Syrian Port Tartus is the last Russian military base outside the former Soviet Union.. so that may be a contributing factor for Russia's posture re: Iran and Syria.
Definitely Syria......No matter what takes place with Syria. The Russians will not give up Tartus!
Already the Russians have landed a few units of Marines. They have Speznaz in already. Including a Couple of Anti-terrorism units. Plus they already had several ships sent. Then in July they sent another flotilla. Not to mention there is no counting how many subs they have in the region. They also sent a couple of mine sweepers.
"The Russian ships today passed the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean at 1200 GMT," said a defence ministry spokesman, quoted by Itar-Tass agency.....snip~
http://news.yahoo.com/russian-flotil...181120453.html
Report Russia to Send Marines to Syria.....
MOSCOW (AP) — Two Russian navy ships are completing preparations to sail to Syria with a unit of marines on a mission to protect Russian citizens and the nation's base there, a news report said Monday.
The deployment appears to reflect Moscow's growing concern about Syrian President Bashar Assad's future.The official said the ships will carry an unspecified number of marines to protect Russians in Syria and evacuate some equipment from Tartus, if necessary.
Each ship is capable of carrying up to 300 marines and a dozen tanks, according to Russian media reports. That would make it the largest known Russian troop deployment to Syria, signaling that Moscow is becoming increasingly uneasy about Syria's slide toward civil war.Russian officials have said that other Russian navy ships that have called at Tartus this year also had marines on board, but it has remained unclear whether they rotated the troops at Tartus or simply protected the ships during their mission and returned home.
Russia also has an unspecified number of military advisers teaching Syrians how to use Russian weapons, which make up the bulk of Syrian arsenals.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a harsh reprimand of Russia last week, when she said that Moscow "dramatically" escalated the crisis in Syria by sending attack helicopters there. The State Department acknowledged later the helicopters she accused Moscow of sending were actually refurbished ones already owned by the Assad regime, but Russia was clearly annoyed, and the spat further fueled tensions ahead of President Barack Obama's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Mexico on Monday.....snip~
http://news.yahoo.com/report-russia-...144713980.html
Russian Anti-Terror Troops Arrive in Syria
A Russian military unit has arrived in Syria, according to Russian news reports, a development that a United Nations Security Council source told ABC News was "a bomb" certain to have serious repercussions.
Russia, one of President Bashar al-Assad's strongest allies despite international condemnation of the government's violent crackdown on the country's uprising, has repeatedly blocked the United Nations Security Council's attempts to halt the violence, accusing the U.S. and its allies of trying to start another war.
Now the Russian Black Sea fleet's Iman tanker has arrived in the Syrian port of Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea with an anti-terror squad from the Russian Marines aboard according to the Interfax news agency. The Assad government has insisted it is fighting a terrorist insurgency.
The Iman replaced another Russian ship "which had been sent to Syria for demonstrating (sic) the Russian presence in the turbulent region and possible evaluation of Russian citizens," the Black Sea Fleet told Interfax.
http://news.yahoo.com/russian-anti-t...-abc-news.html
They already had 8-9 ships over there. Now they are sending 4 more. Moreover they have helicopters. Unlike Gadhafi or Assad. The Russians won't hesitate to use them. Plus Putin has a new image to present. Including with his Military. Looks Like he has made the Initial Good Showing. As in presenting that Stiff Upper lip.....if I do say so myself.
One thing is for certain.....he is pissing Clinton and Obama off. As well as that
Susan Rice in the UN. What a waste a space she is. Not to smart either as the French Played her as if they were playing Tic Tac Toe.