Call it what you will the crisis in Syria may be about to reach critical mass.
Finian Cunningham writes, "Syria is ready to deploy the fearsome S-300 air defence system supplied by its Russian ally. The anti-aircraft surface-to-air missiles will give Syria control over its territory and the capability to shoot down any intrusive warplane or missile."[1]
According to a senior Syrian officer, "Soon Syria will announce that any country using the airspace without coordinating with Damascus will be viewed as hostile and [we] will shoot the jet down without warning."[2]
That seems pretty definitive.
Are not the Syrian's now saying to all combatants operating in Syria, cooperate, coordinate and make known your intentions with us or you will be considered hostile.
Consider; Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned it is imperative to follow international law otherwise we have law of the jungle.
Up to this point Russia along with Iran, Iraq and Hezbollah have acted within international law aiding Syria militarily at the request of the legitimate government of President Bashar Assad. Regardless of the criticism of Assad, he is the legitimately elected president of Syria.
In light of these facts, the sovereign state of Syria has been under attack on the ground since 2011 by mercenaries aka IS, al Qaeda, Nusra Front, Turkmen and their assorted affiliates who have been trained, equipped and sponsored by the US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In the air, the US, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France, Israel have flown thousands of sorties in Syria.
Whether on the ground or in the air, none of these hostile acts of war have ever been approved and coordinated with the Syrian state making it all illegal under international law against a sovereign country. There is no other way to put it.
So now Syria has upped the ante. After a Syrian Arab Army outpost was attacked by US fighter planes in eastern Syria killing three soldiers and wounding many more and two weeks after Turkey shot down a Russian jet fighter in Syrian territory it intends to further protect its sovereign territory and shoot down ALL planes not authorized by the Syrian state.
That is not a provocation or an escalation of the conflict. It is a defensive measure to protect itself.
Let's put it this way. If America were attacked on the land, sea or air would it not have the sovereign right to protect itself? Does that really have to be answered?