The funny thing is that Obama told Putin to fuck off months ago, but most of the posters here have fallen for Putin's PR campaign which is designed for his domestic agenda. He is greatly loved by many in Russia, but he is a politician. The hate for Obama is so intense that many here seem to be stuck in a twisted bubble of ignorance. Putin began pulling out the Russian flottilla of apprx. 16 warships and canceled the delivery of Russia's best air defense system, the 300s after the first gas attack, specificly the 26th of June. He emptied the port at Tartus of all military and left only civilians in place to run it. It didn't and doesn't matter who was responsible for gas the attack. The illegal chemical warfare agents came from Syria or Iraq, even if they were stolen of supplied by rogue elements. They are illegal to have and to warehouse. The Russian government is quilty of assisting a government(s) that have been caught committing a serious violation of international law just of having those chem war agents (ya, just like us). They knew as soon as those chem's were released they had to get out. Just a matter of time before they would be used again. And they were. Only this time there is no expectation that Russia will in any way protect Syria. You can read all the silly Russian monster threads and Putin cheer leader threads you want, they are hollow. Actions talk louder than words. You don't replace a 16 ship flottilla with a 4 or 5 ship rescue squad unless you are sending a powerful signal that you are stepping away from a fight.