"Russia has sent a military advance team to Syria and is taking other steps the United States fears may signal that President Vladimir V. Putin is planning to vastly expand his military support for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, administration officials said Friday.
The Russian moves, including the recent transport of prefabricated housing units for hundreds of people to a Syrian airfield and the delivery of a portable air traffic control station there, are another complicating factor in Secretary of State John Kerry’s repeated efforts to enlist Mr. Putin’s support for a diplomatic solution to the bloody conflict in Syria.
The Russians have also filed military overflight requests with neighboring countries through September.
American officials acknowledge that they are not certain of Russia’s intentions, but some say the temporary housing suggests that Russia could deploy as many as 1,000 advisers or other military personnel to the airfield near the Assad family’s ancestral home. The airfield serves Latakia, Syria’s principal port city.
Other American officials say they see no indication that Russia intends to deploy significant numbers of ground forces, but they say the housing would enable Russia to use the airfield as a major hub for ferrying in military supplies for the Syrian government, or possibly as a launching pad for Russian airstrikes in support of Mr. Assad’s forces.
American intelligence analysts are also looking at ship loadings in Russia to determine what might be bound for Syria, and one official speculated that the Russian deployment might eventually grow to 2,000 to 3,000 personnel." NY Times
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It pains me to find something good in Michael Gordon's work but this is a thorough article. Perhaps Eric Schmitt is responsible.
IMO, for these two journos to have this much input from US officials means that the US Government is "softening the blow" for the American people in anticipation of an unannounced accommodation with Russia over this and perhaps even acquiescence in the Russian policy determination that the Syrian government should not disappear and then be replaced by God knows what.
Putin's statement at Vladivostok should not be interpreted as a definitive nyet! The Russians are masters of the art of disinformation and misdirection to cover their actions and plans.
It seems clear that Russia's plan is to sufficiently reinforce the Syrian government to enable negotiations with the more "healthy" rebel groups so as to create a Syrian base for a coalition struggle against the jihadis. Turkey's actual allegiances make such a process problematic.
"Jeffrey White, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer who now studies Syria at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that Mr. Putin’s intentions were clear. 'All this tells me is that the Russians are not backing away from the Assad regime,' he said." NY Times
You got that right, Jeff. pl
http://www.businessinsider.com/putin-is-upping-military-intervention-in-syria-2015-9
Margaret: For no other reason than her direct statement about supporting the agreement as a Jew. Her Judaism should be irrelevant. She is the representative of her district in Florida which includes Jews and Gentiles.
I would never vote for a Catholic politician who said that his/her votes were motivated primarily by his/her concern for the Vatican.
Wasserman-Schultz is a disaster as a Democratic leader.
Posted by: Matthew | 08 September 2015 at 02:24 PM
Col. here is some new information on the Russians in Syria story. Multiple pictures. A lot of photos of the same ship and BTR cargo. But also a fair number of additional photos.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3226009/First-picture-proof-Russia-troops-ground-Syria-helping-dictator-Bashar-Al-Assad-ve-APRIL.html
Posted by: bth | 08 September 2015 at 07:42 PM
Matthew,
Who made Wasserman-Schultz the DNC head? Did all the relevant Party apparatchiks vote on it? Did Obama have a hand in it? Did someone else nameable have a hand in it?
Posted by: different clue | 09 September 2015 at 01:56 AM
dc
A good piece on her from last year:
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/democrats-debbie-wasserman-schultz-111077
Posted by: The Beaver | 09 September 2015 at 08:12 AM
The 2014 Politico story on W-S might have been a trial balloon by people who wanted her gone. She is still there, so it didn't work. Her ambition per the story is to replace Pelosi; she'd have to stomp over Steny Hoyer first, unless Pelosi out lives him. W-S must raise a lot of money to be still in the job when, per the story, so many people dislike her, and she does so many things to annoy Valerie Jarrette.
Posted by: Margaret Steinfels | 09 September 2015 at 11:02 AM
Colonel, TTG,
The Obama Administration has been doing all they can to impede Russian assistance to Assad.
Pressuring Bulgaria and Greece to shut off their airspace over flight to Syria. And Russia has been negating the Obama blocking by using Iran Iraq corridors.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/09/world/europe/us-moves-to-block-russian-military-buildup-in-syria.html
Posted by: J | 09 September 2015 at 12:19 PM