Well Russia launched a major assault on what it calls "terrorist...

Well Russia launched a major assault on what it calls "terrorist targets" in Syria. Moscow had long-standing links to Syria, with many Syrian military officers trained and equipped by their Russian friends. But its decision to significantly boost its military, political, and moral support to Damascus did nothing less than rescue depleted Syrian forces from collapse on significant front lines under grinding pressure from an array of opposition forces.

Russian officials often say their intervention "stopped the black flags" of so-called Islamic State (IS) from being raised in the Syrian capital. The threat posed by Islamic extremists is very real. But strengthening President Assad was a winning move for Moscow on many fronts. Even Arab allies of the Syrian opposition have at times privately expressed admiration for Putin's muscular backing for an ally, for a small cost.