With the Syrian cease fire tenuously holding, and UN-brokered negotiations underway in Geneva, President Putin’s surprise partial withdrawal of forces makes it clear that the Russian establishment has not forgotten the lessons of the Afghanistan quagmire. After almost six months of heavy bombardment, the rebels are weakened and government forces have regained the upper hand. But Moscow understands the continuing deployment of hardware comes with heavy costs, and in the complicated swamp of the Middle East soft power costs less and offers greater potential benefits. The Russian establishment, witnessing President Obama promulgate policy based on diplomatic engagement rather than …read more
Source: The Huffington Post
