U.S.-backed fighters advance on IS in Syria's east

This war has produced an abundance of skilled fighter pilots advancing the quality of the US forces. This could be important in the Asian theatre in the future. Our allies and friends, the Japanese, should participate in this air campaign to advance their capabilities as well. Perhaps, just a support role would be good.

This world is wrong and so many people don't care or are out of reality.

Thank you for the keyboard brigade perspective. I agree the US has done terrible things there and many other places. How would you characterize Russian intelligence and what the Russian military has done in Syria and elsewhere? There are no good guys in any war, in my opinion, regardless what Nashi tells you.

@JuliusCaesar

Our allies and friends, the Japanese, should participate in this air campaign

The US did not consult its ally Japan when it started its Middle East adventures, but now Japan should participate? Military operations abroad of Japanese SDF are banned by law, by the way.

@PTownsend

There are no good guys in any war, in my opinion,

For example, World War II. Allies are no better then Nazis? Are you serious?

How would you characterize Russian intelligence and what the Russian military has done in Syria and elsewhere?

Very effective. Here is one informed opinion:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2016/0822/One-year-on-Russia-s-war-in-Syria-is-hardly-the-predicted-quagmire

Since this article was written Russians gained even more.

@asakaze For example, World War II. Allies are no better then Nazis? Are you serious?

From my perspective the Nazis (and the Axis in general) and their beliefs were worse than their counterpart Ally leaders and their beliefs, but I stand by my point: there are no good guys in war.

One of many examples of 'no good guys' was during the Battle of Stalingrad. The Russians (an ally side you might be familiar with) sent their forces forward to fight the Germans. Behind the Russian lines were Russian soldiers instructed to shoot any of their comrades who might not have been moving forward. The Germans did the same thing to their soldiers.

I don't know if your Russian history books tell this or not, but what Russian forces did to civilians during the Battle of Berlin I'd definitely use as an example of no good guys in war. Allied military personnel, including those from the US, UK, and other states, also committed hideous crimes. And crimes were committed by Allied forces long after the end of the war.

Write it off to it was war and bad things happen during war, the the fog of war and all that. I think the Axis powers were evil and needed to be stopped, but I'll stand by my point: there are no good guys in war.

PTownsend

You make one fundamental mistake in your argument, namely "everybody does it". While there were excesses by Soviet troops in Germany in 1945, only a small number of Soviet troops were involved (contrary to the western propaganda textbooks) and Soviet High Command dealt with perpetrators harshly. Likewise, US troops committed a lot of crimes here in Japan during the occupation after 1945, but it would be a wild exaggeration to say that all US soldiers were killers and rapists. By your simplistic overgeneralization you slander a lot of really good guys in uniform who faught with honor for their country.

Back to the subject. ISIS is pure evil, and I, contrary to you, wish all soldiers who fight it - Iraqi, American, Syrian, Russian - good luck.

@asakaze You make one fundamental mistake in your argument, namely "everybody does it".

"Everybody does it" is your wording, not mine. How about this: there are individual soldiers who might do positive things during war. Examples could include a soldier in his own country helping a civilian, a fellow countryman, by providing medical assistance, shelter, food or some other positive.

Back to the subject. ISIS is pure evil, and I, contrary to you, wish all soldiers who fight it - Iraqi, American, Syrian, Russian - good luck.

I agree that ISIS is evil and I think the other religious extremists in Syria involved in killing are also evil. I think any member of a foreign force involved there is participating in evil. The foreign forces are in Syria serving political leaders and the oligarchs that control them back home, be it Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia or the US. You say Russia is in Syria because Assad asked them to come, but I think Russia is there first and foremost for the benefit of Russian military and Russian oligarchs.

There are no good guys in war.