Russia building ‘forward air operating base’: Pentagon

The Pentagon, believes Russia is building a “forward air operating base” near Latakia, based on recent movements around the country’s main port city.

“We have seen indications in recent days that Russia has moved people and things into the area around Latakia and the air base there that suggests that it intends to establish some sort of a forward air operating base,” said Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis.

Russia, which has been a key ally of Bashar al-Assad’s government, has said it is sending military equipment to Syria to help the Syrian army fight Islamic State insurgents.

Davis expressed concern Russia’s more active military role in Syria moves could spark conflict with the U.S. and could notably be caught up in coalition air strikes against ISIS targets.

Russia proposed that Assad step aside: former Finnish president

Former Finnish president and Nobel peace prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari has revealed that Russia three years ago proposed Bashar al-Assad step aside as part of a peace agreement, the Guardian reports.

Assad’s removal – or non-removal – has been one of the key sticking points in talks among the leading powers over how to end the civil war in Syria. The Guardian and other media pointed out that since the offer was made in 2012 tens of thousands of people have been killed and the world is now experiencing the gravest refugee crisis since World War II.

Martti Ahtisaari, described as a senior negotiator involved in back-channel discussions at the time, said western powers failed to seize on the proposal.

He elaborated that talks were held with envoys from the five permanent members of the U.N. security council in February 2012 and the Russian ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, laid out a three-point plan, which included a proposal for Assad to cede power at some point after peace talks had started between the government and the opposition, according to the newspaper.

But, he said, the U.S., Britain and France were convinced Assad was about to fall so they ignored the proposal.

Car bombs kill 20 in Hassakeh: report

At least 20 people were killed when two car bombs tore through Hassakeh, according to local reports.

The first bomb hit Kurdish fighters in the Khashman district, while the second targeted pro-government forces in the centre of the city centre, said the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Hassakeh is held mostly by Kurdish fighters, although some parts are in the hands of the government. ISIS has made repeated attempts to capture the city.

Recommended Reads

• The Washington Post: ‘Syria is emptying’
• The New York Times: For Those Who Remain in Syria, Daily Life Is a Nightmare
• The New York Times: DEATH IN SYRIA
• Bloomberg View: How to Begin to End the Syrian War
• Bloomberg View: To Imagine Syria at Peace, Think of Bosnia
• The Guardian: The people who fled Syria for Lebanon – in pictures
• The Guardian: Pushed back into the fire: the refugees who feel compelled to return to Syria
• The Slatest: Here’s Why Eastern Europe Is So Much More Antagonistic to Syria’s Refugees than Western Europe