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Monday, June 18, 2012

Russia Sending Its Navy to Syria

There are reports today that the Russians are sending naval warships to Tartus in Syria. Tartus is the site of the Russian fleet's only port in the Mediterranean. According to the articles, the fleet also carries a large number of Russian marines and a great deal of arms. The Russians have made clear that they will defend their base at Tartus, but it is unclear if any of the arms are intended to bolster the Assad forces in Syria.

It seems that one can always count on the Russians. First they ship attack helicopters to Assad. Now they are sending in their marines. What's next? Will they use nuclear weapons on the Syrian rebels? It would certainly end the uprising quickly.

When the Soviet Union fell apart, there was hope around the world that a new Russia would emerge. It seems that what we got was just more of the same. There is an appropriate old Russian proverb that says: "Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov." Literally translated it means Ivan, son of Ivan, from the Ivan family. Actually, however, it means everything is all the same. for Russia and the Soviet Union, it hits the nail on the head.

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