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Exposing Russia’s Secret Army in Syria
Daily Beast ^ | 05 September 2015 | Michael Weiss

Posted on 09/06/2015 7:31:39 AM PDT by Lorianne

Russian military officers are now in Damascus and meeting regularly with Iranian and Syrian counterparts, according to a source with close contacts in the Bashar al-Assad regime. “They’re out in restaurants and cafes with other high officials in the Syrian Army,” the source told The Daily Beast, “mainly concentrated in Yaafour and Sabboura, areas that are close to each other, and in west Mezze,” referring to a district in the capital where Assad’s praetorian Fourth Armored Division keeps an important airbase. “The Russians aren’t in uniform, but they’re constantly hanging out with officers from the Syrian Army’s central command.”

Other Syrians claim to have seen Russians in uniform.

One family that recently traveled from Aleppo to Damascus by taxi before emigrating by plane to Turkey says it saw a small contingent of Russian troops embedded with Syrians at a military checkpoint in the capital. “We were near the Shaghour district when we noticed two soldiers who were not Syrian,” a family representative said. “They were tall, blond and blue-eyed and wore different fatigues from the Syrians and carried weapons. I’m telling you, they were Russian.”

The opposition-linked website All4Syria seems to corroborate such eyewitness accounts. Many residents of Damascus, it claimed, have “observed in the first three days of September a noticeable deployment of Iranian and Russian elements in the neighborhoods of Baramkeh, al-Bahsa, and Tanzim Kfarsouseh.” The Venezia Hotel in al-Bahsa “has been turned into a military barracks for the Iranians.”

(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...


TOPICS: Egypt; Foreign Affairs; Israel; Russia; Syria; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: egypt; eritrea; iran; israel; lebanon; russia; russiasyria; syraq; syria; syriawar; waronterror; yemen
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1 posted on 09/06/2015 7:31:39 AM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Lorianne

Good article, all I can say is 1000 Russians could be like advisers. Putin has said Assad is ready to share power and call elections. The Russians may be there to help restore order if a deal is reached.


2 posted on 09/06/2015 7:46:03 AM PDT by BeadCounter
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To: Lorianne

Trying to out Assad was a bad mistake on the CIAs part.


3 posted on 09/06/2015 7:46:10 AM PDT by Dallas59 (Only a fool stumbles on things behind him.)
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To: Lorianne

Maybe that’s the RED LINE Obama was bragging about.


4 posted on 09/06/2015 7:55:56 AM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: Don Corleone

So we’re going to furnish more arms and equipment and money to ISIS??


5 posted on 09/06/2015 7:59:20 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Lorianne

Syria and Russia have been allies for over 50 years.


6 posted on 09/06/2015 8:00:10 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Lorianne
As one U.S. intelligence official put it to The Daily Beast, “The question is, what are Russia’s underlying motivations? Are they really there to fight [ISIS], or just to prop up Assad?”

That quote didn't come from an U.S. intelligence official. If the official was honest, he or she, would have known that Russia has assets in Syria and wishes to keep them. The only way they can keep those basses is to keep Assad in power.

The cut and run twins, Kerry and Obama, as bad as they are regarding foreign policy doesn't understand that philosophy.


7 posted on 09/06/2015 8:02:22 AM PDT by darkwing104 (Forgive but don't forget)
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To: Lorianne
If Russia can restore order and disintegrate ISIS, God Bless Them. Millions of people leaving the area for terrorists is a civilization-ending blunder. Meanwhile, others who are war-hardened are invading Europe on foot, and being accepted with open arms.

This can't end well.

8 posted on 09/06/2015 8:03:15 AM PDT by grania
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To: Don Corleone
Best BOL of the morning! Thanks!

Maybe that’s the RED LINE Obama was bragging about.

9 posted on 09/06/2015 8:04:56 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Trump, causes Beserk Trump Derangement Syndrome, aka, BTDS! Trump/Cruz 2016/2020! Then Cruz!)
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To: Lorianne

Maybe these Russians are merely on “vacation” as Putin claimed in Ukraine? Weather’s nice in Syria this time of year and the sea is welcoming...


10 posted on 09/06/2015 8:06:17 AM PDT by donozark (On the other side of fear lies freedom...)
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To: Dallas59
Pop quiz: "Who ordered the CIA to take out Assad, and why?
11 posted on 09/06/2015 8:06:48 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Trump, causes Beserk Trump Derangement Syndrome, aka, BTDS! Trump/Cruz 2016/2020! Then Cruz!)
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To: darkwing104

“The cut and run twins, Kerry and Obama, as bad as they are regarding foreign policy doesn’t understand that philosophy.”

The cut and run kings don’t understand the value of treating loyal allies with support and respect. (Loyal allies like Israel/UK/?.


12 posted on 09/06/2015 8:09:20 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Trump, causes Beserk Trump Derangement Syndrome, aka, BTDS! Trump/Cruz 2016/2020! Then Cruz!)
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To: Lorianne

Good. Let’s see what happens when ISIS gets ahold of some of these advisors from Russia


13 posted on 09/06/2015 8:10:55 AM PDT by stuck_in_new_orleans
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To: Sacajaweau

Maybe, but most of what ISIS has is still Russian and Chinese.


14 posted on 09/06/2015 8:11:11 AM PDT by BeadCounter
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To: Grampa Dave
The biggest in D.C.


15 posted on 09/06/2015 8:14:16 AM PDT by Dallas59 (Only a fool stumbles on things behind him.)
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To: donozark

Not “on vacation,” but “on leave.” They just happened to take their APC’s along.


16 posted on 09/06/2015 8:19:05 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Lorianne

What about the USA’s secret army? We have trained thousands of insurgents (terrorists) to overthrow Assad, of which most have joined ISIS. I agree that Syria needs help fighting off ISIS, terrorists and the US. If Russia can help Syrian leadership, so be it. We need to stop supporting and being a part of world terrorism


17 posted on 09/06/2015 8:24:30 AM PDT by realcleanguy
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To: Lorianne

Nice to see Russia doing the work that we should be doing. At least there is some chance that sanity will be restored out there. We owe Russia some BIG BUCKS for their effort.


18 posted on 09/06/2015 8:31:13 AM PDT by BobL (REPUBLICANS - Fight for the WHITE VOTE...and you will win (see my 'profile' page))
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To: Lorianne

The Russians have been in Syria, in numbers, for many years. Many of them are military or security- related types. Little “exposing” is needed


19 posted on 09/06/2015 9:14:59 AM PDT by faithhopecharity (up)
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To: Lorianne

It seems like Russia is the only player seeking stability in the country, even though its with the devil Assad.

meanwhile, Obama, John McCain and their good friends the Saudis seem intent on destroying Syria, having all the Christians slaughtered, and putting the super-devils ISIS in their place.


20 posted on 09/06/2015 9:19:43 AM PDT by PGR88
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