[CurlyDave]

If I were Russian, and my primary concerns were a warm-water port on the Med and control over pipelines, I’d set up Assad and send in the land arms to secure the country. And, I’d treat the US CBW bombing as an annoyance and a necessary concession to what’s left of Western Christian values.

After Syria was a secure client, with my Med port and my pipeline control, I’d relax.

Is my view of the Russian rationale reasonable?

The problem I see is that Russia does not border Syria. They need to develop a way to get goods to and from that warm-water port. And all the routes go through mohammedan country. There is no love lost between the islamics and the Russians, as we have seen from the Chechen unrest.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Re the 500 miles from Russia to Syria:

I agree it’s a consideration. But a secure, major naval base is one end of the link. The second piece is some working arrangement with Iran, who is the main power in the area, along with Turkey, who wants to rebuild the Ottoman Empire bit by bit, by chewing off pieces of Syria.

That would leave some uncivilized territory in western Syria (ISIS remnants... and the so-called Free Syrian army factions), who are being suppressed by all parties. I see a pipeline and protected rail/highway route as possible, if occasionally risky.