© US Navy / ReutersA Russian Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft makes a very low altitude pass by USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) April 12, 2016.
Late on Monday
we reported that US Navy Destroyer, USS
Donald Cook (DDG-75), equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as the Aegis missile defence system, was approaching the port of Tartus in Syria, which doubles as the location for the Syrian logistics base of the Russian Navy. According to CNN Turk, the US destroyer was at at a distance of 100 km from the port, as of Monday.
The destroyer, which left the Cypriot port of Larnaka and was headed for the Syrian shore, was reportedly buzzed by Russian warplanes which circled above the US warship four times.
To be sure, Russia is concerned, and seemingly angry, that another showdown may be imminent. According to
Pravda, the Chairman of the State Duma Defence Committee Vladimir Shamanov
said that the United States did not notify Russia of the approach of the group of US warships to the Russian naval base in Tartus.
Comment: The US Navy P-8A Poseidon
spy plane is reportedly carrying out a multi-hour flight along the Syrian coast.
The spy plane with the onboard number 168439 flew from the Sigonella airbase on the Italian island of Sicily and is now at an altitude of 8,000 meters, circling the distance of 40 kilometers from the air base of Khmeimim and the Russian Navy base in Tartus.
Its flight path passes over the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Turkish press, 100 kilometers from the Russian base in Tartus there is also the American destroyer Donald Cook, equipped with 56 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House is preparing to strike Syria in response to reports that allegedly on April 7, in the vicinity of the city of the Douma, chemical weapons were used. Washington accused Damascus officially - but Russia had warned of a rebel attack being planned a number of days prior.
This comes as U.S. sources report that Russia is
jamming its surveillance drones over Syria, and has been doing so for the past weeks. And
this:
The United States of America has identified 22 targets of paramount importance on the territory of Syria. The Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak reports, referring to the expert on international relations of Syria Zakariya Molakhavchi.
Among the potential targets are targets that are located in the region of Homs province, as well as in the area of the Russian Navy in Tartus. There are Russian servicemen there.
The US may bomb the area of Homs, Damascus, Tartus, Hama, El-Hasaka, Deir-ez-Zor and Raqqa. The United States, Great Britain, France and Israel agreed among themselves that military aerodromes should also be subjected to bombing.
According to Molokhavchi, Americans may attack Syria's regions where there are problems between Kurdish forces and Syrian government forces, as well as Shiite militiamen.
According to the expert, any destruction of the systems of Syrian air defense will shift the balance of power. At the same time, he noted that the Pentagon took into account that Russia has increased the level of combat readiness of its forces at the airbase of Khmeimim and other military facilities in Syria.
According to Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the US Department of Defense, a Navy group headed by aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman is heading to Syria via the Mediterranean coast.
It's hard to tell if Molakhavchi has any sources for the above.
Comment: The US Navy P-8A Poseidon spy plane is reportedly carrying out a multi-hour flight along the Syrian coast. This comes as U.S. sources report that Russia is jamming its surveillance drones over Syria, and has been doing so for the past weeks. And this: It's hard to tell if Molakhavchi has any sources for the above.