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By KIRIT RADIA (@KiritRadia_ABC) and RYM MOMTAZ
MOSCOW, Russia, March 19, 2012
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 Russian news reports did not elaborate on the Russian troops' mission in Syria or if they are expected to leave the port.
The presence of Russian troops in Syria could be a "pretty obvious" show of support to the regime, according to Russian security expert Mark Galeotti.
"No one thinks of the Russians as anything but Assad's last friends," said Galeotti, professor of global affairs at New York University.
The Iman replaced another Russian ship "which had been sent to Syria for demonstrating (sic) the Russian presence in the turbulent region and possible evacuation of Russian citizens," the Black Sea Fleet told Interfax.
RIA Novosti, a news outlet with strong ties to the Kremlin, trumpeted the news in a banner headline that appeared only on its Arabic language website. The Russian embassy to the U.S. and to the U.N. had no comment, saying they have "no particular information on" the arrival of a Russian anti-terrorism squad to Syria.
Moscow has long enjoyed a cozy relationship with the Assad regime, to which it sells billions of dollars of weapons. In return Russia has maintained a Navy base at Tartus, which gives it access to the Mediterranean.
Last week Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had no plans to send troops to Syria.
"As for the question whether I consider it necessary to confront the United States in Syria and ensure our military presence there… in order to take part in military actions -- no. I believe this would be against Russia's national interests," Lavrov told lawmakers, according to RIA Novosti.
Russia's Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov denied reports that Russian special forces were operating inside Syria. He did say, however, that there are Russian military and technical advisors in the country.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the U.S. government had not heard of the reports of Russian troops in Syria and declined to comment.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the U.S. government had not heard of the reports of Russian troops in Syria and declined to comment.
So Russian news is reporting that Russian troops are in Syria, but the U.S. government hasn't seen any evidence of this?
sebster wrote:
Orlanth wrote:Its a known fact that Aussies are genetically disposed towards crime, we intentionally set them up that way.
But only awesome crimes like bushranging and, if I understand the song correctly, sheep stealing and suicide.
The russian forces are actually a squad of marines on a tanker, said tanker going to gulf of aden to participate in the russian, nato, and eu anti-piracy operations. So it makes sense to me
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U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the U.S. government had not heard of the reports of Russian troops in Syria and declined to comment.
So Russian news is reporting that Russian troops are in Syria, but the U.S. government hasn't seen any evidence of this?
Well, no, they just declined to comment.
And, because of the source and limited scope of the message (RIA Novosti, only in Arabic), it could just as likely be propaganda as anything else.
Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.
Huffy wrote:The russian forces are actually a squad of marines on a tanker, said tanker going to gulf of aden to participate in the russian, nato, and eu anti-piracy operations. So it makes sense to me
Oh, and for a moment I thought we were back to doing those good'ol proxy wars from the Cold War..
M.A.D. has been keeping us from going to anther World War for decades. And in my opinion, that's a good thing. The promise of death tends to steer the government away from, well, killing us all.
On topic, I heard that Spetsnaz were already in the Syrian capital to deter America from interfering even further.
kestril wrote:The game is only as fun as the people I play it with.
"War is as natural to a man as maternity is to a woman."
The Cold War was the clash of two superpowers, and given that Russia has a GDP lower than Spain they're really not up to it anymore.
“We may observe that the government in a civilized country is much more expensive than in a barbarous one; and when we say that one government is more expensive than another, it is the same as if we said that that one country is farther advanced in improvement than another. To say that the government is expensive and the people not oppressed is to say that the people are rich.”
Adam Smith, who must have been some kind of leftie or something.
We may not particularly like whose side they pick, thier methodology, or thier politics; but it's very encouraging to see Russia and China start to step up to the plate internationally. The West doesn't always have to intervene everywhere all the time. Let China, India, and Russia spend thier money, resources, and lives to "stabilize" nations that don't ask for thier help.
Avatar 720 wrote: You see, to Auston, everyone is a Death Star; there's only one way you can take it and that's through a small gap at the back.
Powder Burns wrote:what they need to make is a fullsize leatherman, like 14" long folded, with a bone saw, notches for bowstring, signaling flare, electrical hand crank generator, bolt cutters..
Certainly the people in Syria however HAVE been asking.
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
Powder Burns wrote:what they need to make is a fullsize leatherman, like 14" long folded, with a bone saw, notches for bowstring, signaling flare, electrical hand crank generator, bolt cutters..
Melissia wrote:Certainly the people in Syria however HAVE been asking.
TBH I was thinking of American interventionism not Syria in particular.
I know, but recently in places such as Libya and Syria, the population which has been being slaughtered by its own government HAS asked for intervention.
Speaking of Libya, I need to find an article to see how that country is doing now.
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
Melissia wrote:Certainly the people in Syria however HAVE been asking.
TBH I was thinking of American interventionism not Syria in particular.
I know, but recently in places such as Libya and Syria, the population which has been being slaughtered by its own government HAS asked for intervention.
Speaking of Libya, I need to find an article to see how that country is doing now.
I wouldn't. You will be disappointed.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
Melissia wrote:Certainly the people in Syria however HAVE been asking.
TBH I was thinking of American interventionism not Syria in particular.
I know, but recently in places such as Libya and Syria, the population which has been being slaughtered by its own government HAS asked for intervention.
Speaking of Libya, I need to find an article to see how that country is doing now.
I'm increasingly disappointed by the media. Once a story isn't sensational anymore there is no followup. Not just by TV, even print, and internet journalists don't bother to follow up. You know until it becomes sensational again.
Avatar 720 wrote: You see, to Auston, everyone is a Death Star; there's only one way you can take it and that's through a small gap at the back.
Powder Burns wrote:what they need to make is a fullsize leatherman, like 14" long folded, with a bone saw, notches for bowstring, signaling flare, electrical hand crank generator, bolt cutters..
AustonT wrote:We may not particularly like whose side they pick, thier methodology, or thier politics; but it's very encouraging to see Russia and China start to step up to the plate internationally. The West doesn't always have to intervene everywhere all the time. Let China, India, and Russia spend thier money, resources, and lives to "stabilize" nations that don't ask for thier help.
Yeah I agree. I'm not a flag waver, I dont much give a feth what Russia and China get up to as long as they arent invading us.
I read an interesting article about Assad, apparently he allows other Religions to get a say in things more than most in that neck of the woods, so despite the fact he is a dick and slaughters his own citizens, why does that bother me? We might get him out and he get replaced with some nutty ultra Orthodox Muslim bloke who starts buthering all the Christians!
Short answer, I couldn't give a gak how many Syrians get killed, as long as I get left in peace.
We are arming Syrian rebels who support ISIS, who is fighting Iran, who is fighting Iraq who we also support against ISIS, while fighting Kurds who we support while they are fighting Syrian rebels.
Why the hell are there suddenly somewhere around FIVE tinfoil hat threads?
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
Powder Burns wrote:what they need to make is a fullsize leatherman, like 14" long folded, with a bone saw, notches for bowstring, signaling flare, electrical hand crank generator, bolt cutters..
Hard to blame it on that when Fraz posted at least two of them and I don't think he has a proper "spring break"...
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
Powder Burns wrote:what they need to make is a fullsize leatherman, like 14" long folded, with a bone saw, notches for bowstring, signaling flare, electrical hand crank generator, bolt cutters..
Did they actually say they are doing things?
I mean...
There are British and American troops in plenty of places but in many cases they are simply passing through...
These Russian fellows may simply stay on their nice big oil tanker type thing and play cards or I-spy or whatever it is Russian people do when they don't drink and act crazy...
Dakka Bingo! By Ouze "You are the best at flying things"-Kanluwen
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"Purp.. Im pretty sure I have a gun than can reach you...."-Nicorex
"That's not really an apocalypse. That's just Europe."-Grakmar
"almost as good as winning free cake at the tea drinking contest for an Englishman." -Reds8n
Seal up your lips and give no words but mum.
Equip, Reload. Do violence.
Watch for Gerry.
Powder Burns wrote:what they need to make is a fullsize leatherman, like 14" long folded, with a bone saw, notches for bowstring, signaling flare, electrical hand crank generator, bolt cutters..
purplefood wrote:whatever it is Russian people do when they don't drink and act crazy...
They are either sleeping or dead then.
I did wonder...
Dakka Bingo! By Ouze "You are the best at flying things"-Kanluwen
"Further proof that Purple is a fething brilliant super villain " -KingCracker
"Purp.. Im pretty sure I have a gun than can reach you...."-Nicorex
"That's not really an apocalypse. That's just Europe."-Grakmar
"almost as good as winning free cake at the tea drinking contest for an Englishman." -Reds8n
Seal up your lips and give no words but mum.
Equip, Reload. Do violence.
Watch for Gerry.
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