Russian navy warships may blockade Syria coast: Official

Russia may use its naval forces to establish a blockade along the Syrian coastline to facilitate the delivery of armaments into Syrian territory, a senior parliamentary official says.

Vladimir Komoyedov, who heads the Defense Committee of Russia’s State Duma (lower house of parliament), said the vessels of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet would be used, during the potential mission, to bring in weaponry, Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency reported.

“Regarding the large-scale use of the Black Sea Fleet in this operation, I don’t think it will happen, but in terms of a coastal blockade, I think that it’s quite [possible],” he said, adding, “The delivery of artillery strikes hasn’t been excluded; the ships are ready for this, but there is no point in it for now. The terrorists are in deep, where the artillery cannot reach.”

Russia is currently running a naval facility in the western Syrian province of Tartus, which provides Moscow with access to the Mediterranean Sea. Four Russian warships, including a missile cruiser and a destroyer, are currently deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.

‘Russian volunteers’

Interfax news agency, meanwhile, quoted the Russian official as announcing that a contingent of Russian forces would “surely” join the Syrian military in the future in its fight against terrorist groups.

“Surely, a unit of Russian volunteers, combatants, will appear in the ranks of the Syrian army,” he said.

Later, however, a Reuters report quoted Komoyedov as saying that Russia was blocking any attempts by its citizens to fight on either side to the Syrian conflict.

‘Russia may consider Iraq strikes’

On Tuesday, RIA Novosti cited Valentina Matviyenko, the head of Russia’s upper chamber of parliament, as saying that the country would consider extending its airstrikes into Iraq if asked to do so by Baghdad.

Matviyenko, however, said Russia has not received such a request from the Iraqi government so far.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi  told France 24 television on October 1 that Baghdad would welcome any such military measures by Moscow on its soil, adding that his country was receiving information from both Syria and Russia on the Daesh terror group.

The developments come more than a week after Moscow began an aerial military campaign against the Daesh Takfiri militants and other terrorist groups in Syria upon a request from the Damascus government.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said one of the key objectives of Moscow’s air campaign in Syria is to preserve the Arab country’s territorial integrity.

Russian raids have drawn criticism from Western governments and their allies in the Middle East, which have been supporting the militants operating in the region.

Some members of a US-led coalition have been pounding purported Daesh positions inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a United Nations mandate since last September. The campaign has so far failed to dislodge the group.

‘Right to defend allies, not US’s exclusive right’

Speaking to Press TV’s website, Don DeBar, a political commentator and radio host, said the Syrian government’s authorization to Russia legitimizes the Russian military strikes in Syria.

“Russia, of course, has the absolute right to conduct whatever military operations in Syria and within Syrian territorial waters that the Syrian government authorizes,” he said, adding that, “And if the Syrian government asks Russia to blockade any arms that are coming into the country, into the hands of terrorists or other non-state actors, then that is completely and entirely legal under the international law.”

“And if Russia wants to defend its own right to bring weapons to the Syrian government under the contracts between the Syrian government and Russia or Russian firms, they are also entirely within their right to do that,” DeBar added.

It is entirely Russia’s right to support a government that it has agreements with just like the United States does, he said.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk