Headlines 19/03/2016

Headlines

• Russia flies out almost half Syria strike force

• Kerry says ISIS carrying out Genocide

• US Federal Reserve fails to act to further strengthen dollar this month

Details

 Russia flies out almost half Syria strike force

According to analysis by the Reuters news agency, Russia has flown out just under half of Russia's fixed-wing force based in Syria within two days this week, which they say suggest, "The Kremlin is accelerating its partial withdrawal".

Russian participation in the war in Syria has been mostly in airstrikes. The present 'partial withdrawal' can be seen as supporting the so-called peace talks presently underway and the ceasefire declared at this time. These events indicate that Russia entered the country for specific and limited objectives, which is the stabilisation of the Assad regime.

The key question is how Russia can have invested so much in pursuing such limited objectives and be confident of success. This indicates that there is a larger plan, an American plan, for a comprehensive settlement of the Syria-Iraq domain and that Russia is obediently playing its designated role within this larger plan.

It should be noted that Russia will continue to play its designated role. Putin said on Thursday, "If necessary, literally within a few hours, Russia can build up its contingent in the region to a size proportionate to the situation developing there and use the entire arsenal of capabilities at our disposal." Moreover Russia retains substantial naval assets in and around Latakia and significant ground assets also, including personnel, armour and its most advanced S-400 air defence system. This means that any Syrian settlement will take place on Russian, and therefore American, terms.

Kerry says ISIS carrying out Genocide

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry described ISIS actions in Syria and Iraq as genocide.

Meanwhile, apparently satisfied with events so far, America is signalling the next phase in their plan for Syria and Iraq. A momentary ceasefire, backed by Assad, Russia and the US, was necessary in order to consolidate recent Russian gains. The next step is to eliminate all leaderships that stand in contradiction to the international order imposed by the West.

US Federal Reserve fails to act to further strengthen dollar this month

Despite previously announcing an entire series of interest rate increases this year, and initiating the first increase in December, the US Federal Reserve declined to further increase rates in its policy-setting meeting this week, though it may return to this policy in future months.

American plans to strengthen its currency had caused anxiety in other regions of the world as they foresaw huge capital movements from the rest of the world to the American economy. Europe has been particularly fearful. Deepening economic troubles have led to the increasingly prevailing phenomenon of negative interest rates across Europe spreading now even to Japan. American rate increases would only further depress these other economies.

The US Federal Reserve only failed to further increase rates this week because of concerns about the American economy itself. Increased interest rates are not conducive for economic growth, and the recovery in America is still very weak.

Of course, the US Federal Reserve claims to be following purely non-political domestic economic objectives, claiming that the rate increase is only because of fear of possible future inflation (even though the recovery has not yet stabilised!). Chairman Yellen said after this week's meeting, "I have never seen political views in any way influence the policy judgements that are made inside the Federal Reserve. I want to say that emphatically."