Why is Syria so important for Russia?
On Sept. 30, the upper house of Russia's parliament granted President Vladimir Putin permission to deploy forces and carry out airstrikes in Syria following President Bashar Assad's invitation. Moscow stated several times that Russia's main goal was to fight DAESH militants. Russian warplanes have been flying in the skies over Syria since then. However, they have also been bombarding rebel-held areas where DAESH has no presence.
Last week, Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet because it had violated Turkish airspace. Turkish authorities said they warned the pilot ten times before shooting the plane down. Russian jets were targeting Syrian Turkmens, ethnic Turks living in the north of Latakia province of Syria, and continue to do so, which is one of the biggest concerns for Turkey. Clearly, the main goal of the Kremlin is to prop up the butchering of Syrians. But why are Syria and the Assad regime so important for the Kremlin?
Since the bloody conflict in Syria started in 2011, Russia backed Syria on many occasions by sending weapons to the Syrian army and vetoing drafts of the U.N. resolutions that would force Assad to leave power. But the bonds between the two countries go back more than 40 years. Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad, became an air force pilot during the Soviet Union. He sided with the Soviets during the Cold War. After he took power in a military coup in 1970, arm deals between Syria and Russia started. Bashar al-Assad expanded weapons contracts when he came to power and made Russia Syria's biggest supplier. Damascus also allowed the Soviets to build a naval base in the coastal city of Tartous. That's why Moscow's support of Syria is mostly explained by arm sales from Russia to Damascus, and Tartous, Russia's only major naval port in the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East.
On the other hand, some seek an explanation regarding Russia's domestic policies. By standing up for Damascus, or being involved in Ukraine, Putin is showing his people that the U.S. is no longer the police of the globe and the Russians are back. This is, of course, also sending a message to the world. But, I think these are only some of the Kremlin's goals and the big picture is more that.
In 2009, Qatar proposed a pipeline plan to Assad to send its natural gas to Europe via Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan. Assad refused it. The reason for the refusal was to protect the interests of his long-time ally, Russia, which is Europe's biggest natural gas supplier, according to experts.
A year after Qatar's proposal, Assad began negotiations for another pipeline plan with Iran, which will carry Iranian gas to Europe across Iraq and Syria. Russia endorsed that project thinking that it would have more control over gas imports from Iran than Qatar, due to the fact that Russia and Iran have already had long-term energy agreements in place. The Tartous base would also strategically help Putin to control the pipeline in question. Therefore, the Iranian pipeline became a priority for Russia with Damascus and Moscow working together to hinder the Qatar pipeline and promote the Iranian one.
So when its forces entered Syria in October, Russia was not only backing the Assad regime, it was also backing the Iranian pipeline. Russia's economy is mostly based on its energy exports. Putin occasionally threaten European countries, which are mostly dependent upon
Russian gas, with cutting the energy supply. While Russia has the largest gas reserves in the world, the second is Iran. Turkey is also importing some of its energy from Russia, and some from Iran.
When the Iranian pipeline via Iraq and Syria is built, Europe's dependence on Russia would continue and so would Russian energy company Gazprom's benefit. Russia would continue to control its main energy market, Europe. That's why Russia is backing Syria, Iran and Iraq as well. Russia's presence in Syria is aimed at more than supporting Assad, but it is actually protecting its interests and controlling energy pipelines.
Last week, Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet because it had violated Turkish airspace. Turkish authorities said they warned the pilot ten times before shooting the plane down. Russian jets were targeting Syrian Turkmens, ethnic Turks living in the north of Latakia province of Syria, and continue to do so, which is one of the biggest concerns for Turkey. Clearly, the main goal of the Kremlin is to prop up the butchering of Syrians. But why are Syria and the Assad regime so important for the Kremlin?
Since the bloody conflict in Syria started in 2011, Russia backed Syria on many occasions by sending weapons to the Syrian army and vetoing drafts of the U.N. resolutions that would force Assad to leave power. But the bonds between the two countries go back more than 40 years. Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad, became an air force pilot during the Soviet Union. He sided with the Soviets during the Cold War. After he took power in a military coup in 1970, arm deals between Syria and Russia started. Bashar al-Assad expanded weapons contracts when he came to power and made Russia Syria's biggest supplier. Damascus also allowed the Soviets to build a naval base in the coastal city of Tartous. That's why Moscow's support of Syria is mostly explained by arm sales from Russia to Damascus, and Tartous, Russia's only major naval port in the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East.
On the other hand, some seek an explanation regarding Russia's domestic policies. By standing up for Damascus, or being involved in Ukraine, Putin is showing his people that the U.S. is no longer the police of the globe and the Russians are back. This is, of course, also sending a message to the world. But, I think these are only some of the Kremlin's goals and the big picture is more that.
In 2009, Qatar proposed a pipeline plan to Assad to send its natural gas to Europe via Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan. Assad refused it. The reason for the refusal was to protect the interests of his long-time ally, Russia, which is Europe's biggest natural gas supplier, according to experts.
A year after Qatar's proposal, Assad began negotiations for another pipeline plan with Iran, which will carry Iranian gas to Europe across Iraq and Syria. Russia endorsed that project thinking that it would have more control over gas imports from Iran than Qatar, due to the fact that Russia and Iran have already had long-term energy agreements in place. The Tartous base would also strategically help Putin to control the pipeline in question. Therefore, the Iranian pipeline became a priority for Russia with Damascus and Moscow working together to hinder the Qatar pipeline and promote the Iranian one.
So when its forces entered Syria in October, Russia was not only backing the Assad regime, it was also backing the Iranian pipeline. Russia's economy is mostly based on its energy exports. Putin occasionally threaten European countries, which are mostly dependent upon
Russian gas, with cutting the energy supply. While Russia has the largest gas reserves in the world, the second is Iran. Turkey is also importing some of its energy from Russia, and some from Iran.
When the Iranian pipeline via Iraq and Syria is built, Europe's dependence on Russia would continue and so would Russian energy company Gazprom's benefit. Russia would continue to control its main energy market, Europe. That's why Russia is backing Syria, Iran and Iraq as well. Russia's presence in Syria is aimed at more than supporting Assad, but it is actually protecting its interests and controlling energy pipelines.
Last Update: December 02, 2015 02:04