What Does Russia Want in Syria?
The Western media has portrayed Russia’s recent joint anti-terror security operations with the Syrian government as a means of expanding its influence beyond its borders. CNN in its article, “Petraeus accuses Putin of trying to re-establish Russian Empire,” would go as far as claiming:
One of America’s top former generals
compared the situation in Syria Tuesday to a historic nuclear disaster,
implicitly criticizing the U.S. for allowing it to worsen, and accused
Russia’s President of trying to re-establish an empire.
CNN would also report:
Russian moves in Syria are designed
to bolster and hold on to their naval base and airstrip along the
Mediterranean coast of Syria, and shore up the al-Assad regime in order
to preserve Russian influence in the Middle East, Petraeus said.“I think that what Vladimir Putin would like to do is resurrect the Russian empire,” he said.
Ironically,
the United States maintains over 800 military bases around the world
while occupying Afghanistan since 2001 and carrying out armed operations
everywhere from Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria to the borders of
Pakistan. Russia’s only overseas base is in fact the naval facility
mentioned by Petraeus. Petraeus never elaborates on how despite such
obvious disparity between Russia and America regarding foreign policy,
why Russia is suspected of pursuing “empire” while the US is not then
completely guilty of already establishing and fighting desperately to
maintain an immense one.
the United States maintains over 800 military bases around the world
while occupying Afghanistan since 2001 and carrying out armed operations
everywhere from Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria to the borders of
Pakistan. Russia’s only overseas base is in fact the naval facility
mentioned by Petraeus. Petraeus never elaborates on how despite such
obvious disparity between Russia and America regarding foreign policy,
why Russia is suspected of pursuing “empire” while the US is not then
completely guilty of already establishing and fighting desperately to
maintain an immense one.
While undoubtedly Russia’s cooperation
with the Syrian government indicates Moscow’s ability to project power
beyond its borders, it has done so only at the request of the legitimate
government of Syria, and only after all other possible options have
been exhausted.
with the Syrian government indicates Moscow’s ability to project power
beyond its borders, it has done so only at the request of the legitimate
government of Syria, and only after all other possible options have
been exhausted.
And despite many having depicted Syria’s
ongoing crisis as a “civil war,” it is abundantly clear that it is
nothing of the sort, with terrorists receiving the summation of their
material support, and many of their fighters even from over Syria’s
borders, not from within them.
ongoing crisis as a “civil war,” it is abundantly clear that it is
nothing of the sort, with terrorists receiving the summation of their
material support, and many of their fighters even from over Syria’s
borders, not from within them.
