Russia has responded to the US declaration that it would not coordinate its activities with Russia in Syria any longer. The Russians apparently believe that the declaration signals a US intention to take armed action against its ally, the Syrian government. That outcome is a possibility, but not the one that I believe is likely. More likely is that the US will step back from Syria and let Russia try to create a viable outcome. But the Russians left no doubt how they would respond to US attacks against the Syrian government. According to the Reuters: “Russian news agencies quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that a U.S. intervention against the Syrian army ‘will lead to terrible, tectonic consequences not only on the territory of this country but also in the region on the whole.'” The language is unusually strong.
Joachim Kebschull, the mayor of Oersdorf in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, was attacked by a group opposed to his efforts supporting refugees. According to the Telegraph: “Hours before the attack, he received a threatening letter which contained the phrases ‘He who will not listen will have to feel’ and ‘Oersdorf for the Oersdorfers’.” The violence reflects the deepening hostility toward the refugee policies of Chancellor Merkel.
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