Russia Establishes Two Permanent Bases In Syria To Host Nuclear Warships And Warplanes | Zero Hedge
Description: Washington hawks will argue that the Russian permanent bases are justification enough for the US perpetually maintain its own more than dozen small military bases in the country's north and northeast.
Keywords: Zero Hedge,Zerohedge,Finance,Economics,Markets,Politics,Analysis,Israel,Middle East,Nuclear Power,Vladimir Putin
Date: 2017-12-27T00:00:00Z

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# Russia Establishes Two Permanent Bases In Syria To Host Nuclear Warships And Warplanes

by Tyler Durden
Dec 27, 2017 11:35 AM
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Russia's defense ministry has announced it is now in the process of establishing two permanent military bases in war-torn Syria after President Putin authorized prior deals with the Syrian government to move forward. Though Russia maintains merely up to ten military bases on foreign soil, the installations in Tartus and Khmeimim will be the most strategically located, allowing for a growing and permanent Russian presence on the Mediterranean, something which has already raised eyebrows in the West.

Though Putin formally announced the planned withdrawal of Russian forces from active operations in Syria in early December, there were parallel plans going back to at least early summer to maintain a smaller permanent presence based on an agreement with the Damascus government to host Russian forces for at least 49 more years, which includes the option of being prolonged further. Personnel and military hardware will be stationed at permanent Russian bases in Tartus and Khmeimim - both of which are on or near the Mediterranean.

Satellite image of Russia's facility at Tartus Navy docks. Left: (Source: WikiMapia); Right: (Source: GoogleMaps)

According to Russian media reports, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu stated at a ministry meeting on Tuesday, “We have started the process of formation of our permanent forces [in Syria]." Though Tartus has operated as a Russian naval port since 1971 (referred to as a Material-Technical Support Point and not a "base") and was until recently minimally staffed mostly by civilian contractors, it will reportedly undergo a massive transformation and expansion, which is to include the capability of hosting nuclear-powered ships.

Notably, though mainstream media is currently reporting the permanent Russian military presence as something "new" and dangerous in terms of an enduring Russian footprint in the Middle East, the Russian military relationship with Baathist Syria goes back decades into the Soveit era with the Tartus facility having been long key to Russian naval movements in the Mediterranean.

According a summary of the planned expansion in RT News:

> Under the agreement with Syria, the future base would be allowed to host up to 11 Russian warships, including those with a nuclear power plant. At the moment there is only one Russian nuclear-propelled military surface ship, the 24,000-ton battlecruiser ‘Pyotr Velikiy’, although Russia will soon have a nuclear icebreaker – albeit which is unlikely to be given a mission in the Mediterranean – while a brand new Lider-class destroyer project is at the design stage.

Khmeimim is located near Latakia - the major northwest Syrian city on the Mediterranean, and was built adjacent to the civilian Bassel Al-Assad International Airport to serve as "the strategic center of Russia's military operation against Islamic State." It has primarily served as an airbase and prime troop logistical support location out of which Russian sorties have been flown since 2015, which ultimately served to overwhelmingly shift the momentum of the war in favor of the Assad government, which has now taken about 90% of all territory formerly held by terrorists, though the future of the country's northeast - held by the Kurdish dominated and US-backed SDF remains to be seen.

Deployed Russian forces, via Lancashire News

Meanwhile as plans for the permanent bases have been confirmed, Russia says that the bulk of its forces in Syria have already been reduced, though this is currently being contested by both the Pentagon and Syrian opposition groups, who say Russian airstrikes and operations have actually been on the increase of late. On Wednesday the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated that over 48,000 Russian military personnel were deployed to Syria between 2015 and 2017, and that at least half of this number have been withdrawn after Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Khmeimim Military Airport earlier this month. And according to a previous statement from the Russian MoD, their forces claimed to help eliminate more than 62,000 militants during their two years inside the country.

However, the Pentagon remains predictably skeptical of Russian effectiveness against ISIS and other terrorists, with the US recently claiming that it alone is responsible for the defeat of the terror group, which resulted in Moscow pushing back against such claims. Washington hawks are likely to argue that Russian permanent bases in Syria are justification enough for the Pentagon to perpetually maintain its own more than dozen small military bases in the country's north and northeast.

At the same time from the Russian perspective, American policy as well as that of major regional US allies like Israel have been aggressive and erratic, and appear to still include regime change as a long-term policy goal in Syria. An equally long-term Russian military presence will allow Moscow to immediately deploy or build-up its forces in Syria should Damascus come under direct threat from external countries at any point in the near or distant future.

- Vladimir Putin
- Israel
- Middle East
- Nuclear Power

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White Devil Dec 27, 2017 11:37 AM

Hahahaha!
The deep state’s plans failed!!!

AlaricBalth White Devil Dec 27, 2017 11:44 AM

Last I checked, planting a flag on another country's sovereign turf without being invited is considered an invasion. The US was not invited by the Syrian government. Looks like the partitioning of Syria continues.

Dubaibanker AlaricBalth Dec 27, 2017 11:51 AM

Exactly why the Syrian troops have surrounded the American bse and restricted the movement of Americans.

US Base in At-Tanf Fully Blocked by Syrian Troops
Latina Lover Dubaibanker Dec 27, 2017 11:58 AM

I can hear Netanyahoo grinding his teeth. Nothing upsets someone like him more than coveting what he can no longer steal from the Syrians.

RationalExuberance Dubaibanker Dec 27, 2017 12:00 PM

Good luck in this new arms race... Will probably end the same way it did last time.

Quantum Bunk RationalExuberance Dec 27, 2017 12:40 PM

russia has the 3rd bioggest suplus in the world last year and the 6th most fx reserves in the world

ussa has less fx reserves per capita than india (120 billion) and the worlds biggest external debt

serotonindumptruck AlaricBalth Dec 27, 2017 11:51 AM

The US behaves much like a spoiled, petulant child.

If their hegemony doesn't go according to plan, they simply cheat or change the rules.

The entire world now sees this tendency for the blatant hypocrisy that it is.

Blankone AlaricBalth Dec 27, 2017 12:08 PM

The partitioning of Syria is all Putin wanted. He always intended to grab the west coast areas where his bases were and nothing more.

historian40 Blankone Dec 27, 2017 12:14 PM

He and the US worked together to partition Syria. All the while pretending to fight a "terrorist" threat. Russia still pushes the lie of the war on terror, al-CIA-da, the holy-cost(punishable by law if you deny the dogma in Russia), etc. Controlled opposition just like the US and Russia played it during the so-called "cold war" as nations were dismantled, governments overthrown, and people murdered in mass, as the zionist empire expanded right under everyone's nose.

Bay of Pigs Dec 27, 2017 11:39 AM

I wonder how many Americans know that the Russian naval base has been there for 46 years?

My guess? 2-3%, tops.

07564111 Bay of Pigs Dec 27, 2017 11:41 AM

I like your optimistic figures :D

Calculus99 Bay of Pigs Dec 27, 2017 12:14 PM

The Pentagon probably doesn't know it either.

Military intelligence is an oxymoron.

Reaper Dec 27, 2017 11:40 AM

Another neo-con thwarting.

EternalAnusocracy Dec 27, 2017 11:41 AM

Long defense stawks!

khnum EternalAnusocracy Dec 27, 2017 12:27 PM

Indeed your administration has expanded the ISIS brand into Afghanistan by allowing in about 10000 jihadis so as to justify all those troops and those contracts the US starting ITS OWN own fucking wars now,RT has the details.

BigCumulusClouds Dec 27, 2017 11:43 AM

Good location for Russia’s Navy. They can defend our naval ships from Israeli attack.

NotApplicable BigCumulusClouds Dec 27, 2017 12:54 PM

Well played!

Chupacabra-322 Dec 27, 2017 11:43 AM

Checkmate.

Your move Pure Evil Deep State Zionists.

A. Boaty Chupacabra-322 Dec 27, 2017 12:06 PM

No moves after checkmate, just sayin'.

Potato Farmer A. Boaty Dec 27, 2017 12:17 PM

No, it's that changing of rules, you know. ;)

directaction Dec 27, 2017 11:44 AM

Russia is the only force on Earth preventing the United Satans of American from taking over the world.

richsob directaction Dec 27, 2017 11:47 AM

JFC I understand bias but that was a mind numbingly stupid comment.

HenryHall richsob Dec 27, 2017 12:11 PM

What other force do you suppose is at work then?

Quantum Bunk HenryHall Dec 27, 2017 12:45 PM

Richsob is a fucking idiot. Even China just grovels at the US. Gets utterly humiliated while eating chocolate cake and then goes and buys up all the UST debt

China is a nation of groveling cowards

Stan522 Dec 27, 2017 11:44 AM

obama's lack of leadership allowed this to occur....

Bay of Pigs Stan522 Dec 27, 2017 11:47 AM

Let's not forget HRC 's direct role.

And warmongers like McShitstain either.

khnum Dec 27, 2017 11:52 AM

Al Nusra hangs onto Israel's coat tails as Isis did the US's, Russia is about to release sattelite images of US forces traing ISIS during the Trump administration the Syrian army is getting pissed off and currently has one US base surrounded I wouldn't count on those bases staying there.

Cautiously Pess... Dec 27, 2017 11:59 AM

Meh....WWIII is inevitable. There is so much dry tinder out there just waiting on the right spark to light it off. And yes, we will all be made to care at some point. And it matters not whether there is a D or an R in charge of the Executive or Legislative branches. Just be as ready as you can be and carry on.

qdone Cautiously Pessimistic Dec 27, 2017 12:23 PM

agree, except there's no (need) gettin' ready. it'll be brief and there'll be no carryin' on by anyone.

Robert Trip Dec 27, 2017 12:00 PM

Russians are pussies lead by a faggot.

No problem.

11b40 Robert Trip Dec 27, 2017 12:18 PM

And you are a moron.

rejected Robert Trip Dec 27, 2017 12:20 PM

LOL...

Oh the bravery,,, sitting in mummies basement typing away!
khnum rejected Dec 27, 2017 12:57 PM

Ive trained with Russian Systema guys they are pretty scary dudes,there is a lot of imperial hubris so don't blame the poster all most are told is that Russian equipment is 70's era and their soldiers are drunks whilst the truth is vastly different these days.

Savyindallas Robert Trip Dec 27, 2017 12:53 PM

You really are not to informed or very bright. You obviously watch too much CNN-though FoxNews is not much better on topics involving the ME.

To Infinity And... Robert Trip Dec 27, 2017 12:59 PM

Is that you Mueller?

brewing_it To Infinity And Beyond Dec 27, 2017 1:07 PM

Thats Victoria Nuland.

rejected Dec 27, 2017 12:17 PM

Gawd, it's downright embarrassing to be an American these days. A nation that has no respect for borders, international law or even its own laws.

Unbelievable Americans wanting to control their border while sitting around with thumbs in their mouths where other nations borders are concerned.

me! memememememememememememememememe me!

Robert Trip Dec 27, 2017 12:18 PM

The new Putin calendar is out for all of you Putin groupies.

January has Putin riding a Bengal Tiger bare-balls.

marcusfenix Dec 27, 2017 12:22 PM

Interestingly enough the airbase in Latakia has come under direct rocket attack in the last 24hrs for the first time in this war.

There has been no reports of any of the rockets getting through the base defenses but it does make one wonder if Washington is behind, or at least encouraging these attacks.

So far it doesn't seem to be a serious threat to the base but who knows what happens from here on out. This whole situation is one giant cluster fuck just waiting to go sideways especially now that US troops are openly occupying Syrian territory.

If Trump has any common sense he will withdrawal now before it's too late and realize that the uninvited US military presence is only making things lot worse than they need to be.

But I'm not going to hold my breath on that.

Robert Trip Dec 27, 2017 12:23 PM

Russian troll alert until further notice.

Bay of Pigs Robert Trip Dec 27, 2017 12:45 PM

Why go Full Retard on the facts dude?

45North1 Dec 27, 2017 12:31 PM

Wake me up if it changes to nuclear armed warships and warplanes.....

Felix da Kat Dec 27, 2017 12:37 PM

Russia has become more trustworthy to do the right thing in the Middle-east than America. American people are becoming more aware that US interventions are for ulterior and secretive motives on behalf of the interests of the few rather than for the interests of the American people. "Laissez-Faire" (hands-off) should be our government's motto pertaining to foreign policy. The fuel that enables the swamp to exist is lobbyists. End Washington's powerful lobbyist cartel and we automatically drain the swamp and stop the wars.

Savyindallas Felix da Kat Dec 27, 2017 12:51 PM

When has America EVER done the right thing in the Middle East?

indaknow Dec 27, 2017 12:43 PM

Well that's what should happen.

When your allies INVITE YOU IN, ask for help putting down terrorists and their STATE(US) sponsors and you oblige by defeating the fucking shit out of them... Then yeah, you get to open a base or two. For the next 50 fucking years OBAMA!

gougeonit Dec 27, 2017 12:58 PM

ZH should create a partition zone in the comment section, where posters can submit their comment without the hassle of having to deal with these actors with 10 weeks of membership, spewing inane and obstinating diatrabe. The zone would preclude any member with say one year or less.

roadhazard Dec 27, 2017 1:05 PM

Spend those Rubles, Pooty.

VladLenin Dec 27, 2017 1:06 PM

I've offered my waterfront lair in Florida as a base to both the Chinese and Russians. Waiting for proposals.

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