Satellite images from IHS Jane’s, a defense-intelligence provider, that it says show Russian military expansion in Syria. ILLUSTRATION: AIRBUS/IHS JANE’S INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Wall Street Journal: Russia Expands Military Presence in Syria, Satellite Photos Show
Apparent development near Latakia is latest sign Moscow is preparing to intervene in Syrian war
WASHINGTON—Russian forces appear to be expanding their military presence in Syria through the development of two additional bases, according to new satellite imagery viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The expansion near the Mediterranean coast is the latest sign Russia is preparing to inject its military forces into the country’s 4½-year war, creating new challenges for the U.S.-led coalition trying to force President Bashar al-Assad from power and defeat Islamic State militants.
Until recently, the Russian buildup in Syria was largely focused on an air base south of the port city of Latakia. Moscow has shipped more than two dozen combat aircraft to the airfield, where Russian surveillance drones have started flying, according to U.S. defense officials. Russia has also sent tanks, air-defense systems, armored-personnel carriers and enough housing for 2,000 people, officials have said.
WNU Editor: This is not looking like a small Russian military deployment.
5 comments:
Welcome to the next level US/GCC and friends. This was something we should have seen coming as long ago as 2008 when Georgia played games and was almost taken out. Russia has shown that she is willing to use military force to defend her interests.
This is a big shoulder into the Middle East, an area where the US and friends have been having a heyday tearing up secular Arab states (after using them),supporting/rubbing shoulders with the most awful regimes --see: Saudi Arabia-- and backing Israel to the hilt. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for the discussion between Netanyahu and Putin.
While I've learned to abhor these interventions, history tells me that fascists, whatever their stripe, whomever their paymasters, must be stopped with force. Russia, with Iran, the SAA and, yes, Mr. Nasrallah and Co. seem to be the only ones serious about doing this.
I don't have to like all the actors to like what they're doing.
It is a strong historical statement that, once again, Russia is on the front line fighting fascism. Meanwhile, once again, the so-called western democracies play a cynical double game, in league with "the worst of the worst" to try and gain advantage.
The rise of the Taliban, al Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Harum etc. are not the result of "miscalculations" or "misguided" policies. They are the offspring of an collective mindset to use whatever means necessary to maintain and expand the dominance of a particular ideological order. Russia and others seem to see it this way too.
I only hope, for the world's sake, that they are able to score a new victory against fascism in the twenty-first century.
That's my take on it anyway.
It would hardly be a victory against fascism to defeat Sunni fascists by assisting Shia and supposedly secular fascists. The Assad regime is based on oppression of the Sunni majority by Alawites, like Husseins regime was based on oppression of the Shia majority in Iraq.
Point taken, but oppression of minorities or majorities does not a fascist make. Having a regressive, expansionist, religious or cultist , misogynist ideology that generally entails enslavement of others does. That's not Syria's Assad or Hussein's Iraq let alone Hezbollah whatever their faults. Baath-ism, or Arab socialism, at its core is much more progressive than fascism.
Regardless, I am wondering if this http://johnhelmer.net/?p=14153#more-14153 has something to do with why Washington is less than aggressively challenging Russia over Syria.
Israel is on notice too:
http://atimes.com/2015/09/russian-build-up-in-syria-puts-israel-on-the-back-foot/
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