Russia's Chess Masters Are At It Again

I have posted previously that Russia's military strategists tend to think in chess board patterns. They will "feint" one direction, and when you are busy countering that move they will pounce another direction before you realize what hit you. That has always been their pattern, and I think I see it unfolding again. That will remain their strategy, until you counter with a strategy that lets them know they are messing with a strategy that is more dangerous then they have anticipated. J.F.K. recognized this during the "Cuban Missile Crisis", when he called Khrushchev's bluff, forcing him to back down, or face a wider conflagration then he had anticipated.

I see very little difference between the Russian behavior then, and now. Yesterday, reports came down that Russian jets had bombed the defenses of the American trained, and Air Force backed Syrian rebels. When American F-18 jets were sent to patrol the attacked area, the Russian jets backed off. But, when the American jets left for re-fueling, the Russian jets returned to run another bombing raid. This behavior smacks of an obvious intent, with no room for claiming error, or for claiming repentance. Russia is clearly thumbing their nose at the Obama administration, daring them to retaliate, and obviously betting that Obama doesn't have the guts to do so.

I suspect that both Ronald Reagan, and J.F.K. would respond in kind. At the very least, the American Jets should attack the Syrian forces that Russia supports (as 50 of our mid-level state department officials notified the White House that they believed it was called for, in a petition). But, this would merely be a "tit for tat" retaliation; something that would be appropriate from a diplomatic perspective; not enough to prevent future similar behavior, just enough to show that we don't like it. ("You hit our surrogate forces, and we'll hit your surrogate forces"; this is the kind of "stale-mate" strategy that gave us the Korean War, and prolonged the Viet Nam War for years, until the American people grew weary, and just pulled out.

The most appropriate response would be to attack the Russian Air Base that deployed the jets that attacked the rebels in the first place. This would not only show that we expect Russia to abide with previous agreements not to attack our surrogate forces (which we would not be violating ourselves, since we would be attacking Russian positions; a moot, but technical point), but it would also let them know that we are capable, and willing to enforce our position against the aggressors, and not merely punish their surrogates. Reagan, and probably J.F.K. would have the guts to do so; let's see if Obama has enough guts to stand up to Putin, or not! Guess which way I'm betting?!

[UPDATE: 7/25/2016:
I guess I could crow that I had bet right, since I've heard nothing about the Obama administration taking any action at all, against the source of the Russian jets that bombed the Allied surrogates, or against their Syrian surrogates, either way. But I guess I'm so ashamed of this administration that I don't take much pride in being right to predict their whimpy non-response. Obama does it again!!!]