Russian Marines land in Syria

via RT.com

Russia has staged large-scale military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea near Syria, involving both its Navy and Air Force. The drills were held amid ongoing escalation around Idlib, and US threats to strike Syria.
Footage released by Russia’s Defense Ministry shows Marine Special Forces equipped with state-of-the-art gear landing on the shores of Syria's Latakia province. The Marines used helicopters, fast-attack craft and armored vehicles while landing from major amphibious ships under the cover of dozens of Russian combat aircraft.

Story here. 

Pic from the same article.  It is so crazy to see the Russians operating their version of the CB90!

Of course the other big news in Syria was this.  via Fox News.

More than 100 U.S. Marines launched an air assault in the southern Syrian desert backed by artillery fire to send a “strong message” to Russia not to send their forces inside a restricted area near an American military outpost, two U.S. defense officials have told Fox News.

The show of forces comes as the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey are meeting Friday in Tehran to hammer out their next steps in the seven-year Syrian civil war ahead of an expected offensive led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces into the country’s northwest Idlib Province.

Story here. 

From my chair there is only two things worth noting here.

1.  The USMC heliborne assault into Syria sounds like a "Company Landing Team" proof of concept test.  I still cringe at how such a light force can be inserted so far and have to rely on artillery and air power for support when even terrorist forces are operating heavy armored vehicles.

2.  The fact that Russian Marines staged a landing exercise not soon after is telling for a couple of reasons.  Is it just coincidence or did they just do a demonstration of power using similar forces to our own?  If so were they notified of our intent to insert Marines or did they have intel and hand picked this unit?  Additionally I'm surprised by how heavy they went with their exercise.  The Russians have been VERY careful to conserve their manpower in this fight.  To dedicate so many of their first rate forces to this demonstration tells us something, I just don't know what.

As far as the rest?

I'm dazed and confused on this whole Syria fight.  We're warning Russia and Assad AWAY from a pocket of terrorists?  Are we actually defending ISIS forces?  What happened to us getting out of that quagmire?  What exactly is the goal there?  Why are we even there in the first place?

I'm suffering Syria fatigue.

I don't understand the fight, don't understand how they're fighting the fight and don't know what we're trying to accomplish.

We'll pivot to Syria when something interesting happens but from where I'm sitting we're fighting a war that makes no sense.