One important point on Syria - Roberts says that since Turkey recently invaded Northern Syria and the US also has forces up there, the Syrian War can go on indefinitely. This Northern area is a safe zone for ISIS, who were previously on the ropes and facing total defeat. The Russians are unable to attack ISIS in Northern Syria since doing so could hit US and Turkish forces.
Roberts discusses (as Tarpley has) how ISIS is the same mobile fighting group that the West used to remove Gaddafi in Libya. It's basically a mobile 'Arab Legion' who the US/West funds and arms along with the Sunni Coalition of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan etc plus Israel. One of the key reasons Mubarak of Egypt was targeted in the Arab Spring was that he wouldn't join this Sunni Coalition.
Roberts said that Putin made a big mistake when he decided to remove Russian forces from Syria back in May and also more recently when he agreed to various cease fires. The Russians, Kurds, and Syrian Army were well on their way to completely wiping out ISIS, but these interruptions allowed Turkey and the US to occupy Northern Syria where they can protect and regroup the ISIS forces. ISIS is nothing more than a proxy fighting force for the US/West/Sunni Coalition.
Roberts says Putin has tried to use diplomacy but the Russians now realize that this approach is pointless against the Neocons who have no intention of ever backing off. He said the Russians have come to believe that they are being set up for a nuclear attack from the US, and the situation Putin is faced with will be to withdraw or risk being nuked. The Russian fleet is on its way to Syria, but with US and Turkish forces ensconced in Northern Syria protecting ISIS, time is not on Putin's side.
