Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov enters Syrian port of Tartus

Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov enters Syrian port of Tartus. (IT).

The Russian Northern Fleet's large anti-submarine ship Vice Admiral Kulakov has arrived on a business visit to the Syrian port of Tartus, an official spokesman for the fleet, Captain 1st Rank Vadim Serga said on Tuesday.

“The port visit of the Russian ship to Syria will last for around a week,” Serga said.

Russian Defense Ministry refutes reports of Syria evacuation

Russian Defense Ministry refutes reports of Syria evacuation.HT: RussiaToday.

“The Russian Defense Ministry really has no military servicemen at the navy base in the Syrian port of Tartus, because the base is being serviced only by Russian civilian personnel” reads the statement distributed by the ministry’s press service on Thursday.
“The personnel are working according to the everyday schedule. We cannot talk about any evacuation from Tartus in this case. Tartus remains the official base and repair facility for Russian ships in the Mediterranean Sea and it continues to execute its tasks in line with its purpose,” the statement reads.

The press service stressed that earlier media statements about personnel withdrawal from Tartus were presented “extremely incorrectly from the real situation’s point of view.”

The report about the total evacuation of Russian personnel, both military and civilian from the Syrian port of Tartus was distributed by the Russian business daily Vedomosti with reference to an unnamed source in the Defense Ministry. Vedomosti’s source commented on an earlier statement made by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who told the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper that, “Presently, the Russian Defense Ministry has not a single person stationed in Syria.”
Russia currently has a 16-ship flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea, but none of them has called at the port of Tartus in recent months and there were no reports of such plans. The ships were deployed to the region to fight terrorism and piracy.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry is also continuing the evacuation of civilians from Syria – its planes are taking out citizens of Russia and other ex-Soviet states, such as Ukraine. One hundred and twenty-eight people, mostly women and children, arrived in Moscow by a special flight on Tuesday night, the ministry reported. The total number of people evacuated by the Emergencies Ministry from Syria since the beginning of the year is about 600.


Update on previous post : All personnel withdrawn from Russian navy base Tartus in Syria - diplomat.

All personnel withdrawn from Russian navy base Tartus in Syria - diplomat.

Russian Naval Base Tartus in Syria.

All personnel withdrawn from Russian navy base Tartus in Syria - diplomat.HT: RT.

Mikhail Bogdanov made the announcement in an interview with the Al-Hayat newspaper. “Presently, the Russian Defense Ministry has not a single person stationed in Syria. The base does not have any strategic military importance,” the newspaper quoted the Russian official as saying.

Russian media have verified the statement and the business daily Vedomosti quoted an unnamed source in the Defense Ministry as saying that this was true as all military and civilian personnel had been evacuated from the Tartus base and there were no Russian military instructors working with the Syrian military forces. The source added that the withdrawal was prompted not only by the increased risks caused by the ongoing military conflict, but also by the fact that in the current conditions any incident involving Russian servicemen would likely have some unfavorable reaction from the international community.
Russia currently has a 16-ship flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea but none of them has called at the port of Tartus in recent months and there were no reports of such plans.
Mikhail Bogdanov is also Russian President’s plenipotentiary for Middle East issues and he headed the Russian delegation at this week’s talks between Russia, US and UN on preparations of the major international conference on Syria, dubbed Geneva-2.
Following the Tuesday round of talks another Russian diplomat – Deputy Foreign Minister Gennadiy Gatilov – told reporters that the sides failed to agree on a number of questions and the terms of the future conference were not yet agreed. In particular, the participants of the talks varied on Iran’s possible role in the future conference.
Moscow supports Tehran’s participation in talks as it would make a positive contribution to the possible political settlement in Syria, the Russian official noted.
Besides, the participation of some of the Syrian opposition groups remains under question though the US side said they were working on this, Gatilov added.
The Russian diplomat said that the supplies of weapons to the Syrian opposition were not discussed at Tuesday's talks, though he noted that this issue “was not creating positive political environment for the start of the political process.”
Gatilov said that Russia still hoped the plan to call the international conference would end in success. In particular, the issue will be discussed at the forthcoming meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry, due soon within the framework of the ASEAN conference in Brunei. Read the full story here.

Russian Navy Chief Adm. Viktor Chirkov: Russia's Mediterranean Task Force to Include Nuclear Subs.

Russian Navy Chief Adm. Viktor Chirkov: Russia's Mediterranean Task Force to Include Nuclear Subs.(Fars).

"Overall, already from this year, we plan to have 5-6 warships and support vessels in the Mediterranean Sea, which will be replaced on a rotating basis from each of the fleets, the Black Sea, Baltic, Northern and, in some cases, even the Pacific Fleet. Depending on the scope of assignments and their complexity, the number of warships in the task force may be increased," Chirkov told RIA Novosti.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu earlier said a decision to deploy a permanent task force in the Mediterranean to defend Russia's interests in the area had been made.

The Russian navy commander also said nuclear submarines could be deployed in the Mediterranean, if necessary."Possibly, in a perspective, the submarines were present there during the existence of the 5th squadron. There were both nuclear and diesel submarines there. Everything will depend on the situation," he said.

The Soviet Union maintained its 5th Mediterranean Squadron in that sea from 1967 until 1992. It was formed to counter the US Navy 6th Fleet during the Cold War, and consisted of 30-50 warships and auxiliary vessels at different times.

Russia also plans to use its Mediterranean task force for missions in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the country's Navy chief said.

"No doubt, if necessary, when some tasks arise in other nearby regions, in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the task force may be used," Chirkov said.Now the Russian Navy is training officers who will perform their duties at sea on a permanent basis, he said.

"These officers must be comprehensively trained to solve tasks not only in the Mediterranean but also in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans," he said.

The headquarters of Russia's Mediterranean task force will be set up already in the summer of 2013, he said. "The headquarters will be established in the summer of this year and its officers will stay aboard one of the flagships in the Mediterranean Sea," he said. Read the full story here.

Russian Pacific Fleet Naval Force to Enter Mediterranean Sea in Mid-May.

Admiral Panteleyev

Russian Pacific Fleet Naval Force to Enter Mediterranean Sea in Mid-May.(Fars).The naval force of the Russian Pacific Fleet will enter the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal in May and may probably call at the Syrian port Tartus, a spokesman said. The naval force of the Russian Pacific Fleet consists of the big anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev, big landing ships Peresvet and Admiral Nevelskoy and rounded off a routine visit in the Iranian port Bandar Abbas on April 24, spokesman for the Russian Pacific Fleet Captain First Rank Roman Martov said.

"On April 24 upon the end of the visit to the port Bandar Abbas these three warships will set out in the Indian Ocean, they will meet with auxiliary ships from the Pacific Fleet naval force, namely the tanker Pechenga and the sea-going rescue ship Fotiy Krylov in the designated area. In this designated area the warships will stay for some time to undergo the technical maintenance and a minor repairs with the diving works, and if it is needed, for the struggle against the pirates. Then, according the action plan, the Pacific Fleet naval force will enter the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal in the middle of May. The Pacific Fleet task force will be acting within the Russian inter-fleet naval force at least for 1-2 months," Martov told Itar-Tass.

He admitted a possible call of the Pacific Fleet warships in the Syrian port Tartus, where the Russian naval logistic base is deployed. "If it is needed and if such task is set, our warships will certainly fulfill it and will call at Tartus," the spokesman said.

The Pacific Fleet warships set out from Vladivostok on March 19 for a combat duty mission in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. During the voyage the Russian naval task force was temporarily divided in two parts - the big anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev, the big landing ships Peresvet and Admiral Nevelskoy that have been on a visit in the Iranian city Bandar Abbas since April 22, the tanker Pechenga and Fotiy Krylov called at the port Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman to replenish the stocks of fresh water, fuel and food on April 18. The ships are to meet on April 24. Read the full story here.

'Vorsprung durch technik' - Israeli 'Rocks' Spy at Russian Fleet near Syria's Tartus.

'Vorsprung durch technik' - Israeli 'Rocks' Spy at Russian Fleet near Syria's Tartus.(Almanar).Three large Israeli espionage devices have been found hidden in artificial rocks on an uninhabited island opposite to the Syrian port of Tartous, where it was being used to monitor Russian naval movements, Sunday Times reported.

Israeli commandos launched a daring raid into Syrian territory to plant sophisticated camera equipment that looked exactly like the indigenous rocks.

"Israel's elite Flotilla 13" sneaked onto the island on silent skiffs and extracted the stones to replicate for the spy camera. The frogmen returned to plant the decoys and set up the surveillance rig.They were mounted in fake rocks designed to blend in with surrounding boulders.

According to Al-Manar TV, the "rocks" could track and film Russian warship movements and instantly transmit pictures back to Israel by satellite.

Syria's state-run television showed a camera, a satellite dish and other objects including batteries and cables secreted among several imitation rocks.

The Israelis approached the island from one of the country's German-built Dolphin class submarines, which are armed with nuclear cruise missiles.

The commandos had apparently visited the island earlier to obtain samples so the colour and shape of local rocks could be matched and the right position for the monitoring station established, the Sunday Times said.

It is not known how long the monitoring station operated before it was uncovered. A senior Syrian security official said the equipment was highly intricate and as well as tracking ships could also keep tabs on Syrian troop movements, according to the Australian news.Read the full story here.

Three Russian warships headed for Syrian port Tartus.

Three Russian warships headed for Syrian port Tartus.(TOI).Three Russian warships anchored in Beirut en route to the port of Tartus in Syria, Sky News reported Friday.

According to the report, the ships carry hundreds of Russian soldiers as well as advanced missile systems.

The reports have given no information so far regarding the ships’ intent.

Moscow has operated the naval facility at Tartus since signing an agreement with Damascus in 1971. Although it is merely a ship repair and refueling station with a limited military presence, it is the sole remaining Russian military base outside of the former Soviet Union.

In January, a flotilla of five Russian warships laden with hundreds of troops, headed toward Syria, as a show of force meant to deter Western armies from intervening in the war-torn nation, the London-based Sunday Times reported.

Previous reports cited Russian diplomats to the effect that the vessels were being put in place in order to evacuate thousands of Russians who still remained in Syria, if the situation in the country called for it.

However, a Russian intelligence source was quoted in the London Times as saying that the presence of over 300 marines on the ships was meant as a deterrent to keep countries hostile to the Bashar Assad regime — a key ally of the Kremlin — from landing special forces in the country.Read the full story here.

Russia ‘Flexes Muscles’ in Mediterranean Amid Syrian Crisis, Ten day drill has started.

Russia ‘Flexes Muscles’ in Mediterranean Amid Syrian Crisis, Ten day drill has started.(RN).Russia has started the largest naval exercises in the past few decades in the Mediterranean and Black Seas as a civil war in Syria continues to gain momentum.
The drills involve task forces from Russia’s Black Sea, Northern and Baltic fleets, strategic bombers, tactical aircraft, air defense units, paratroopers and naval infantry.
An official statement by the Defense Ministry, issued on Saturday, says the exercises “are held in line with the Russian Armed Forces’ 2013 combat training plan and focus on interoperability of task forces from several fleets while on a mission in a far-off maritime zone.”
The exercises will continue until January 29 and involve over 60 drills, including anti-submarine warfare missions, missile and artillery firing practices.
The training may also include simulated beach landing and convoy escort missions as the task forces have four large landing ships and a variety of auxiliary vessels in their composition.
Some of the exercises are expected to be carried out in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, and, possibly close to the territorial waters of Syria, where rebels have recently stepped up their attacks on army installations in their determined drive to oust President Bashar Al-Assad.
At least 60,000 people have been killed in Syria’s conflict since March 2011, according to latest UN data.
Russia has faced heavy international criticism over its refusal to back UN sanctions against Syria, its last ally in the Arab world, over what it called the pro-rebel bias of some resolutions proposed by Western nations.
Moscow denies it is backing President Bashar Assad and says it is concerned that the Syrian president’s forced departure would only worsen the conflict and lead to the repetition of the so-called ‘Libyan scenario.”
The Russian Navy keeps a naval re-supply and maintenance base in the Syrian port of Tartus to support its operations in the Mediterranean.Hmmm.......You think Assad's family is moving soon?Read the full story here.

Russian Navy to start exercises off the coast of Syria.

Russian Cruiser 'Moskva'.

Russian Navy to start exercises off the coast of Syria.(RN).Ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and Baltic Fleets are to start exercises off the coast of Syria the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.Ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and Baltic Fleets are to start exercises off the coast of Syria the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
"A tactical group of Black Sea Fleet warships headed by the cruiser Moskva will undertake exercises in the eastern sector of the Mediterranean Sea," the Ministry said. "The tanker Ivan Bubnov has fuelled the ships and emergency drills have been carried out. On January 10 the tanker filled its fuel and water tanks and food stores at the Cyprus port of Larnaka."
A Baltic Fleet group consisting of the patrol vessel Yaroslav Mudry and tanker Lena will dock at Valetta on Malta for storing and to allow the crew to rest, the Ministry said. The ships will then head for the eastern Mediterranean, where the two ships will practice stores transfer at sea in day and night and the Yaroslav Mudry will carry out anti-submarine warfare drills.
Meanwhile the navy's large frigate Severomorsk will visit the Greek port of Suda during an anti-piracy mission to the Gulf of Aden from January 14-18. "Russian Naval Infantry soldiers will visit a NATO training center to get additional training" during the visit, the Ministry said.
The Russian Navy maintains a small base at Tartus on Syria's Mediterranean coast. Syria is currently locked in a civil war between government forces and rebels that the UN estimates has cost the lives of at least 30,000 people, while other estimates put the death toll at around twice that number.Read the full story here.

Report: Russia Sends Landing Ships to Syria.

Novocherkassk landingship

Report: Russia Sends Landing Ships to Syria.(IMRA).By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE.
MOSCOW— A Russian warship carrying a unit of marines has left its Black Sea port for Syria amid preparations for a possible evacuation of nationals living and working in the strife-torn country, news reports said Dec. 30.
The Novocherkassk landing ship is the third such craft dispatched since Dec. 28 to the Tartus port that Russia leases from its last Middle East ally, agencies cited an unnamed official in the general staff as saying.
The reports said the Azov and Nikolai Filchenkov landing ships had also been sent to Syria from their Russian bases.
The military source said the Novocherkassk would arrive at Tartus within the first 10 days of January.
The Novocherkassk and another landing ship called Saratov both made a rare port call to Tartus in late November.
Officials did not disclose the details of that visit.
The Tartus base is Russia’s only remaining naval station outside the former Soviet Union and is seen as a major strategic asset for Moscow.
Russia has been accused of using the base to supply Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with secret military shipments supplementing the official weapons sales that Moscow has made to Damascus since Soviet times.
But recent rebel gains prompted Russia to admit for the first time this month that Assad’s days in power may be numbered.
Officials have since openly acknowledged making preparations for a possible evacuation should the safety of Russians in Syria be threatened by Assad’s downfall.
The three landing ships will be joining what Russian reports said was a much broader exercise off the coast of Syria involving vessels from three naval fleets.Read the full story here.

Russian Warships Gather in Mediterranean for Drills.

Russian Warships Gather in Mediterranean for Drills.(Fars).About a dozen Russian warships are converging on the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Aden as part of a large-scale strategic exercise, a high-ranking representative of the General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces said.
"This part of the world's oceans is very important from the point of view of Russia's geopolitical interests, including the fact that the Russian Navy has a logistical base here (in Syria)," he said Tuesday, Ria Novosti reported.
The warships will conduct air-defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine drills and call at some foreign ports, including Tartus in Syria, he said.
He declined to specify whether the large landing ships were carrying military equipment for Syria.
"The main aim of sending the ships to the Mediterranean is to accomplish the missions set by the navy command, conduct exercises and show the flag," he said.
On Monday, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov dismissed media reports there were commando units and military equipment for Syria on board some of the warships.
A naval task force from Russia's Northern Fleet left the Severomorsk base last Wednesday and set course for the Horn of Africa on a new anti-piracy mission, the Defense Ministry said.
It includes the large antisubmarine ship Severomorsk, the salvage tug Altai, and the tanker Dubna, as well as a contingent of naval infantry subunits. The force will travel the length of the Mediterranean, pass through the Suez Canal and relieve the Pacific Fleet task force that has been there on an anti-piracy mission since November.
A Baltic Fleet task force set sail last Tuesday for the Eastern Mediterranean where it will relieve a group of Black Sea warships. The force includes the frigate Yaroslav Mudry, the large landing ships Kaliningrad and Alexander Shabalin, the salvage tug SB-921 and the tanker Lena.
The new anti-piracy mission is expected to reach the region by mid-January.
Russia keeps a naval task force in the Gulf of Aden as part of the international effort to fight piracy off the Somali coast.
On Monday, large landing ships Azov and Nikolai Filchenkov from Russia's Black Sea Fleet left Novorossiysk for the Syrian port of Tartus. The ships are carrying naval infantry units for protection during the voyage. They are expected to join the Black Sea Fleet task force comprising the missile cruiser Moskva and the frigate Smetlivy in the Aegean Sea on December 28 before heading to Tartus.Read the full story here.More here.

Video - Russian Navy Ships RFS MOSKVA 121 and RFS SMETLIVY 810 arriving at Piraeus.

‘Syria is not Libya’ "We hope there will be no foreign interference," - Lavrov.

‘Syria is not Libya’ "We hope there will be no foreign interference," - Lavrov.(RT).The Russian Foreign Ministry has told its NATO partners that it hopes there will be no attempts at military intervention in Syria. Lavrov advanced Russia’s firm position on Syria after a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels on Tuesday.
"We hope there will be no foreign interference," he said.
Moscow, which is pushing for a diplomatic resolution of the Syrian conflict, has regularly met with both the Syrian rebel opposition as well as those who are loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose rule has been fiercely challenged by a 20-month political uprising.
Meanwhile, Lavrov revealed that NATO shares Russia’s belief that a military solution to the Syrian problem is non-existent.
"Our partners touched upon the Syrian situation and assured us they were seeking an exclusively peaceful solution,” he disclosed. “They said a military solution to the conflict was non-existent – and we fully agreed with them."
Lavrov emphasized the Russian position that “there will be political and diplomatic support in an effort to urge the combatants to stop the bloodshed and sit down at the negotiating table.”
"Syria is not Libya,” Lavrov added, making reference to NATO’s decision to intervene in last year’s Libyan civil war, which led to the capture and assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
At the same time, Lavrov told the conference that Damascus has assured Russian officials that the Syrian military is not going to use chemical weapons. The problem of the proliferation, not to mention the use, of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, is very serious the minister told a press conference.
“For us, any violations of international agreements in this area are unacceptable," Lavrov stressed.
The Russian minister said this is not the first time “we hear rumors or information leaks that the Syrian authorities are moving chemical weapons or are preparing to use such weapons.” Each time Russia takes resolute steps to verify the allegations and each time we are assured that “nothing of the kind is being planned or might be planned," he added.
Concerning the possibility of chemical weapons being used in Syria, Lavrov noted that Russia is in regular contact with its European and American partners. “We exchange information and always check such reports," the Russian diplomat said.Read the full story here.

Russian warships made call in Syrian port Tartus: reports.

Russian warships made call in Syrian port Tartus: reports.(HD).Two Russian warships have made a rare call at Russia's controversial Mediterranean naval base in Syria to resupply and refuel, reports said on Wednesday.
The landing ships Novocherkassk and Saratov docked in the port of Tartus for several hours but their crews did not go ashore, the Interfax and ITAR-TASS news agencies reported.
"They loaded up on fuel and water and had minor repairs. No shore leave was planned for the crew," a source in the naval chief of staff told the Interfax news agency.
ITAR-TASS said the call took place at the end of November and lasted several hours.
The Tartus base is Russia's only remaining foreign military base outside the former Soviet Union and is seen as a major strategic asset for Moscow.
Russia has defiantly refused to cut military cooperation with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad despite the conflict that according to rights groups has killed 41,000 people.
However Russia prefers to term the facility a "point of material-technical supply" for the navy rather than a base and it is too shallow for large ships to dock on shore.
Russia also retains only a small permanent personnel presence at the facility, with no ships permanently based there and port calls increasingly rare in the last years.Read the full story here.

Related:  Russia Prepared to Evacuate Nationals from Syria.

Russia Prepared to Evacuate Nationals from Syria.

Russia Prepared to Evacuate Nationals from Syria.(SR).According to the Kremlin’s Middle East envoy Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian emergency services have reserved several planes to evacuate Russian nationals from Syria. These people are officials, engineers and Russian wives.
Mr Bogdanov advised Russians to postpone travel to Syria.
Syrian opposition set for Moscow talks.
According to the Kremlin’s Middle East envoy Mikhail Bogdanov, in the period to the New Year Moscow will host several rounds of talks between Russian officials and foreign representatives of the internal Syria opposition.
The Russian side will try to persuade their factions to unite in accordance with the guidelines set at last June’s Geneva conference on Syria.
Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hosted a meeting with the chief diplomatic representative of the National Coordination Council of the Syrian opposition Heisam Manaa.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Putin’s Middle East envoy Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters Monday that militarization of the Syrian conflict was in full swing.
He said belligerent opposition groups were receiving massive outside arms shipments, including deadly Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, despite the existing embargo.
“There has been a sweeping militarization [of the Syrian conflict], which is of course extremely disturbing because it doesn’t contribute to the peacemaking efforts that should encourage cooperation between all opposition groupings in order to reach an immediate, lasting and comprehensive ceasefire,” Mr. Bogdanov said.Read the full story here.

Related: Warships of Russian Black Sea Fleet are ordered to stay in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea
MOSCOW: Fulfilling orders, a convoy of warships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet arrived in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea for a possible evacuation of Russian citizens from the Gaza Strip in case of an escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli armed conflict, a source in the High Command of the Russian Navy told Itar-Tass on Friday.
“The guards missile-carrying cruiser Moskva and the big landing ship Saratov have arrived in the designated area already on November 20, the border patrol ship Smetlivy and the big landing ship Novocherkassk joined the foresaid warships 1-2 days later, after the refuelling from the big sea tanker Ivan Bubnov. The full convoy of the warships of the Black Sea Fleet arrived in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea in order to evacuate Russian citizens from the Gaza Strip in case of escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” the Russian naval source said.
“It is not ruled out that our warships will be assigned for another combat mission in case of deterioration of the regional situation,” the source in the High Command of the Russian Navy told Itar-Tass. However, the source did not specify what mission in concrete can be set for Russian warships.

Syria transferred chemical weapons last month to Tartus port.

Syria transferred chemical weapons last month to Tartus port.(TI).By Elhanan Miller.he Syrian regime transferred chemical weapons from a storage base near Damascus to the port city of Tartus last month, sparking American and European concerns that the weapons could fall into the hands of Hezbollah in Lebanon or other extremist organizations inside Syria, Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai reported Sunday. On August 20, US President Barack Obama declared that the US would consider military intervention if Syria deployed or used chemical weapons in its possession. British diplomatic sources told the Kuwaiti paper on Sunday that Obama issued the strongly-worded warning following the transfer of weapons from Damascus to Tartus.
On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that US and Middle Eastern officials were concerned that Syria had dispersed its chemical weapons stockpile, considered to be the third-largest in the world, to 20 sites around the country. It did not detail where those sites were. Officials in Israel and the West fear that chemical weapons may fall into terrorist hands in the chaos surrounding Syria’s bloody civil war. They also fear Assad may use the weapons on rebels or transfer them to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite terror group . In a speech delivered on September 3, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah declared that his organization does not possess chemical weapons and that such weapons are banned under Islamic law, a claim voiced in the past by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Nasrallah’s reference to chemical weapons may have followed pressure from Syria’s ally, Russia. Lebanese daily Al-Nahar reported Sunday that a Russian envoy recently arrived in Beirut and warned Nasrallah against accepting chemical weapons from Syria.
According to the daily, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured Israel that Syria’s chemical weapons will not leave their storehouses. Al-Nahar is staunchly opposed to Hezbollah and aligned with the March 14 movement led by Saad Hariri. The diplomatic sources who spoke to Al-Rai speculated that the weapons were moved to Tartus as part of the Assad regime’s “plan B” to flee to an Alawite-majority region of Syria if the regime is in jeopardy. The ancient port of Tartus, along the country’s coast, is one of the country’s few Alawite majority enclaves. In August, Jordan’s King Abdullah speculated that Assad may try to create a mini-state in the area should he lose control of Damascus.Read the full story here.

Russian Warships Hold two-day tactical exercises with live-firing Drills in Mediterranean.

Russian Warships Hold two-day tactical exercises with live-firing Drills in Mediterranean.(RN).A Russian joint naval task force on a training mission in the Mediterranean has conducted two-day tactical exercises with live-firing drills, the Defense Ministry said. The task force comprises three large amphibious assault ships, two Neustrashimy class frigates, an Udaloy class destroyer and two support ships from Russia’s Northern, Baltic and Black Sea Fleets. “In the past two days the task force held tactical exercises which included firing drills involving on-board artillery and missile systems,” the ministry said on Friday. The warships will head to the Russian naval base of Novorossiisk after additional training in the central part of the Mediterranean later this month. Contrary to media reports, the task force will not call at the Russian supply and maintenance facility at the Syrian port of Tartus.Read the full story here.