Washington concerned about growing Russian military presence in Syria
Russia’s unrelenting military buildup in Syria is worrying U.S. defense and intelligence officials who say Russia’s intentions are anything but clear and who remain suspicious of repeated calls by Moscow for direct military-to-military talks, Voice of America reports. Defense and intelligence officials say Russia’s buildup at an air base in Latakia, along a stretch of coastline still controlled by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, looks to be “defensive in nature.” But they caution that posture could change quickly. We have seen indications in recent days that Russia has moved people and things into the area around Latakia (Syria's coastal province) and the air base there that suggests that it intends to establish some sort of a forward air operating base," Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said at the daily briefing earlier this week. Russia has deployed about 200 naval infantry soldiers to the airfield, as well as temporary housing units, a portable air traffic control station, artillery and half a dozen tanks, the officials said. US Secretary of State John Kerry has called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a bid to clarify the intent of Moscow's military build-up in Syria. Mr Kerry warned that continued support for President Bashar al-Assad "risks exacerbating and extending the conflict," a statement said. Both Moscow and Washington say their enemy is Islamic State, whose fighters control large parts of Syria. But Russia supports the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, while the United States says Moscow's increased military presence in Syria is exacerbating violence. "The Russians proposed ... that we have military-to-military conversation ... to discuss what precisely what will be done to deconflict with respect to any potential risks that might be run and to have a complete and clear understanding as to the road ahead and what the intentions are," Kerry told reporters. Christine Wormuth, undersecretary of defense for policy, said if Russian forces began regularly conducting military flights from the base, it would be necessary to find a way to coordinate movements. "We would, I would imagine, need to set up some sort of deconfliction mechanism so that we can continue our counter-ISIL campaign there," she said, using an acronym for the militants. Kerry said Lavrov told him Russia was focused on fighting the Islamic State in Syria, but he added he was "not taking that at face value" because the kinds of airplanes and equipment Moscow had sent to the region raised questions, Reuters said.
