Assad welcomes new Russian bases in Syria after Putin meeting
Al JazeeraAUG 2023
Assad's visit to Moscow and the planned meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of Turkey, Syria and Iran are further signs that the US is increasingly unable to impose its will in the region. Meanwhile, the US continues its illegal occupation of Syrian territory to plunder the country's oil wealth under the guise of fighting terrorism. The global South is aware that Washington is behind the chaos and conflict in the region, yet with a strong Russian military presence on the ground, there is an opportunity
The fact that dictator Assad is offering Moscow to boost its military presence in Syria underscores his dependence on Putin to stay in power. It's Assad who brutally put down peaceful protests in 2011 and, backed by Russia and Iran, waged a bloody war against his own people, with hundreds of thousands of deaths. While more and more regional powers consider normalizing their relations with Damascus, the West must continue to stand with the Syrian people and ensure that Assad is held accountable for his crime