Russia Let's In The International Media Into It's Operations In Syria

by Benson Agoha | Politics

On the heal of President Bashar Assad's Thank You visit to Moscow on Tuesday, Russia has allowed a team of International journalists stationed in Russia to travel to Syria to have a look at its operations there in the past three weeks.

* President Bashar Assad and President Vladmir Putin

Russia's aerial bombardment of positions occupied by rebels pushing to aust President Assad from power, has been greeted with mixed feelings from the west.

The West accuse Russia of bombing positions held moderate rebels while ignoring the more heartless enemy of the government - that of ISIS.

Russia said it was committed to disarming all parties to the conflict to pave the way for a genuine peace to return. Hundreds Syrian have died since the bombing, many said to be civilians.

A report by the AP said quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as flying Moscow-based reporters to Hemeimeem Airbase, the western Syria air base overnight, giving a few international news organizations their first inside look at its operations here.

* Millions of Syrians have been forced out of their devastated country.

The trip was organized Wednesday, the same day the Kremlin announced that Syrian President Bashar Assad had come to Moscow and met with President Vladimir Putin, AP reported.

Since early Thursday morning, Russian combat jets have, reportedly, been taking off from this base in western Syria, heading out for more of the heavy bombing runs that have allowed Moscow once again to portray itself as a major global player capable of projecting military power far from its borders.

*  Syrian Refugee resist being stopped
from leaving the camp in Hungary.

"The Russian Defense Ministry flew Moscow-based reporters to the air base overnight, giving a few international news organizations their first inside look at its operations here.", AP reported.

AP said a meeting has been scheduled for Friday between Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, joined by their counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Russia has been conducting daily airstrikes in Syria since Sept. 30 to back a Syrian government offensive. Moscow says it is targeting militants, especially from the Islamic State group and other extremist organizations.

But the United States and others have criticized the strikes, which they say are aimed primarily at groups fighting Assad's forces and likely only to fan the violence.

"Journalists were shown well-organized operations at the Hemeimeem base, located near the coastal city of Latakia, which is protected by air defense systems, which could be seen deployed around its edges. Security forces armed with assault rifles guard key facilities, and rows of armored personnel carriers are parked nearby."

Since early morning, about a dozen planes had taken off for combat missions. A giant Russian cargo plane landed and two smaller Il-76 military transport planes also could be seen on the tarmac.

* Donor Graph as at early September, 2015.
(Credit: via Daily Mail)

Hundres of thousands of Syrian homes and cities have been destroyed in the five year war while millions have been displaced, many of them forced into refugee camps.

Over 220,000 people have died as a result of the war in Syria while more than 11 million have fled their country.

After years of squalor with no hope of the war ending anytime soon, many have begun the push to begin a new life abroad, with many European countries being flooded with immigrants and asylum seekers.  Many are still held in Calais waiting to make it to Britain.

Last month, Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development, confirmed Britain will take in some 20,000 immigrants spread over the next five years, till 2020.

The next day, government announced it was releasing additional £100 million aide to Syria, bringing it's total donation to more than £1 billion in four years. On that occassion, PM David Cameron provides that Britian will accept more than the 5,000 already taken in and will continue to keep it under review.

He said Britain will "act with it's head and it's heart" and will work with partners to help those most in need, while providing refuge to those most in need.

* AP