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Russia Facing "Saigon Moment" in Syria

(Wall Street Journal) Sune Engel Rasmussen - A fast-advancing rebel offensive in Syria threatens to dislodge Russia from important air and naval bases in that country that Moscow has used for a decade to project power in the Middle East, in the Mediterranean and into Africa. The Khmeimim air base near Latakia serves as a logistical hub for flights to Libya, the Central African Republic, and Sudan, where Russian private contractors and soldiers have operated for years. A naval base in Tartus serves as the only replenishment and repair point for the Russian navy in the Mediterranean. Tartus has granted Putin access to a warm water port, something Russian rulers have sought for centuries. A rebel takeover of these positions could jeopardize Russia's global power projection. Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, "To see Russian planes leave Syria as rebel forces move onward towards their air bases, and their assets in Damascus fall...would be akin to a Saigon moment for them," recalling when the U.S. left Saigon in 1975.
2024-12-08 00:00:00
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