Bashar Assad
© Press Service of the President of Syria
State Senator from Virginia Richard Black said that the establishment of a US military base in Syria, a "sovereign country that has never taken any offensive action towards" America, is an "obvious violation of international law."

The US base in Syria's At Tanf area is a clear violation of international law, State Senator from Virginia Richard Black told Sputnik.

"We've even set up a base at Al Tanf in the southern part, it's an American base within the country of Syria," Black said. "You can't get a more obvious violation of international law than to actually move in and set up a military base in a sovereign country that has never taken any offensive action towards our country."

The United States last week transferred two high mobility multiple-launch rocket systems from Jordan to the US special operations forces base at At Tanf.

US President Donald Trump, Black added, has unfortunately given authority to people "who are not well-intentioned and they are using that military authority in Syria."

The senator also noted that Russia, Syria, and its allies are "definitely on the move. "

"There's no doubt that the terrorists are being thrown back on every front and I think that's very encouraging," he stated.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that the Russian military is analyzing the US deployment of artillery where terrorist formations are said to be virtually absent.

The US-led coalition against Daesh terror group (outlawed in Russia) has twice struck Syrian-government aligned forces in the At Tanf area, and Trump launched a missile strike against a Syrian air base in April.

On Sunday, a US jet shot down a Syrian Su-22 fighter-bomber near the city of Tabqah. The coalition said the Syrian aircraft attacked Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions, adding that the coalition downed the Syrian jet as part of "collective self-defense of Coalition partnered forces.

Syria's Assad Will Win 90% of Votes if Election Held Now

State Senator from Virginia Richard Black stated on Monday citing American intelligence sources that Syrian president Bashar Assad would win 90 percent of the vote in the country should the election be held in the nearest future.

Syrian President Bashar Assad would receive 90 percent of the vote if an election took place at the moment based on recent intelligence gathered, State Senator from Virginia Richard Black told Sputnik.

"I have had people that I worked very closely with who gather intelligence from Syria... and several interesting things come out of the reports I've received back," Black noted. "Right now I would say if you could hold an election in Syria... President Assad would probably be reelected with 90% of the vote and that's including the terrorist occupied areas."

Black, who is the elected representative for Loudoun County, Virginia, personally met with Assad during a visit to Syria in April 2016.

The senator said the intelligence also revealed that "people are totally supportive of President Assad and the first lady Asma Assad, who is I think one of the great first ladies of the world."

"Totally self-sacrificing people," the senator added. "Unlike many leaders of the world they are not greedy, they are not hoarding national wealth, they are sacrificing themselves for the future of their nation. So the people love them."

Black also stressed that there is "total unity" among the Syrian army.

"There is almost total unity of the religions. The Christians, the Alawites, the Sunnis, the Shiites, the Druze, they're all fighting together to retain Syria," he explained.