Russians send a signal to US

Russia warships near Syria, signal to US: Vyacheslav Matuzov

A political analyst tells Press TV that the presence of Russian warships in eastern Mediterranean close to the Syrian coast is a very clear signal to NATO and the United States

Press TV,

12 January, 2013

The comments came after Russia said it is planning to hold a series of major naval drills off the Syrian coast in the Mediterranean as the US and its allies plan to deploy missiles on Syria’s border.

Press TV has conducted an interview with Vyacheslav Matuzov, political commentator, to further discuss the issue. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What do you make of Moscow’s plan to hold naval drills in Syria’s waters and deploy missiles on Syria’s border with Turkey?

Matuzov: Well of course it is not accidentally that all warships are now concentrating in eastern Mediterranean close to Syrian seashore because situation in Syria is as a target of Russian foreign policy and of course Russian leadership is very much thinking about the situation in this region.

I think that military exercises with presence of four fleets from Pacific, from Arctic Sea, from Baltic Sea, from Mediterranean, from Black Sea, so all these four fleets now are concentrating in one point, very close to Syrian seashore and Syrian developments.

I think that it is a very clear signal to the NATO leadership, to United States of America that Russia [build it] of the developments and the American policy in this region and it is ready to make according steps to provide necessary measures to prevent negative developments in political side, in geopolitical side, in Middle East, in Syria and in Caucasus.

That is why I think it is a signal to the United States absolutely clear but on the ground in my opinion there will be no landing Russian marines to Syrian seashore, to Lattakia or Tartus. I think that our Minister of Defense absolutely clear clarified the goals of this military exercises. They will be sending, landing military troops of marines in Caucasian region.

I suppose that all these four fleets united on the one command, unified command will be going to Caucasus and all exercises landing, on boarding from the land to the seashore will be trained in our territories, Russian territories not foreign territories, I suppose. 

I do not think that Russia includes Syrian events in their military maneuvers, in military plans as a part of current situation in Syria but I am sure absolutely that these exercises are connected politically, very closely with American policy that is encouraging military groups to intervene in Syria through Turkish territory.

It is a good signal for Turkey who is playing bad way because they are giving opportunity to many, many non-control military groups transit for Syria from all over the world, from Afghanistan, Pakistan, from Libya, from Maghreb and many, many other countries who are going to fight against Syrian regime.

I think it is a mistake, miscalculation of American strategists who are ignoring an international situation and real place of Russian Federation in world policies. 

I think they met for the first time in Syria, the firm and absolutely clear Russian position. Russia will not approve any violations of international law anymore because it was ignoring American behavior in Libya, in Iraq, in Yugoslavia, in many other places. I think that now Russia came to the conclusion, no other place will be permitted for the United States.

I think it is up to the United States today to rethink their whole strategy, strategy in the Middle East, in the Far East, in Europe and according to my consideration I think that Barack Obama will be involved in these calculations.

Putin as foreign press explained to us some days ago accepted a special envoy of Barack Obama which are preparing their private meeting and then the second fact that Obama is re-shuffling his own cabinet, his own government. He is changing now Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defense, Minister of Finance--three key figures in his administration will be replaced.

So I think it is up to us with the United States to sit down and to think over what it should be, how it will be reflected of international law? Russia is preserving international law, Chapter of United Nations and non violation, stability in all over the world especially in those regions that were very close to Russian frontiers--Caucasus, Middle Asia and Middle East of course as a main target of Russian foreign policy. 

No Deal as US-Russia Talks on Syria End

Brahimi: No Military Solution, But No Deal Anytime Soon Either

Anti-war,

11 January, 2013

The latest round of negotiations between the United States and Russia relating to the Syrian Civil War have come to an end, with no breakthrough and no real agreements reached on the situation.

UN Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who mediated the meeting, said that both the US and Russia appear equally interested in ending the war, and both agree that there is “no military solution” to Syria, but at the same time, he does not believeany deal will be coming any time soon.

The split seems to be on the question of whether the international community will force President Bashar Assad to step down as part of a unity deal, as opposed to the makeup of an interim government being decided by the Syrians themselves.

Brahimi has gotten on board for regime change in recent days, insisting he believes Assad’s family has been in power “too long,” which may itself make continued talksdifficult, since the comments alienated both Assad and the Russians.