Assad welcomes new Russian bases in Syria after Putin meeting
Al JazeeraNov 27, 2022
Syria: Assad Welcomes New Russian Bases After Putin Meeting
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Image copyright: Sputnik/Kremlin/EPA [via Al Jazeera]
The Facts
On Thursday, Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad reportedly expressed support for any potential Russian bid to establish new military bases and permanently expand Russia's military presence in the country.
During the talks Assad thanked Putin for Russia's assistance to Syria after the recent earthquake and voiced his support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, adding that Damascus recognizes the Ukrainian territories Russia conquered as Russian.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Assad's visit to Moscow and the planned meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of Turkey, Syria and Iran are further signs that the US is increasingly unable to impose its will in the region. Meanwhile, the US continues its illegal occupation of Syrian territory to plunder the country's oil wealth under the guise of fighting terrorism. The global South is aware that Washington is behind the chaos and conflict in the region, yet with a strong Russian military presence on the ground, there is an opportunity
Pro-establishment narrative
The fact that dictator Assad is offering Moscow to boost its military presence in Syria underscores his dependence on Putin to stay in power. It's Assad who brutally put down peaceful protests in 2011 and, backed by Russia and Iran, waged a bloody war against his own people, with hundreds of thousands of deaths. While more and more regional powers consider normalizing their relations with Damascus, the West must continue to stand with the Syrian people and ensure that Assad is held accountable for his crime
