US fears Russians planning to step in
The United States is increasingly convinced that Russia is planning direct military intervention in Syria, sending air and ground troops to fight for President Bashar al-Assad in a move that would risk an East-West confrontation.
Satellite pictures of Russian military cargo planes arriving at an airfield south of the Syrian port of Latakia, bringing prefabricated housing for 1000 troops, gave definitive proof that support for Assad was being boosted.
US officials yesterday reported several transport flights, including two giant Condor cargo planes that brought in more equipment over the weekend, and two tank landing ships sent to the Syrian port of Tartous.
A Russian troop-carrying transport aircraft that flew to Latakia via Bulgaria and Greece was believed to have ferried military personnel to the same airfield. US officials warned that those movements were ‘‘worrisome preparatory steps’’ for a Russian deployment.
A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman accused the West of creating ‘‘strange hysteria’’ over Russian activities in Syria, saying that Moscow had been openly supplying weapons and sending military specialists there for a long time.
‘‘Russia has never made a secret of its military-technical cooperation with Syria,’’ Maria Zakharova said, adding that she could ‘‘confirm that Russian military specialists are in Syria to help them master the weapons supplied’’.
One theory is that Moscow plans to establish a power base in Syria to ensure that it is a major player in the event of the collapse of Assad’s regime and to keep hold of the Tartous naval base.
The Russian build-up comes with Syrian government forces in retreat after four years of war that has cost 250,000 lives and displaced half the country’s 23 million population.
Yesterday Assad’s forces were driven from their last stronghold in Idlib province. Abu al-Duhur airbase fell to a surprise attack led by the al Qaeda-aligned Nusra Front using the cover of a sandstorm. Assad’s aircraft have been grounded for several days.
American intelligence and satellite pictures persuaded President Barak Obama to approve a discreet request last week by Bulgaria and Greece, both Nato members, to block Russian military transport flights through their airspace.
Bulgarian officials said they would allow overflight only if they could check the cargo. Iran quickly stepped in, granting permission to Russian aircraft to fly over its territory en route to Syria.
‘‘Reports of Russia’s deployment of military personnel and weapons to Syria reflect growing concern about Assad’s ability to weather opposition gains and suggest that Moscow may be willing to intervene directly on his behalf,’’ a US intelligence official said.
He said one concern was that Moscow seemed to be intervening without co-ordinating with regional countries or the US-led coalition of 60 nations fighting Isis.
In recent weeks the Kremlin has sought to promote the idea of a ‘‘grand coalition’’ against Isis that would include the Assad regime and Russian forces alongside other regional powers.
‘‘It is not clear what Russia actually intends to do. However, Russia has generally not exercised restraint in military confrontations,’’ the official said.
Yesterday US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, for the second time in four days. Moscow said the two discussed ‘‘the problems of regulating the conflict in Syria’’.