Russian Su-25 attack aircraft take off from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. © Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti
Bloomberg: Putin Officials Said to Admit Real Syria Goal Is Far Broader
* Russian intervention may last as long as a year, official says
* Kremlin to back Assad regime's drive to retake key cities
As Russia’s air war in Syria nears its fourth week, officials now admit that Moscow’s aim is far broader than the publicly announced fight against terrorist groups.
The Kremlin’s real goal is to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad retake as much as possible of the territory his forces have lost to opponents, including U.S.-backed rebels, Russian officials told Bloomberg News. Moscow’s deployment of several dozen planes, as well as ships in the Black and Caspian Seas, could last a year or more, one official said.
President Vladimir Putin is willing to run the risk of falling into the kind of quagmire that helped sink the Soviet Union a generation ago for the chance to roll back U.S. influence and demonstrate he can dictate terms to Washington. If the strategy is successful, Russia’s largest military drive in decades outside the former Soviet Union would force the U.S. and its allies to choose between Assad, whom they oppose for his human-rights abuses, and the brutal extremists of Islamic State.
Update: Kremlin officials admit Russia initially lied about their aims in Syria -- Business Insider/Reuters
WNU Editor: Is anyone surprised by this Russian admission .... no. The problem with this Russian calculation is that the Syrian Army is exhausted .... Battle-weary Syrian forces struggle despite Russian air war (AFP).