"Tamer, 24, from Latakia, said that Russian-led military operations have already started, in apparent contradiction of claims from Moscow and the US secretary of state, John Kerry, that the posture of the new arrivals was defensive.
“The Russians participated in an operation with the regime last week,” Tamer said. “There has long been a planned deportation for the Sunnis in Latakia, and many of their houses were taken by the Iranians and Hezbollah. I believe this is the beginning of dividing the country.
“The Russians came now to rescue the Syrians because the opposition came very close to the Alawite villages in Jourin. They want to control that area because it is on a top of a hill and once they have it, they can control the valleys around it and secure them.”"
The Observer view on Russia’s military intervention in Syriaby Observer editorial
“The Russian goal is to reassert their pivotal role in handling any global crisis,” said Jonathan Eyal, international director at the Royal United Services Institute thinktank. “Without Syria, a man known for aggression in Ukraine has to stand up and explain himself. Now everyone appears to have forgotten what happened in Ukraine and they [will be] hanging on every word. That’s quite a turnaround.”
"For now, Putin has made major gains for a relatively modest outlay, but he is playing politics with an unpredictable war. If Assad’s control slips further, Moscow may be faced with an uncomfortable choice between abandoning the Syrian dictator or making far more difficult sacrifices. “But in trying to reach this goal, he stepped onto a very dangerous track, which can move towards very difficult and maybe tragic things.”"
