The Russian military appears to be attempting to set up a
forward operating base in western Syria, the U.S. government says, deepening
concerns about Moscow's intentions in the war-torn nation.
"We have
seen indication in recent days that Russia has moved people and things into the
area around Latakia, and the airbase there," Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff
Davis said Monday.
Latakia, a port
city on Syria's Mediterranean coast, is in an area controlled by the forces of
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally.
The United
States has been monitoring Russia's recent movements of military personnel in
Syria with unease.
Kerry's warning to Lavrov
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to
warn him that Moscow's reported troop buildup in Syria could intensify the
vicious civil war there.
The Pentagon on Monday declined to disclose specific
intelligence on what it had observed around Latakia, but Davis said the U.S.
military hasn't so far seen Russian fighter jets, helicopters, or gunships
arrive in the area.
He said the
movements are "progressing on a daily basis."
The news agency
Reuters cited two unidentified U.S. officials as saying that Russia had
positioned about a half dozen tanks at an airfield near Latakia.
Russian intentions murky
U.S. officials have been trying to
determine the true intent behind the Russian moves in Syria.
They say the
possibilities range from preparations to attack positions of the militant group
ISIS to the more likely scenario of attacking moderate rebel forces who are
fighting al-Assad's military.
Another possibility
is that the movements are advance efforts to help Russia influence events
inside Syria if al-Assad's regime falls.
Russia's Foreign
Ministry said last week that there are "Russian military experts in Syria
who are instructing (the Syrians) on the use of the military systems being
delivered" to al-Assad.
Russia "has
long been supplying arms and military equipment to Syria in accordance with
bilateral contracts," the ministry said.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia is supporting the Syrian
government in its fight against ISIS' "terrorist aggression."
"We've been
providing and will be providing all necessary military-technical assistance and
we call on other countries to join us," he said in comments aired on
Russian state TV from an event in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
"If Russia
hadn't been supporting Syria, the situation there would be worse than in Libya
and we would see more refugees," Putin said.
Differing goals in tangled conflict
The complex Syrian conflict has raged
for more than four years, taking the lives of more than 200,000 people.
Rebel groups
have been trying to defeat al-Assad's forces, but he has been able to retain
his grip on parts of the country with help from Iran and Russia.
The Sunni Muslim
extremists of ISIS have capitalized on the chaos, imposing their brutal rule on
large areas of northern and eastern Syria.
Both Moscow and
Washington are opposed to ISIS, but their broader aims differ.
A U.S.-led
coalition is conducting a bombing campaign against ISIS positions in Syria and
Iraq.
The United
States has also been offering limited support to moderate Syrian rebels in the
fight against ISIS. Those rebels, though, are also trying to drive out
al-Assad, whom U.S. President Barack Obama has called on to step down.
Backing al-Assad 'not a winning
strategy'
On Monday, the U.S. ambassador to the
United Nations said Russia's support for al-Assad "is not a winning
strategy."
"Doubling down on a regime that gases its people, that
barrel bombs its people, that tortures people who it arrests simply for
protesting and for claiming their rights -- that's just not going to
work," Samantha Power told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
Davis, the
Pentagon spokesman, said Monday that U.S. officials are concerned about
increased air traffic in the skies above Syria.
He noted,
though, that incoming Russian flights have so far followed civilian routes,
which are already clear of coalition operations in Iraq and Syria.
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