Putin and Egypt

[Chicagoguy]

It has always seemed to me that Putin was a "don't get mad guy, just get even". What will happen next ?

But as I read it now there are 40,000 to 50,000 Russians stranded in Egypt. And maybe 20,000 English. England is already bringing some home. But Russia ?

My wife still talks about the time in 1921 when there was a famine in Russia and America came to their aid. We could do this again. Send a bunch of our military transports to help out. Putin might be thankful for maybe 10 minutes but the Russian citizens could remember this gesture for years.

[jone]

How do you know it wasn't a suicide bomber?

Something has the various security services shaken.

[Gator]

Egypt is the country who really will suffer.  Lost tourism will dramatically hurt its economy. 

I wonder if the stranded Russians are being compensated in some way.  Free alcohol for days and days could harm more Russians than the air crash. 

My wife said there were interviews on TV of Russians who had ridden the same airplane earlier when flying to Egypt.  Many said the plane did not fly smoothly.  The best scenario for Putin would be finding the air company had inadequate maintenance.  If so, the CEO would be arrested, tried and executed, new laws would be passed and business would return to normal. 

I agree with Putin that declarations of terrorism and bombs should wait until the investigation is completed.  Nevertheless,  as Jone posted, "Something has the various security services shaken."  The spies and ears to the ground are picking up some chatter to suggest a bomb is "more likely than not." 

[Boethius]

Russia has the ability to send planes for all its passengers.  No need for the US to do so.

The terrorists have miscalculated.  Russia is not the West.  It does not have any issues with violating human rights.  While the West does use drones, and does kill civilians, there is some effort to avoid civilian casualties, if only because Western journalists report on those deaths, and Western voters object.  Russia is not so constrained.  It has largely focused its efforts to date in Syria on opposition parties, rather than ISIS.  That may change now.