Sea alert: Russian warships head for Syria

[amoy]

Russia really has few allies to ditch, and its prestige at risk

Seeking to expand its Middle East role, Moscow views Damascus - with its ties to Iran, Hizbollah and Palestinian militants - as central to that aim.

 

[indian_sukhoi]

Glad to the see Russians using thier AC some way rather than keeping in a drydock

 

[Galaxy]

U.S. supports Arab + Turkey, Russia supports Iran + Syria.

Sooner or later, Assad government has to go as majority of population is against him. It's breaking point for this dictator family after 40 years.

Torture, Sexual Assault in Syria; Assad Gov. at Least Kills 256 Children: UN - Taiwan News Online

http://defenceforumindia.com/asia-pacific-middle-east/27201-syria-suspended-arab-league.html

Although for Indian point of view, I will want Assad to continue. He is pro-India and far better than next potential wahabbi regime.

 

[The Messiah]

Although for Indian point of view, I will want Assad to continue. He is pro-India and far better than next potential wahabbi regime.

Glad to see you learned what i said last time because you wanted him to be kicked out and some western or saudi lackey put in his place.

 

[asianobserve]

Glad to see you learned what i said last time because you wanted him to be kicked out and some western or saudi lackey put in his place.

Your betting on the wrong horse again. I think "foresight" is a good concept. Whether you like it or not at the scale of repression and violence in Syria, coupled with the scale of internatioonal attention, (you may say its Western contrived but you should not discount the reality forming capacity of Western media + Al Jazeera) it's only a matter of time before Assad is forced to step down (either by himself declaring it or going the Gaddafi way). Now, foresight dictates that India should start betting on the future Syria so that it will remain relevant when the change do happen (think of Libya as an example).

 

[The Messiah]

Your betting on the wrong horse again. I think "foresight" is a good concept. Whether you like it or not at the scale of repression and violence in Syria, coupled with the scale of internatioonal attention, (you may say its Western contrived but you should not discount the reality forming capacity of Western media + Al Jazeera) it's only a matter of time before Assad is forced to step down (either by himself declaring it or going the Gaddafi way). Now, foresight dictates that India should start betting on the future Syria so that it will remain relevant when the change do happen (think of Libya as an example).

Read what was written again.

How are we helping assad that we should be worried ? It was only pointed out that he was beneficial to Indian interests.

We deal with whoever is ruling the country.

 

[asianobserve]

If you position well the next regime will still be beneficial to India, even more.

 

[The Messiah]

If you position well the next regime will still be beneficial to India, even more.

Not when the regime is a lackey of saudi wahabis.

 

[Rahul92]

woh wats gonna happen

 

[asianobserve]

Not when the regime is a lackey of saudi wahabis.

What if India can position closer to the Saudis ahead of Paki land? Note that in the end Saudi has more to gain from a closer relationship with mightier India than Pakistan. Note further than the Saudi-Pakistani relationship is experiencing their coldest winter.

 

[Ray]

What if India can position closer to the Saudis ahead of Paki land? Note that in the end Saudi has more to gain from a closer relationship with mightier India than Pakistan. Note further than the Saudi-Pakistani relationship is experiencing their coldest winter.

Pakistan is a tested friend of Saudi Arabia.

Pakistani soldiers have guarded the Saudi rulers family.

Therefore, it will be quite an effort to replace Pakistan.

 

[venkat]

They should have done this in IRAQ and Libya too!!!

 

[Ray]

Here is an interesting view.

Russian Warships Enter Syrian Waters To Prevent NATO Attack

Russian warships have entered Syrian territorial waters in an aggressive move designed to prevent any NATO-led attack on the country under the guise of a "humanitarian intervention".

"Russian warships are due to arrive at Syrian territorial waters, a Syrian news agency said on Thursday, indicating that the move represented a clear message to the West that Moscow would resist any foreign intervention in the country's civil unrest," reports Haaretz....

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner rejects Russia's claim that Syria is in a civil war, stating, "We believe it's very much the Assad regime carrying out a campaign of violence, intimidation, and repression against innocent protesters.".......

US President Barack Obama got the ball rolling back in August when he called on President al-Assad to step down. The UN has already withdrawn all non-essential staff from the country.

Without Russia's help, Syria would be largely defenseless against a NATO attack. "I don't see any purely military problems. Syria has no defence against Western systems "¦ [But] it would be more risky than Libya. It would be a heavy military operation," former French air force chief Jean Rannou commented.

Prison Planet.com » Russian Warships Enter Syrian Waters To Prevent NATO Attack

I am not to sure as to which country this report emanates from, but it sure appears to be leftist in view.

 

[Ray]

29/11/2011 18:19

Russia ready to assist Syrian dialogue – FM Lavrov

Russia is willing to help the opposing sides in the Syrian political crisis to start a reconciliation dialogue, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.

"We feel the responsibility to make everything possible to initiate an internal dialogue in Syria," Lavrov said after a meeting of APEC foreign ministers in Honolulu.

Lavrov expressed regret over the fact that certain representatives of the Syrian opposition, especially those residing in the United States and in Turkey, are boycotting any proposals aimed at the talks with the Syrian authorities.

"We will attempt to convince [the opposition] to take a more constructive approach and to care about their country," the minister said.

A delegation of the opposition Syrian National Council is expected to visit Moscow next week to meet with Lavrov and Russian lawmakers.

Opposition leaders maintain that Syrian authorities continue to use force against "peaceful demonstrations" and many people were killed or injured as a result.

Meanwhile, the authorities say that the troops and police are clashing with militants, who are financed from abroad and attack administrative bodies and ordinary citizens.

According to UN estimates, more than 3,500 people have been killed in Syria since mid-March, when first protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime began.

Russia and China vetoed in October a UN Security Council draft resolution that urged the Syrian regime to immediately stop using violence against protesters or face "targeted measures."

However, Moscow and Beijing have called on the Syrian government to quickly carry out its commitment of political reform and to resume and promote an inclusive political process that involves the wide participation of all parties in the country.
Russia ready to assist Syrian dialogue – FM Lavrov | Russia | RIA Novosti

With the Russian foreign minister taking this view, it would be real surprising that the Russian ships are merely coming to make a stop for refuelling and victualling at their Syrian base, enroute to other areas.

Once again we are seeing the vestiges of the Cold War era.

 

[The Messiah]

What did i tell you before...nothing is what it seems. In geopolitics there is always agenda behind every move.

 

[pmaitra]

Russia needs that naval base in Syria. Therefore, it is in their interests that internal turmoil in Syria is ended quickly. They are well aware that they cannot take sides in this because the Assad regime has been rather ruthless at times while many in the opposition are in the US and Turkey and are allegedly funding some of the rebels. Russia's best bet now is to prevent a NATO attack on Syria and start a reconciliation process between the feuding parties. They have already vetoed in UN. That way, as the conflict draws on, things might cool down with no imminent NATO attack and Russia gets to keep the naval base.

 

[p2prada]

Putin was president, then he hand-picked his successor, and now will be president again? And, he has a cult following. All very disturbing.

(Who the hell does he think he is, Bill Clinton?)

Naaw! Bill Clinton got caught. Therein lies the difference.

 

[pmaitra]

Putin was president, then he hand-picked his successor, and now will be president again? And, he has a cult following. All very disturbing.

(Who the hell does he think he is, Bill Clinton?)

He is much more accomplished than Bill Clinton. He has a baby from this lovely young lady, Alina Kabayeva:

 

[W.G.Ewald]

US President Barack Obama got the ball rolling back in August when he called on President al-Assad to step down.

Only thing I like about Iran's Ahmadinejad is that he tells Obama to step down.:-D

 

[pmaitra]

Just in case? Russian fleet to reach Syria in December

Just in case? Russian fleet to reach Syria in December

Published: 30 November, 2011, 01:09

Heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov. (RIA Novosti / Alexey Danichev)

TRENDS:Syria unrest
TAGS: Arms, Conflict, Military, NATO, Russia,Politics, Vehicles, War, Syria

Speculation is growing whether Russian war ships heading to the Mediterranean will indeed anchor by the Syrian coast. And, despite military officials' assurances, some expect it to disturb the balance of power in the region.

Conflicting reports are coming from the Russian military on whether the Russian battle group of three vessels led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier will in fact visit the Syrian port of Tartus.

The long-planned mission will begin on December 10 and one source in the Russian Defense Ministry has told Itar-Tass news agency that the ships will arrive at the port by the end of December.

Meanwhile, other military sources told Ria Novosti news agency that the group will only carry out drill in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic without entering Tartus and, in any case, the Admiral Kuznetsov is too large to be able to dock there.

The naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus is operated by the Russian military under an agreement signed in 1971 between Syria and the Soviet Union.

Nikolay Makarov of the Russian Army General Staff said that the decision to send a group of Russian Navy warships to the Mediterranean Sea was due to "obligations before its Western colleagues" and the exercises were planned long before the tensions in Syria became so high.

When asked whether the squadron of ships will approach the Syrian coast, Makarov evaded the question, saying that the Russian Navy has "a planned number of exercises which have nothing to do with Syria."

The minister plenipotentiary at the Syrian embassy to Russia, Suleiman Abudiab, has also said that "one should not link the Russian warships' plans to call at Tartus with the current situation in Syria," as cited by Interfax news agency. He added, however, that Russia is a friend of Syria and its ships can visit Syrian ports any time "for repair and other reasons."

Both Russian and Syrian officials are stressing that all drills and flights are planned to be performed in open waters, away from the Syrian coast.

Nevertheless, with the international pressure on Syria growing and the US 6th Fleet patrolling the area at the moment, a neutral force not far from the troubled country's coast might calm some nerves.

There's no speech about preventing a direct military intervention in Syria with the assistance of Russia's or anyone else's forces, Suleiman Abudiab stressed.

"I think clever people understand that no one needs to light a fire in the Middle East," he pointed out.
​

Source: Just in case? Russian fleet to reach Syria in December — RT