Shit just got a WHOLE LOT realer.
China, Russia and Iran have come together in a tripartite alliance supporting the Syrian government in the war against radical fundamentalist insurgents.
The main targets of this alliance are Islamic State and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly al-Qaeda’s affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, and its partners.
Until last week Russia and Iran were the military mainstays of the overstretched and undermanned Syrian army.
By opposing Assad, the US is now militarily against two nuclear powers.
Moscow, Tehran and Beijing fear the fall of secular Damascus would lead to the establishment of jihadi fiefdoms in Syria from which radicals would mount attacks into southern Russia and Iran and promote Muslim dissidence in China.
If China did not have the attention of ISIS before, it does now. Understanding that China has a far different (saner?) immigration policy than Europe or the US, it will be interesting to see if there is an uptick in "activities" by Muslims in that country or by those who manage to get in.
