russian troops in syria

[IAM]

http://news.yahoo.com/russian-anti-terror-troops-arrive-syria-164035966--abc-news.html

with russian trops in syria is there any posibility of UN intervention? Russians were in Bosnia in the 90's but syria isn't in europe and has no major oil resources and that seems to make all the difference.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Russia sends in troops without security council clearance?

DIRTY IMPERIALISTS

 

[IAM]

Russia sends in troops without security council clearance?

DIRTY IMPERIALISTS

Kettle: "ha ha."

 

[Kozmos]

I imagine the Russians have been blocking the Council to buy time for this little op.

 

[Silurian]

I imagine the Russians have been blocking the Council to buy time for this little op.

The Russians have transport aircraft that can get to Syria in a couple of hours.
Ships can reach Syria from southern Russia in a few days.

 

[Kozmos]

The Russians have transport aircraft that can get to Syria in a couple of hours.
Ships can reach Syria from southern Russia in a few days.

I think the preparations were a little bit more in-depth than just tossing them over there.

 

[Silurian]

Well they have landed at a base used by the Russian fleet.
I do not know how long the Russians have had facilities in Tartus.
They are described as a "squad".
I would assume that the Russian Black sea fleet have more than a squad of marines ready to sail to Syria on a tanker if they wished.

 

[Kozmos]

I'll admit my awareness on the area is lacking, but I don't doubt the Russians are there doing some very Russian things like being Russian and all.

 

[Silurian]

What is interesting is why the Russians would say that an insignificant force had landed.

From Wiki

Tartus hosts a Soviet-era naval supply and maintenance base, under a 1971 agreement with Syria, which is still staffed by Russian naval personnel. The base was established during the Cold War to support the Soviet Navy fleet in the Mediterranean Sea.[7] During the 1970s, similar support points were located in Egypt and Latakia, Syria. In 1977, the Egyptian support bases at Alexandria and Mersa Matruh were evacuated and the ships and property were transferred to Tartus, where the naval support base was transformed into the 229th Naval and Estuary Vessel Support Division. Seven years later, the Tartus support point was upgraded to the 720th Logistics Support Point

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartus#Russian_naval_base

Not sure how many people the Russians have there now.

 

[Eat_Up_Martha]

Considering that they're (hopefully) not still planning an invasion of Europe, what do the Russians gain from having a Mediterranean port anyway?

 

[Silurian]

There are restrictions in transiting the Bosporus.
I assume the Russian Navy finds it useful to have somewhere to concentrate ships outside the restriction.

 

[red_elk]

Just checked, there are no Russian troops in Syria.

 

[Silurian]

What do you mean by troops.

 

[red_elk]

Those which are mentioned in thread's title.

 

[Eat_Up_Martha]

Just checked, there are no Russian troops in Syria.

Source please?

 

[Silurian]

Those which are mentioned in thread's title.

Has the Iman (the Russian tanker with the troops on) left with its small squad of troops for the Gulf of Aden.

 

[red_elk]

Source please?

To be serious, Russian Ministry of Defense officially denied presence of Russian warships and military personnel near Syria. That's all what I was able to find in Russian sources.

http://www.ria.ru/arab_sy/20120319/600318751.html (only in Russian, sorry)

"Just checked" was meant to be a joke.

 

[red_elk]

Has the Iman (the Russian tanker with the troops on) left with its small squad of troops for the Gulf of Aden.

Iman is in Tartus. They claim that there are only civilian personnel on board.
Edit: Civilian personnel with security guards..

 

[Silurian]

Other sources have stated that the security detachment are Russian marines which is a good idea if you are going to sail your tanker down to Somalia to refuel your ships.

From TASS

MOSCOW, March 19 (Itar-Tass) —— The Russian Defence Ministry denied media reports claiming that Russian Navy ships have been spotted off Syria.

“The Russian Defence Ministry was surprised by some media reports claiming that Russian Navy warships have appeared near the Syrian coast. The Russian Navy has no warships near Syria,” the ministry said on Monday, March 19.

“An auxiliary vessel, the tanker Iman, has been at the Syrian port of Tartus for 10 days. It provided logistical support to the Black Sea and Northern Fleet ships that participated in the anti-pirate mission in the Gulf of Aden,” it said.

“The Iman crew consists of civilian personnel. There is a guard unit aboard,” the ministry said.

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/369841.html

 

[ParkCungHee]

Makes sense. There's really no purpose to sending a dozen Russian troops to Syria, they wouldn't do anyone any good.