US Welcomes Russian Help in International Efforts Against ISIL, but Says Moscow’s Syrian Milirtary Intentions are Unclear…

Russia has moved a steady stream of troops and equipment into Syria in moves that could presage the creation of an air base, the Pentagon said Monday, adding that Moscow’s intentions for its continued military buildup in the country remain unclear.

“We’re obviously watching it very closely,” Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters at the Pentagon. “We have seen indications in recent days that Russia has moved people and things into the area around Latakia and the airbase there that suggests that it intends to establish some sort of a forward air operating base.” ​

The coastal province of Latakia is a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have encountered a series of military setbacks in 2015 and have professed military “fatigue.”

Russia has backed Assad since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, not only through military support but also through diplomatic cover at the United Nations Security Council, where Moscow wields a veto as a permanent member.

But Moscow’s on-the-ground role

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http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/14/pentagon-russia-setting-up-forward-air-base-in-syria.htmlhttp://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/14/pentagon-russia-setting-up-forward-air-base-in-syria.html