Russian navy in Syria: Thorn in US side

The US-based intelligence-gathering firm Stratfor says most of the claims by the Syrian opposition about the seriousness of the country's crisis are untrue. The company insists protesters are exaggerating, to win support from powers like the US.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, a former Reagan administration official, told RT he believes Washington is doing more than simply backing the rebels diplomatically.“The United States is bold in stirring up the opposition and in arming it. They used the cover of the Arab Spring and Arab protests as they did in Libya,” he said. “These are not spontaneous protests, and certainly in an authoritarian state like Syria you wouldn’t find people in opposition able to readily supply themselves with arms, with military weapons.”Besides, Roberts continued, it makes no sense for ordinary Syrians to create an opportunity for the country to be destroyed like Libya, Iraq, or Afghanistan.“What’s involved here is that the Russians have a naval base in Syria, and the Americans don’t want a Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean. And, just as in Libya, the problem was the Chinese oil investments. If Syria goes, Iran is in the target sites, and Lebanon,” he concluded.