Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY
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UP FRONT A3
Tuesday 15 September 2015
AP Analysis:
Russia gambles in Syria, ramping up involvement
BASSEM MROUE In this 2012 photo, Syrians hold posters of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russian President Despite such statements,
ZEINA KARAM Vladimir Putin during a pro-Syrian government rally in front of the Russian Embassy in Damascus, evidence suggests Russian
Associated Press Syria. In ramping up its military involvement in Syria, Russia appears to be betting that the West President Vladimir Putin
WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (AP) may be willing to quietly tolerate President Bashar Assad for a while. believes the West can be
— In ramping up its military swayed, if only informally.
involvement in Syria’s civil (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman) Moscow may also hope
war, Russia appears to be that a creatively construc-
betting that the West, hor- near the coastal town of spectacularly ruinous civil Samantha Power, the U.S. tive role in Syria might help
rified by the Islamic State Latakia, a stronghold of war that has killed a quar- ambassador to the United improve ties with the West,
group’s spread and an the Syrian president. There ter of a million people and Nations, warned that “dou- ravaged in the wake of the
escalating migrants crisis, are reports that the Rus- created a massive global bling down” on the Assad Ukrainian crisis,
may be willing to quietly sians had flown in troops humanitarian crisis. regime “is not a winning “Putin has proven an ex-
tolerate President Bashar and modular housing units. The degree and speed of strategy.” In an interview cellent tactician on the Syr-
Assad for a while, perhaps And Israel’s defense min- the impact depends on with CNN, she said that ian crisis, and he currently
as part of a transition. ister, Moshe Yaalon, says scale. And there is also a “Assad cannot be part of a likely senses a chance to
The logic is that prioritizing he expects Russians to be chance that the Russian solution ... because he gas- increase Russia’s prestige
the fight with the jihadis fighting alongside Assad’s efforts could prolong the ses his people, uses barrel and influence with rela-
means accepting Assad as troops. bloodshed, counteract- bombs against them and tively little pushback from
the less bad option despite Even more than the con- ing the various U.S. efforts is responsible for one of the the international commu-
his own brutal acts, and current assistance by Iran to train and arm palatable worst torture campaigns in nity,” said Ayham Kamel,
might produce a more ef- and proxy Shiite militias on rebel groups. modern memory.” Even if Middle East and North Afri-
fective and coordinated behalf of Assad, Russian Russia claims it is mainly “all you cared about is (Is- ca director of the London-
fight in the air and on the military intervention could motivated by fighting IS. lamic State) this is not going based Eurasia group.
ground. potentially be a game But U.S. President Barack to bring peace or succeed “Putin probably realizes
It also would reorganize an changer in the Syrian con- Obama cast the buildup as in defeating terrorism,” she that the U.S. and Europe
awkward situation in Syria, flict, tipping the scales in a an effort to prop up Assad. said. are no longer enthusias-
whereby the Assad regime tic about regime change
and the U.S.-led coalition in Syria and are more fo-
are actively fighting the cused on the threat of the
same group but do not act Islamic State,” he added.
like allies — as opposed to Indeed, European lead-
coordination the coalition ers have recently begun
maintains with the central voicing what many say the
Baghdad authorities in the Obama administration will
parallel fight against Islam- not say publicly.
ic State group in neighbor- British Foreign Secretary
ing Iraq. Philip Hammond told Par-
Russia has no such compli- liament’s Foreign Affairs
cations. Committee that his gov-
A longtime backer of Syr- ernment was willing to ac-
ia’s government, Moscow cept “compromises” with
has recently increased its Russia and Iran that could
military activity in Syria, see Assad play a role “for
sending military advisers, some months” in a transi-
technicians and security tion process.
guards with the main goal
of setting up an air base Continued on page 4
