Russia, at one time, was Assad's ally. Assad never accepted The West as a friend, regardless, of the obvious alliance between Saudia Arabia and the USA. However, the Russians left Syria during the Iraq war. My only guess is that it didn't like the proximity to potential war between the two powers.
The reason for the civil war in Syria was the climate. We know that for a fact. But, never once during the destabilizing events in Syria did Russia seek to prevent it. It is only recently that Russia again resumed it's place with Syria's Assad. It resumed it's a presence in a very interesting way, with interceptor missiles. This is to end the occasional exchange between Israel and Hezbollah. But, Assad has control of those interceptors and Syria's munitions.
I believe the interceptor missiles are leveraging power against Israel. Why? Why would a country that is one of the Permanent Nuclear Members of the UN Security Council place interceptor missiles in one of the tinderboxes of the world? Israel has had skirmishes in the past, except for Hezbollah it never entered into a direct confrontation with Syria.
Hezbollah is a destabilizing force in the area, but, today it is autonomous. It became autonomous during the rise of Daesh. Why allow that continued power after all is settled? I find it curious.
February 18, 2019
Hundreds of Russian mercenaries (click title for news article - thank you) were reportedly killed by U.S. forces in a failed attack on a U.S.-held military base and refinery last week. Citing U.S. and Russian sources, Bloomberg News reported more than 200 contract killers—mostly Russian citizens fighting for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad—died in what is believed to be the deadliest incident between Russian and U.S. citizens since the Cold War. Russia’s military has disowned any responsibility for the attack in the Deir al-Zour region and a U.S. military spokesperson appeared to accept that claim in a statement. No U.S. coalition casualties have been reported from the attack, but the death toll from the mercenary side is still rising, with soldiers being treated in hospitals in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Defense Secretary James Mattis is reported to have called the incident “perplexing.” The reported death toll would be far greater than all of the Russian casualties the Kremlin has acknowledged during its Syrian incursion.
