Russia staffs Mediterranean fleet. Turkey weighs payback for Syrian bombings
Russia staffs Mediterranean fleet. Turkey weighs payback for Syrian bombings.
Russian Navy Admiral Viktor Chirkov said Sunday, May 12, that the process is underway for creating a permanent staff to run Russian fleet operations in the Mediterranean Sea. Speaking at Sevastopol, the Black Sea fleet’s home port, Adm. Chirkov said a staff of 20 officers was already in place. And the Mediterranean deployment would comprise five to six warships and their service vessels as well possibly as nuclear submarines which, say our military sources, are armed with nuclear ballistic missiles.
debkafile’s military sources: The new permanent deployment is the next Russian step for safeguarding Bashar Assad’s regime in Damascus and deterring military attacks on his Hizballah allies and Iranian interests in their three-way bloc.
Moscow is also announcing loud and clear that Russia is finally restoring its military presence to the Middle East in 2013 after the last Soviet squadron exited the Mediterranean in 1992.
The Russian naval step came 24 hours after two car bombs reduced to rubble the center of the Turkish town of Reyhanli near the Syrian border, killing 46 people and injuring scores. Turkish ministers at the scene Sunday openly blamed Syrian military intelligence for the attack’s planning and execution.
This raised concerns in Moscow that Ankara was preparing to deliver a serious reprisal, possibly in the form of an aerial or missile assault, on Syrian military targets.
Russian tacticians reckoned that, after Israel’s two air strikes against Assad regime targets, the Tayyip Erdogan’s government could hardly avoid direct action without appearing to be failing in courage in the eyes of the Turkish public.
Some action is doubly pressing as Prime Minister Erdogan prepares to travel to Washington to meet President Barack Obama on May 16 and present him with evidence that Assad has used chemical weapons in his war on Syrian rebels.
The Reyhanli bombings and Turkey’s potential retaliation sent a fresh wave of alarm across the Syrian neighborhood. Once again, Israeli Air Force warplanes thundered Sunday across South Lebanon and over Hizballah strongholds in the eastern Beqaa Valley near the Syrian border.
Given all these circumstances, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s chances are virtually nil of getting anywhere in his trip to the Black Sea resort of Sochi to persuade President Vladimir Putin to hold back advanced S-300 anti-air missiles from Syria. He can expect to find the Russian president driving full speed for arms deals – not just with Syria, but also with Iraq, Yemen and Sudan.
Putin clearly regards Obama’s decision to keep the US clear of military involvement in the Syrian conflict as an open gateway for a Russian military comeback to the Middle East after a 21-year absence, armed with a cornucopia of weapons for winning clients. For now, there is no stopping him, not even if Turkey or Israel were to embark themselves on military intervention.
WarSclerotic 
May 13, 2013 at 3:27 PM
If this is true, then an immediate operative conclusion must be drawn : the Israeli operations in Iran will begin before this Russian naval deployment right in front of our shores will act like a shroud, screening Iran from IAF activity. Its imperious necessary that Israel shall consider a much sooner start of the operations. No American help should be expected or asked in this issue.
May 13, 2013 at 4:34 PM
You should also at least anticipate in your planning that Russian warships might one day accompany vessels to Gaza.
May 13, 2013 at 4:40 PM
They wont do that. That will put them on a direct path of conflict with Israel. What will be their next step? An invasion on Haifa? Even their stupidity has a limit.
May 13, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Netanyahu is meeting with Putin tomorrow. Russia and Israel are not going to fight. They need to find a way to best protect both their interests. It might actually happen, who knows?
May 13, 2013 at 4:57 PM
i will say this if Israel does cosy up to russia,all Israels supporters in europe and the USA will drop Israel like a stone.along with the eu and us administration,Russia wont risk conflict with Israel due to Israels involvement with nato,However russia intends to get rid of israel it sees Israel as the biggest obstetrical to its goal in the middle east,and will try and intimidate Israel but russia navy is no match,for the IAF,and the gaza point may well come true it is a huge mistake to placate the russians,it will cause your supporters to change side on mass
May 13, 2013 at 5:50 PM
No worries, Justice, no coziness can be between Israel and Russia, but a try to defend the interests of both sides, as Joseph put it.
In our humble opinion, no good will go out from those talks, because, on the last stand, Israel must get rid of those Iranian facilities and the Russians will try as hard as they can to defend Iran. The Russian problem is that they are going on two ill feet: one is the Iranian foot, the other is the Syrian foot. As we see this, the Russians will soon need to consult an orthopedist.
May 13, 2013 at 6:26 PM
A genuine “LOL” !!!