Nature abhors a vacuum and with the substantive US withdrawal from its previous role on the international stage, Russia is trying to take its place as the RELIABLE ally of choice.
The US all but gutted the Mediterranean (6th) Fleet, replaced by a substantial Russian surface fleet, based in Syria.
The Russian economy is being slapped by low oil prices, but things in Russia are not all bleak. Putin's key opposition leader met an untimely demise silencing some of the more vocal dissent. more here
Outside of the Washington Beltway, the world thinks that proposing a jobs program for members of ISIS is absurd. As you would expect, President Obama's staff members are privately making fun of the unenlightened foreigners who feel that jobs and welfare won't curb the ambitions of ISIS.
When somebody like President Obama turns their back on a long-term American ally like Israel, the world takes notice and it goes to RELIABILITY. Nobody outside of Iran wants the crazy shiites to have their own nuclear weapons inventory. They've sworn to use them against the Saudis, Israelis and the Americans and there is no reason not to take then at their word...unless you're the US Commander-in-Chief.
Russia is stepping into the void and is forging a key alliance with Egypt and Libya. A potential ISIS take-over of Libya would be devastating to Egypt. Egypt is conducting air strikes against ISIS-linked targets in Derna today. That's very close to where Egyptian Coptics were massacred recently
Debka reports that Egypt’s president Abdel al-Fattah al-Sisi is planning further action in Libya, including more air strikes and possible ground troops, within a few days. According to the report, Egyptian commando and marine forces are preparing for sea landings to seize Derna and destroy the terrorist elements there. If this attack is actually launched, it will be the first time in modern times that an Arab country has sent ground forces into another Arab country.
King Abdullah of Jordan suggests, this may already be a Third World War and it's interesting that the US is handing off its role to Russia.
Imagine the reaction from the media if President Bush had said that.
