Russia suspected of using 'dumb' bombs to shift blame for Syria war crimes

[Borealis]

[URL]https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/06/russia-suspected-of-using-dumb-bombs-to-shift-blame-for-syria-war-crimes[/URL]

[QUOTE]The Russian air force has used unguided “dumb” bombs in Syria, in what UN sources say could be an effort to shift responsibility for possible war crimes and civilian deaths to their ally, the Syrian regime of [URL="https://www.theguardian.com/world/bashar-al-assad"]Bashar al-Assad[/URL].
UN sources told the Guardian that Moscow’s use of less accurate bombs, which are closer in their capability to the Syrian air force’s weapons stockpiles, could be intended to make it more difficult for war crimes investigators to identify those responsible for civilian deaths from airstrikes in [URL="https://www.theguardian.com/world/syria"]Syria[/URL].

[B]“There seems to be a concerted effort for very similar weaponry to be used [by the Syrian and Russian air forces],” said one UN official. “Since the Syrian air force is using older planes with pilots untrained in smart weapons capabilities, they [Russia] would use less smart weapons capabilities. I suspect they want to use those weapons because it makes attribution more difficult.”[/B]
The allegations raise further doubts about Russia’s claims that its aerial campaign in Syria, which was launched in late 2015 in an effort to shore up Assad’s position, and which has reversed his fortunes in the seven-year war, primarily targeted militants and “terrorists”.
It also raises questions about the civilian cost of Russia’s airstrikes, which played a key role in the regime’s victory, late in 2016 in Aleppo after a punishing siege and aerial bombardment, and about the [URL="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/05/aid-convoy-enters-besieged-syrian-enclave-eastern-ghouta"]offensive in the enclave of eastern Ghouta, near Damascus[/URL], which has killed more than 700 people in two weeks.

[B]The assessment is not shared by all UN officials working on Syria. Other UN officials say the use of inaccurate bombs could be a tactic aimed at scaring civilians, who would in turn might pressure rebel groups to surrender. [/B]
“My personal sense regarding the use of such weapons in Syria has been that they’re used to create panic, terrorise the civilian population, with the ultimate aim of making it turn against armed groups operating within these communities,” said one official.
The allegations came on the same day as the release of a report by the UN’s International Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which identified an attack in a town near Aleppo which used unguided munitions to devastating effect.
[B]“The impact points show that unguided bombs roughly fell in a line with a 250m dispersion, which suggests that the aircraft lined up on the target dropping weapons into an area that formed a target box rather than conducting a precision strike against the point target,” the report said.[/B]
The commission’s report did not speculate on the reasons why [URL="https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia"]Russia[/URL] used less precise weapons, and said the target of the strike could have been a meeting involving al-Qaida-linked militants. But the Russian denial of the airstrikes, coupled with the use of Russian-made unguided bombs, lends credence to the allegations that Moscow sought to obfuscate its involvement in airstrikes near a crowded market that would probably cause heavy civilian casualties.[/QUOTE]

[nintenman1]

I mean, no doubt that they are using them. But it could be for any number of different reasons. First among them... they probably have a buttload of dumb munitions leftover in cold war stockpiles that are relatively cheap to use, and given that Russia doesn't have the massive budget for foreign military adventures the US does... it makes sense that cost savings could explain the use of them, even if it doesn't quite paint this as some Russian plot to shift blame etc. They obviously don't really care much about what the world thinks of their presence in Syria, and most of the western world has made their opinion of Assad very clear.

[Sgt Muffin]

[QUOTE=nintenman1;53194923]I mean, no doubt that they are using them. But it could be for any number of different reasons. First among them... they probably have a buttload of dumb munitions leftover in cold war stockpiles that are relatively cheap to use, and given that Russia doesn't have the massive budget for foreign military adventures the US does... it makes sense that cost savings could explain the use of them, even if it doesn't quite paint this as some Russian plot to shift blame etc. They obviously don't really care much about what the world thinks of their presence in Syria, and most of the western world has made their opinion of Assad very clear.[/QUOTE]

I'd say you are correct, and the fact that smart munitions just wouldn't have a benefit over dumb bombs. They can't pinpoint the locations of rebel cells to areas where a guided bomb would have the advantage. They know the rebels are in this city block, so dump a few tons of bomb into and then wait for the next batch of info.

[FuckOffEuroTrash]

[QUOTE=nintenman1;53194923]I mean, no doubt that they are using them. But it could be for any number of different reasons. First among them... they probably have a buttload of dumb munitions leftover in cold war stockpiles that are relatively cheap to use, and given that Russia doesn't have the massive budget for foreign military adventures the US does... it makes sense that cost savings could explain the use of them, even if it doesn't quite paint this as some Russian plot to shift blame etc. They obviously don't really care much about what the world thinks of their presence in Syria, and most of the western world has made their opinion of Assad very clear.[/QUOTE]

I'd say its a combination of both. Dumb bombs are cheaper and its easier to just level a city block when intel is short. But you can also throw off blame on a doomed government if that city block is full of civilians.

Everyone and their brother knows Assad and his government are war criminals. Whats a few extra dead civilians matter when chemical weapons have already been used? Papa Putin can push blame off on Assad and sleep easy.