In a surprise move on the part of power-hungry Vladimir Putin, the Russian president has announced he will remove the bulk of his military force in the region. The drawdown will begin on Tuesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the military to withdraw the "main part" of their forces in Syria, saying they had largely achieved their goals.
Putin's decision comes after meetings in Geneva centered on how to resolve the Syrian civil war. He expanded on the exit:
"I believe that the task put before the defense ministry and Russian armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled. With the participation of the Russian military... the Syrian armed forces and patriotic Syrian forces have been able to achieve a fundamental turnaround in the fight against international terrorism and have taken the initiative in almost all respects," Putin said.
Is that true? The bloodshed in Syria has been ongoing for five years now and has forced thousands of people to find refuge elsewhere, including here on America's shores. When I was in Israel last month, the group I was traveling with met a Syrian refugee who had little hope in his country turning around any time soon. He was forced to flee his home.
Is there more to this story than Putin is letting on?