Context
Russia has sent three warships into Syrian territorial waters outside Tartus post. Reports suggest the ships were on operations duty along the coasts to prevent any foreign intervention including Nato’s into Syria.
Moscow is determined to ensure that no country intervenes in Syria, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accusing Western nations of “political provocation”. Arab sources also claim atleast two of the flotillas’ are equipped to gather intelligence, and can engage in electronic warfare.
The region has become a point of great contention for world powers. Gunboat diplomacy has escalated in the Mediterreanean and Persian Gulf, with Washington matching Russian fleets with its own; Two Ameican carriers were stationed opposite the Iranian coast earlier this week. Canadian Defense Minister Peter McKay also announced that in the light of the Syrian crisis, the Royal Canadian Navy would continue to be stationed in the Mediterranean until the end of 2012.
