OPINION:
Back in August of 2015, before the Russian intervention in Syria, the Kremlin and the Assad regime signed an agreement for an open-ended military presence in Syria beyond the already long-established Russian naval base at Tartus.
The deal was made to defend the “sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic,” according to the document, reports AFP.
Military analyst Alexander Golts said the agreement with Syria suited Russia’s interests.”Russia can halt its operation at any time so it does not have any responsibilities before Syria,” he told AFP. At the same time it can stay there for as long as it wishes. It’s totally up to the Russian authorities.”
With the development of Russia arming Hezbollah, selling Iran sophisticated weapons, building Iranian nuclear plants, and building up its forces in the region, President Vladimir Putin has re-established a Russian presence in the Middle East that is not going away anytime soon, at the expense of the interests of the United States.
The new reality in the Middle Eastern region is the axis of Russia, Iran and Syria. The next American president will have his work cut out for him to re-establish American allied relationships and prevent a safe-haven for terrorists to plot attacks against the homeland. This is the consequence of a complete abdication of American leadership in the region and the world.
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