The Rise of Russia on the Warm Seas: A brief look at Russia's military in Syria

- November, 2015
My blog commentary this month comes as a prelude to an important military assess
ment produced by this blog's resident military analyst we all affectionately cal
l Zoravar. Comrade Zoravar's lucid work titled "The Rise of Russia on the Warm S
eas: A brief look at Russia's military in Syria" appears immediately below this
commentary. Please feel free to skip right to it.
As I announced in my previous blog commentary, in a historic turn-of-events, the
embattled Shi'ite Arc was suddenly been reinforced by the Russian Bear. The Syr
ian government has been saved and a zone of Shi'ite influence (or what had remai
ned of it after the carnage of the past four years) has been preserved. This une
xpected move by Russia has given Lebanon's Hezbollah, Syria's Alawites and Iraq'
s Shiites a new lease on life and hope for the future. I hope to see this extend
to Yemen's Houthis as well. I want to see the strengthening of Iranian influenc
e throughout the Middle East. Moscow should not have any reservations about a gr
eater Middle Eastern role for Iran. Moscow should realize that Tehran does not h
ave any territorial claims on Russia nor does Russia have a significant Shiite p
opulation. Moscow also should realize that due to the region's overwhelming Sunn
i majority, a greater Iranian role in the Middle East will not pose any long-ter
m problems with regards to geopolitical balance in the region because Iranian in
fluence will be confined to Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. The only place where Irania
n and Russian interests can potentially have some disagreements is in the Caspia
n Sea region and in nations like Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. Comparatively speaki
ng, however, these would be trivial matters that can be negotiated between the t
wo powers.