Putin's Surprise Withdrawal From Syria Is Part of His Master Election Plan

Days after announcing his plan to seek reelection next March, the Russian president tells his countrymen their sons are coming home from an unpopular and costly war

ed note–as the readers of this website know, there is never a shortage of new theories here as new events come rolling in on a daily basis, and particularly theories that get under the skin of ideologues who remain paralyzed by the protocols of their own identity politics.

And on that note, here is the latest–

It is possible–POSSIBLE–that perhaps Trump is planning to step down. He knows that Judea, Inc is NEVER going to let up, that for the next 3 years (if indeed he is not assassinated, impeached, or removed from office via the provisions of the 25th amendment) that he will spend 25 out of every 24 hours in a day dealing with the incessant and insane attacks on his presidency and that for all intents and purposes, it is impossible for him to maneuver in any direction whatsoever.

Having said that, as pertains his goal of bringing about some type of resolution–temporary or otherwise–to the situation in the Middle East, it is now impossible by virtue of his recent declaration on Jerusalem for the United States to function in any kind of role as broker or arbiter. The Islamic world is now basically speaking with one voice on this matter–as he knew would take place–and has said that they will not allow the US to participate in the ‘peace process’.

Enter from stage left, Vladimir Putin…

He is now the most popular and respected leader in the world, and in the Middle East, following the role his country played in defeating the western/Zionist hatched terrorists known as ISIS, Russia is standing tall and looking good.

Good enough even, to broker the peace negotiations.

And the theory here is that this is exactly what Trump and Putin discussed when they met in Asia a mere 4 weeks before Trump’s ‘Jerusalem’ declaration, that Putin would step in as Trump and the US step out.

And it is within this light–of Putin assuming the role as negotiator of the peace agreement–that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria needs to be viewed, and not as much as our esteemed Hebraic author asserts, that it was done as a ‘re-election’ ploy. Putin is already wildly popular in Russia and did not need to do this in helping out his electability.

Keep in mind as well the fact that Judea, Inc hates Putin almost as much as they hate Trump and have made this kristol clear now for many, many years, and therefore, as Putin’s role in the ‘peace process’ continues to gain momentum, look for a renewed screeching campaign against him by the same forces who are now pulling out the stops in wearing down Trump and getting him to cry ‘uncle’.

Haaretz

What better way to jump-start an election campaign than to end an unpopular and costly war?

Just days after announcing his bid to seek reelection next year, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday made a surprise visit to Syria, where he ordered the withdrawal of most Russian troops from the country. “You are coming home with a victory, the motherland is waiting for you, my friends,” Putin told military personnel, before embracing Syrian President Bashar Assad at the Khmeimim air base.

For over two years, Russia has militarily supported Assad’s regime, reversing the tide of the war and delivering success to the regime in Damascus. Both Putin and Assad said they had achieved their mission of wiping out the Islamic State. Putin’s surprise announcement follows Assad’s unexpected visit to Moscow two weeks ago. Meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, the two men had hugged each other tightly then, too.

Putin’s pronouncement came at the beginning of a week that will see his annual, widely televised press conference, attended by over 1,000 journalists who come to hear him sum up the year’s results.

The Russian leader will now be able to field questions about successes in Syria, rather than failures or questions over the timing of the withdrawal. Though Putin is largely expected to win the March election – a win that would extend his 18-year grip on the country by another six years – voter apathy is the highest it has been for a long time.

According to independent Russian pollster the Levada Center last week, 40 percent of Russians say they are not interested in voting in the election – almost double that of a decade ago. Rallying support among an electorate used to seeing the same man and the same ruling United Russia party for almost two decades is proving difficult.

In an attempt to lure more voters, the Kremlin will make Election Day, March 18, a holiday in Russia, the RBC news outlet reported, citing sources.

A low election turnout in parliamentary elections just over a year ago was embarrassing for the Kremlin, where maintaining legitimacy is key in a country battling a youth-driven opposition movement. 

Observers say the election campaign needs to sparkle in a sea of monotony, and that the Kremlin chief is distinctly aware of this. This may explain why two women – including the TV personality and opposition member Ksenia Sobchak – have declared their intention to run against Putin, a rare sight in Russian politics.

After last week’s decision by the International Olympics Committee to bar Russia from competing in next year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, because of state-sponsored doping, Putin immediately spun the judgment to his advantage, saying it was “politically motivated.” Analysts were quick to point out that Putin used the IOC ban to emerge as the true protector of his country, in the face of what is often described by the Kremlin as global Russophobia.

Now, Putin has expanded his election toolkit to include exiting the war in Syria. The war has proven unpopular: In August, half of all Russians polled by Levada said Russia should end its military operations there (while 30 percent said it should maintain it). And while the number of deaths is nowhere near Moscow’s last foreign conflict – Afghanistan in the 1980s, when at least 15,000 Soviets died over a 10-year period – Russia has recently stepped up the level of secrecy surrounding operations in Syria.

In October, Reuters reported that the number of Russian military casualties in Syria was at least eight times higher – some 131 personnel in the first nine months of this year – than the official figure. While Russia never disclosed the number of military personnel it had in Syria, leaked election data put the figure at some 4,000.

Also two months ago, the Russian Defense Ministry said it was banning troops stationed abroad from posting videos and selfies on social media, in an attempt to prevent “terrorists and spies” from finding them. Russian social media became flooded with unofficial messages and Soviet-style images, warning Russian soldiers about the dangers of posting online. Somewhat oddly, but also tellingly, these pictures showed the enemy not as Islamic State militants, but more in the guise of NATO-style forces.

Given that ties between the West and Russia are at their worst since the days of the Cold War, this makes sense. Any perceived victory over the United States is a boost for Putin and for luring potential voters to the polling stations.

On Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reprimanded Western-led military coalitions in Syria – and specifically French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian – for taking credit for ridding Syria of Islamic State. “Dear sirs, stop it! Your successes are Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan. Come on, be proud of them,” she said, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, considering those conflicts were messes from which Washington is yet to escape with its reputation intact or with security on the ground ensured.

Ending the war in Syria is also going to save Russia money – sorely needed in today’s sanctions-soaked economy. Low oil prices have also taken a substantial bite out of Russia’s coffers. Redirecting much-needed funds from an unpopular foreign war to the home front – or, at the very least, appearing to do so – is likely to increase Putin’s popularity.

Russia’s defense budget has been steadily increasing since 2007 as it sought to modernize the bulk of its Soviet-era hardware – a goal that has now largely been achieved. Last year, defense spending of around $70 billion placed Russia third, after the United States and China, on the list of top military spenders (although the U.S. is significantly higher, by almost tenfold). New planes, tanks, ships and nuclear missiles costing hundreds of billions of dollars have been purchased and developed – all part of Russia’s plan to revamp its armed forces by 2020, coinciding with Moscow’s flexing of its muscles on the world stage. However, beginning this year, and more significantly in 2018, defense spending will begin to drop, in line with previous budgetary measures.

It’s an age-old political tactic to promise the end of a conflict in order to get elected or reelected. In Iraq, George W. Bush famously, and erroneously, declared “Mission Accomplished” in 2003, a year before his reelection as U.S. president. Barack Obama entered the White House determined to quit both Iraq and Afghanistan.

And now Putin, just over three months before an election that will almost certainly see him remain in power, has pulled the plug on the war that earned him the respect of his compatriots and fear from his adversaries.