The world faces cold-war-era threat levels, Sir John Sawers, the former head of MI6, has said, due to the west vacating the stage in Syria and failing to recognise that the growth of Russian military power over the past 15 years required the development of a new strategic relationship with Moscow. He said the west needed to recognise that the balance of power had changed in the world because of an increase in Russian military power, and its willingness to use that power. “We all recall what happened to our embassy in Tehran,” Sawers said. Sawers doubted that Russia would let its allies in the Syrian government be attacked. “We are not treating Russia and China as major powers that can cause us a great deal of damage,” he said.

Source: The Guardian October 12, 2016 09:50 UTC