| But don't worry, Jahwn Kerry is concerned and Samantha Powers is wringing her hands most earnestly... |
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs...
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the US official told AFP the seven T-90 tanks arrived in recent days but had not been sent outside the airbase near Latakia, on Syria's Mediterranean coast.
| Russian tanks -- great for putting down civilians, not so great for putting down Israelis... |
"It appears, and all the indications are pointing, that (the artillery is) for airfield defense," the official said.
Russian help for Assad could seriously complicate the US-led coalition's air strikes against Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling
Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems....
jihadists in Syria and defense officials are worried about the possibility of accidents if coalition and Russian planes operate in the same airspace.
Two Russian transport planes, purportedly carrying
At a news briefing, Pentagon front man Captain Jeff Davis said Russia apparently was establishing a forward air operations base in Latakia.
"It's been a continued steady flow (of equipment) for the last week and a half or so," he said.
| Thanks Jeff. Over to you, Jahwn and Susie... |
American officials also say Russia has installed modular housing units -- enough for "hundreds" of people.
Russia is a staunch ally of the regime in Damascus and maintains a naval facility in Tartus province.
"We would welcome Russian contributions to the overall global effort against (the IS group) but things that continue to support the Assad regime, particularly military things, are unhelpful and risk adding greater instability to an already unstable situation," Davis said.
| Jahwn and Susie made you say that, right Jeff? |