The biggest sign yet that Russia is prepared for a long military operation in Syria
(Mian Khalid Jamil, Lahore)
Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir
Putin.
Russia's military operation in Syria isn't likely to be short, The New York
Times reports.
Along with already-positioned military hardware that includes tanks, aircraft,
and ships off of Syria's coast, Moscow has also begun to move in supplies and
resources that are clearly intended for a lengthy stay, rather than a quick
intervention.
"Russia is not only bringing some of its most advanced hardware to the fight, it
has also deployed large field kitchens and even dancers and singers to entertain
the troops — all signs that Moscow is settling in for the long haul," The Times
reports, citing American analysts.
This level of support indicates that Russia may be planning to support a
forward-deployed force for some time.
“They brought the whole package,” Jeffrey White, a defense analyst at the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told The Times. “It showed me they
could deploy a decent-sized expeditionary force.”
Russia started carrying out airstrikes against rebels opposed to the regime of
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on September 30. While Russia claimed the
airstrikes were aimed at ISIS, most of them have instead targeted Syrian rebels
that are threatening the Assad heartland in northwestern Syria.
With this Russian air support, the Syrian military has conducted campaigns aimed
at retaking land from rebel forces from Hama to Aleppo. As such, the Kremlin's
attacks have largely struck at rebels based around Hama and Idlib, with
additional strikes targeting Aleppo.
Russia's choice of targets brings it closer to a potential proxy war with the
US, as well as the US allies of Turkey and Saudi Arabia. A number of the rebels
that Russia has been bombing have received training and arms either through the
CIA or US-aligned countries in the region.
These US-backed rebels have caused serious damage to the Assad regime's forces
through their use of antitank missiles. In response, Russia has increased its
own strikes as it continues to step up its military support for Assad.
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