Russian Troops in Syria

Russia is sending armed troops to Syria amid escalating violence there, United States military officials told NBC News Friday, in a move certain to frustrate Western efforts to put pressure on the regime of President Bashir Assad.

Moscow has sent a ship carrying a small contingent of combat forces to guard Russia’s deep-water port and military base at the Syrian city of Tartus, the US officials said.
The U.S. officials also said Russia has not sent additional attack helicopters to the Syrian government, but replacement parts for the Russian helicopters the Syrians are already flying.

Days before President Barack Obama's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, there has been a war of words between the U.S. and Syria's longtime military supplier. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

It comes after the conflict was declared by France on Wednesday to be a full-blown civil war.

The head of the U.N. observers in Syria said Friday a recent spike in bloodshed is derailing the mission to monitor and defuse more than a year of violence and could prompt the unarmed force to pull out.

"Violence over the past 10 days has been intensifying willingly by the both parties, with losses on both sides and significant risks to our observers," Maj. Gen. Robert Mood told reporters in Damascus. "The escalating violence is now limiting our ability to observe, verify, report as well as assist in local dialogue and stability projects."

Tartus is one of Russia’s most strategically-important assets, giving it military access to the Mediterranean Sea.

Russia and China, both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council with veto power, frustrated attempts by key Western figures, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to enforce a United Nations peace plan brokered by special envoy Kofi Annan.

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday repeated Moscow's strong opposition to external interference in Syria, said it was not discussing plans for a Syrian political transformation following the exit of Assad.

Read More at MSNBC.com

Random Thoughts

Does anyone ever notice that when gas prices are going up, the government DOES NOT include them in its consumer price index?  But when gas prices are going down, it does?  Can anyone really paint an realistic picture of inflation in this country, because obviously the government can't.

Secretary of State Hillery Clinton complains to the Russians because Moscow is still sending attack helicopters to Syria.  Meantime the slaughter goes on in Syria without anything stronger than protests from the west.  Does it bother anyone that Syria is aligned with Iran, Russia and China - and maybe that's why we don't care that women and children are being murdered there?

Israel is staying quiet about its plans against Iran.  That worries me more than anything, because when they're talking they are not acting.  When the Israelis stop talking, they are probably about to act.  I still think they will strike with US help before the US elections in November - before the election Obama will have no choice but to aid the Israeli strike.  After he's re-elected he can tell the Israelis to F@#$ off.

Why is it that every time I go on a diet, someone brings in free Pizza to the newsroom?