Three Questions About the Downed Russian Jet
As the Times noted in a survey of the candidates’ comments even before the Paris attacks, they seem to treat “no-fly” as a cue for toughness. The piece quoted Bush, when asked about the potential for a conflict with Russia, as saying, “Well, maybe Russia shouldn’t want to be in conflict with us.” Often, the talk descends to some version of a line that Chris Christie delivered last month: “My first phone call would be to Vladimir, and I’d say to him, ‘Listen, we’re enforcing this no-fly zone.’ ” But, if Vladimir shrugged, what would each of them do next? For that matter, what happens if American special-operations forces encounter Russian forces? Or a Russian pilot is held by rebels America supports?