Accusing the U.S. of backtracking from its promise, Putin said the U.S. has changed its method of disposal, of which the plutonium can be extracted, processed and weaponised again whenever the needs arise. Hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday to suspend the agreement, citing “unfriendly acts” by the U.S., Washington retaliates.

In what appears to be a calculated move by Putin, United States has now suspended talks with Russia over the war in Syria. Essentially, Obama administration has turned out to be the one who calls off the ceasefire in Syria, not Putin’s. With the ceasefire thrown out of window, the forces of Syria, Russia and Iran can literally bomb the city of Aleppo whenever they like.

 

The end of the talks also means the Obama administration is considering other options for Syria, including the provision of more powerful weaponry from the U.S. or other allies such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey to U.S.-endorsed Syrian rebels. This is precisely what badass Vladimir Putin has wanted.

Under the pretext of protecting itself from CIA-sponsored rebels as well as potential airstrikes from the U.S., Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other allies; Moscow has for the first time deployed the S-300VM (known by NATO as SA-23 Gladiator) advanced anti-missile and anti-aircraft system to Syria. This is in addition to the S-400 already deployed last year.

 

Quoting US officials, U.S.-based Fox News reveals  that components of the SA-23 Gladiator anti-missile and anti-aircraft system, which has a range of roughly 150 miles, arrived over the weekend “on the docks” of a Russian naval base along Syria’s Mediterranean coastal city of Tartus.

Interestingly, this is the first time Russia has deployed the sophisticated SA-23 system outside its borders. Also called Antey-2500, the S-300VM is an upgraded version of S-300V and is feared for its mobility or portability, not to mention its ability – hypersonic missiles designed to engage aircraft, cruise missiles and even intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

 

The avionic system of the S-300VM is outfitted with two radars: a circular scan radar and a software-based radar. The former scans all surrounding space and is primarily designed to detect airplanes and helicopters, while the latter is missile-seeking. Russia is believed to have deployed the S-300V4 missiles version which has a range of 400-km at Mach 7.5 or a range of 350 km at Mach 9.

What this means is that airborne early warning and control aircraft, including AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System), will now be unable to enter the 400-kilometer zone without being blown to pieces. Clearly, the S-300V4 is to target the U.S. and its allies whose air forces and naval vessels are the only one capable of firing cruise missiles from the Mediterranean – not Daesh (ISIS, ISIL, IS).

 

It’s unknown where the Russian plans to deploy the SAM (surface to air missile) system. The prospect destination could be Aleppo, Palmyra or Damascus with an objective to prevent the U.S. from pursuing a no-fly zone, in order to protect Russian assets in Syria. The brilliant tactical move by Putin could also to build Russia’s Tartus naval base.

Again, thanks to Obama administration’s tactical screw up, Putin has found himself a nice justification to deploy more military gadget in strengthening its military presence in Syria and the region. With very few fighter jets capable of breaching the awesome S-300V4 weapon system, the U.S. doesn’t seem to have any option of striking Syria – without going for an open war with Russia.

 

Other Articles That May Interest You …

• “Battle Of Aleppo” – Russia Challenges U.S. To A War … If Obama Dares
• “War Message” To Japan And US!! – China Sends 40 Fighter Jets & Bombers To Okinawa
• No, It Wasn’t An Accident!! – Here’s Why The U.S. Deliberately Bombed Syrian Forces
• Putin To Send Aircraft Carrier To Syria – To Wipe Out ISIS, To Humiliate NATO
• Power Of Brexit – Turkey Befriends Israel & Apologise To Russia
• Not Over Yet – Here’re Some Of Russia’s Awesome Military Hardware In Syria
• 4 Reasons Russia Intervened In Syria & Why Putin May Attack NATO As Well
• Here’s Why Turkey Could Be Alone In A “Nuclear War” With Russia
• Russian Jet Shot Down – How Putin Brilliantly Turns It To His Advantage
• A New Celebrity – Iraqis Celebrating The Arrival Of “Hajji Putin The Shiite”

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October 5th, 2016 by financetwitter

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