Russia misplaced a key ally when the Syrian President was ousted by Islamist rebels final month. NPR visited a Russian air base in western Syria to look at how Moscow will fare underneath Syria’s new rulers.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Russia was a key ally to Syria for many years, propping up its financial system and its navy. Russia additionally helped Bashar al-Assad combat the very rebels who now management Syria after toppling the regime final month. However with Russian bases nonetheless lively on Syrian soil, the query is, what is the subsequent transfer for Syria’s interim authorities? NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi paid a uncommon go to to Russia’s military base in Latakia and brings us this report.
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: There’s a big image of President Vladimir Putin looming over the doorway of the Khmeimim Russian Air Base in Latakia, on the Mediterranean coast. 5 armed Russian troopers – a few them masked – mill round in entrance of the primary guard publish.
(SOUNDBITE OF VEHICLE ENGINE RUNNING)
AL-SHALCHI: They smoke and giggle.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER #1: (Talking Russian).
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER #2: (Talking Russian).
AL-SHALCHI: “We have to get out of right here, brother,” one says. “The place do you wish to go?” A short time later…
(SOUNDBITE OF MILITARY VEHICLES DRIVING PAST)
AL-SHALCHI: …A few dozen navy automobiles roll out of the bottom, the Russian flag flying on the dashboards. They’re carrying bombs, heavy tools and different navy provides. Abu al-Yamam is the Syrian insurgent who coordinates the Russian convoys actions.
ABU AL-YAMAM: (Non-English language spoken).
AL-SHALCHI: “It relies upon,” he says. “Some mornings, they exit two or 3 times.” The Khmeimim base was inbuilt 2015 in a village of the identical identify. From right here, the Russians helped Bashar al-Assad combat opposition forces in his 13-year civil warfare. These rebels, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, toppled Assad final December, and Russia has been slowly clearing out. Among the provides leaving Khmeimim are going to Russia’s naval base in Syria, within the port of Tartus 30 miles away. From there, some provides are shipped to Russian bases in Africa. Final week, Syrian media reported that HTS ended a 49-year contract with a Russian firm that managed the port of Tartus. The naval base will nonetheless stay. However Joshua Landis says HTS could also be sending a message by terminating that contract. Landis is the director of the Middle for Center East Research on the College of Oklahoma.
JOSHUA LANDIS: It is a new day. We’re doing issues in a brand new means. We’ve switched our allegiances.
AL-SHALCHI: Landis says to not make an excessive amount of of it, although.
LANDIS: Syria goes to have to chop off relations for the short-term, however that does not imply that they will not return and make up with Russia.
AL-SHALCHI: HTS desires to be taken severely internally and internationally. And there is a technique to try this.
LANDIS: While you have a look at at this time, the place can it go? Who can it get arms from? Who’s going to rebuild their military?
AL-SHALCHI: Landis says assist from Turkey and Qatar, who funded HTS in the course of the warfare, is not sufficient. And leaning on the USA comes with its personal problems. The U.S. nonetheless has sanctions on Syria, whose neighbor, Israel, is Washington’s closest ally within the area and has been formally at warfare with Syria for nearly 70 years.
LANDIS: However in the end, if they arrive to the USA, they have to make peace with Israel and align themselves with the pro-Israeli foyer in Washington.
AL-SHALCHI: That leaves Russia, the very nation that bombed them. And Russia appears able to cooperate.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: (Talking Russian).
AL-SHALCHI: Putin not too long ago advised reporters that Russia is reflecting on its relations with Syria and that HTS was receptive. The naval base at Tartus is an important strategic curiosity to the Russians – their solely maintain within the Mediterranean. HTS did not reply to NPR’s request for remark. The troopers on the base stroll away from their guard posts to purchase sweet and soda at a close-by store.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER #3: (Talking Russian).
(SOUNDBITE OF FOOTSTEPS)
AL-SHALCHI: The shop signal is in Russian, like all the opposite retailers within the village. And whereas the world waits to see how HTS will relate to its as soon as sworn enemy, for now, the Russians are nonetheless propping up the financial system on this small nook of Syria. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR Information, Latakia.
(SOUNDBITE OF LUPE FIASCO SONG, “OUTSIDE”)
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