Russia pulling out troops from Syria

[FAH1223]

http://tass.ru/en/politics/862267

MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an order to begin withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria starting from March 15.

"I think that the tasks set to the defense ministry are generally fulfilled. That is why I order to begin withdrawal of most of our military group from Syria starting from tomorrow," Putin said on Monday at a meeting with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In Putin's words, during their operation in Syria, Russian military have demonstrated professionalism and teamwork, having performed all the set tasks.
"Besides, our military, soldiers and officers demonstrated professionalism, teamwork and ability to organize combat work far away from their territory, having no common borders with the theater of war," he said.

During the operation in Syria, Russia managed to create even if a small, but efficient military alighment of multiple-type forces and means, the president said. "Efficient work of our military has created conditions for the start of a peace process," the president said.

"With the participation of Russian military, Syrian troops and patriotic forces in Syria have managed to turn the tide in fight against international terrorism and take the initiative on practically all directions," Putin stated.
Russian bases in Syria’s Tartus and Khmeimim are to continue operating in routine regime, the president went on to say.

"Our bases — the naval base in Tartus and the airbase at the Khmeimim airfield — will operate in a routine mode. They are to be safely protected from the land, from the sea and from air," he told the defense and foreign ministers.

Those Russian servicemen who will stay in Syria will be engaged in monitoring the ceasefire regime, Putin added.
Russia’s aerospace forces launched pinpoint strikes against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra targets in Syria on September 30 after the Federation Council upper parliament house unanimously approved President Vladimir Putin’s request for the use of the armed forces against terrorists in Syria.

The Russian air group in Syria comprises more than 50 warplanes and helicopters, including Su-34 and Su-24M bombers, Su-25 attack aircraft, Su-30SM fighters and Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters. Air strikes have been delivered at military hardware, communications centers, transport vehicles, munitions depots and other terrorist infrastructure facilities. The military operation has been conducted at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Troops withdrawal to motivate negotiations in Syria

The Russian president said he hopes the start of the withdrawal of Russian troops will become a good motivation for launching negotiations between political forces of that country and instructed the foreign minister to intensify Russia’s participation in organization of peace process in Syria.

"I hope today’s decision will be a good signal for all conflicting parties. I hope it will sizably increase trust of all participants in the process," the president said. "I ask the Russian Foreign Ministry to intensify Russia’s participation in organizing the peace process to solve the Syrian problem," he added.

For his part, Lavrov told the president that the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces had created the conditions for the political process in Syria. Russia’s top diplomat recalled that Russia had consistently advocated the establishment of the intra-Syrian dialogue.
He noted that the intra-Syrian talks had resumed in Geneva earlier on Monday. "The work is not easy, it is yet to be understood how all these groups (taking part in the talks) could gather at the same table together," Lavrov said. "But the process has got underway, and it is in our common interests to make it sustainable and irreversible."

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin has discussed and coordinated the decision on the beginning of withdrawal of Russia's forces from Syria with Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad.

"Everything voiced at the meeting [of Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu] was told our Syrian colleagues and coordinated with president [Bashar] Assad," Peskov said.
The Syrian President told Vladimir Putin by telephone that he was ready to start a political process in Syria as early as possible, the Kremlin press service said.
"The Syrian leader said he was ready to start a political process in the country as soon as possible. [Putin and Assad] expressed the hope that the full-scale UN-mediated talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives in Geneva would produce concrete results," the Kremlin said.

[MoAwr]

Tactical

[gegiroor]

Is Putin making Assad to come up more concessions to the opposition? It was only few weeks ago that the Russian Ambassador to the UN were expressing his dismay at Assad vowing to seize all of Syria through military means. So, perhaps (and I am only speculating) that Russians are pressuring Assad to plan for a gradual transition of power.

The war was also costly to the Russian economy, and since Russia is also under economic sanctions, it is possible that the strains of the war are having an effect on the Russians.

Whatever the case, the news of gradual Russian withdrawal is not good for the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

[LeJusticier]

Russia withdraws ground troops; not Air Force

Throngs of opposition supporters took to the streets in the rebel-controlled parts of Syria to celebrate the withdrawal of the Russian troops from the country after a 6 month deployment.

Unbeknownst to those opposition supporters, the Russian Air Force is not going anywhere; in fact, the Russian Federation is only withdrawing its ground forces that were primarily stationed in Latakia to protect their aerial assets.
Yes, the Russian aerial assets are staying in Syria, including their sophisticated S-400 anti-aircraft missiles that were deployed to the country after the Turkish Air Defense shot down a Russian fighter jet over the Latakia Governorate.


However, the Hmaymim Airfields are fully secured and the Latakia Governorate is on the verge of being under the complete control of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their allies.

So, in reality, the Russian Marines stationed in the Latakia Governorate are not currently needed anymore.

Making matters worse for the opposition, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies are situated at both the eastern and western borders of the Idlib Governorate, leaving them within 15 km of the strategic cities of Jisr Al-Shughour and Saraqib.

Leading the attack against the extremist rebel groups like Jabhat Al-Nusra, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and Jund Al-Aqsa in the Idlib Governorate will be the Russian Air Force, who will continue to carryout airstrikes against Jihadist factions.
This news may have been missed by the opposition’s media because their supporters are cheering as if Russia is completely withdrawing from Syria.

Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=722_1457 ... tZRV4VX.99

[drobbah]

$40 barrels of oil coupled with Europe choosing not to buy from Russia is crippling its weak economy.I knew they would pull out quick.They aren't America which is economically strong enough to invade and shift geopolitics in their favour.Putin thinks the USSR is still standing.What a dumb midget

[LeJusticier]

$40 barrels of oil coupled with Europe choosing not to buy from Russia is crippling its weak economy.I knew they would pull out quick.They aren't America which is economically strong enough to invade and shift geopolitics in their favour.Putin thinks the USSR is still standing.What a dumb midget

It sound you watch too much hard-core Al-jazeera propaganda

[FAH1223]

$40 barrels of oil coupled with Europe choosing not to buy from Russia is crippling its weak economy.I knew they would pull out quick.They aren't America which is economically strong enough to invade and shift geopolitics in their favour.Putin thinks the USSR is still standing.What a dumb midget

The Syria operations are only a small cost out of their defense budget. It's not the reason their economy has been hurt.

Also Russian exports have increased dramatically with the weakening of the Ruble.

[Talo alle udaa]

I think if Russian forces continued to advance it may have forced neighboring Sunni countries to get involved.
I believe it with this in mind that Russia decided to make this decision.

There over 150k ground troops from various nations in KSA doing an exercise replicating possible incursion into Syria which would have further complicated matters if peace process did not proceed forward.

[LeJusticier]

I think if Russian forces continued to advance it may have forced neighboring Sunni countries to get involved.
I believe it with this in mind that Russia decided to make this decision.

There over 150k ground troops from various nations in KSA doing an exercise replicating possible incursion into Syria which would have further complicated matters if peace process did not proceed forward.

Saudis aren't capable defeating small malnourished houthis let alone Russians.

[Lamagoodle]

Could be big politics. Big deals; lifting of sanctions, keeping the Crimea in exchange for leaving the middle east. It could also be that he has realised he is betting on the wrong horse.

Let us wait and see. But everything about this points to Assad's imminent departure from the political scene.

[LeJusticier]

Could be big politics. Big deals; lifting of sanctions, keeping the Crimea in exchange for leaving the middle east. It could also be that he has realised he is betting on the wrong horse.

Let us wait and see. But everything about this points to Assad's imminent departure from the political scene.

The political wing of the opposition is just so fragmented and do not represent those in the battlefield. Most of the fighters are head choppers and do not believe inclusiveness. I believe majority of Syrians wished to see incumbent President Bashar al-Assad re-elected.

There's no way Russia will let Saudi and U.S Assad's departure. turubkii laysla baray!

[Lamagoodle]

Could be big politics. Big deals; lifting of sanctions, keeping the Crimea in exchange for leaving the middle east. It could also be that he has realised he is betting on the wrong horse.

Let us wait and see. But everything about this points to Assad's imminent departure from the political scene.

The political wing of the opposition is just so fragmented and do not represent those in the battlefield. Most of the fighters are head choppers and do not believe inclusiveness. I believe majority of Syrians wished to see incumbent President Bashar al-Assad re-elected.

There's no way Russia will let Saudi and U.S Assad's departure. turubkii laysla baray!

The opposition is also in turmoil on the military front. The Kurds (the true winners of the conflicts in Iraq and Syria) being an exception.

But Russia is not that stupid. In the long run, the war will be costly and there could be the risk of an all out war in the region. Russia is abandoning Assad. It has made a point, sent a message that it is a force to reckon with and now is the time to leave. I think Angela Merkel and the Europeans have a hand in this; economic weapon.

Putin comes out of this as a shrewd politician. He has sent a message to the world that he can turn the tide.

P.s. I was looking at the newsreels of the peace talks. There is this dude that looks like Ariel Sharon.

[LeJusticier]

Lamagoodle

let's wait few weeks sxb. I will prove you all wrong.

Yeas, you are right moderate head choppers has been demoralized by Russia's forces. The Russian intervention in Syria has been a game changer so regime is no longer of collapsing state.
Putin wuu ogyahay haduu sidaa ku baxo Saudi and US would try to install wahabbi puppet and that's the end of Russians present in the middleeast.

[FAH1223]

Assad not being a company man was hinted when he flew the Kremlin last Fall and had meetings with Putin and Lavrov