Russia: Military Planes Carry Materials For Syrian Tent Camp

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

By BASSEM MROUE and MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) -- Russian military cargo planes have taken supplies to Syria to set up a tent camp for more than 1,000 refugees, Russia's Defense Ministry said Saturday as the main Syrian opposition group blasted Moscow over its military presence in the Arab country.

U.S. President Barack Obama has expressed concern about Russia's increased military activity in Syria, particularly at an air base near the coastal city of Latakia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Russia is airlifting weapons to Syria, a longtime ally, and Russian troops are training the Syrian army on how to use them.

Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Saturday the humanitarian aid included materials for setting up a tent camp, including beds, mattresses, stoves, water cisterns and food.

The Syrian National Coalition condemned what it called "direct Russian military intervention," describing such a step as "hostile behavior." The coalition's statement said the Russian intervention puts Moscow in a position that is "hostile to the Syrian people and turns its forces in Syria to occupation forces."

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RUSSIA_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-09-12-12-38-54

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. The Syrian National Coalition is a bad joke.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-15798218

With more support from the West and Qatar than inside the country.

It would rather engage in more fruitless blood-letting than negotiate an end to the war.

It has some members of the FSA, but the FSA also includes the Al Nusra Front and various other jihadi factions. Not all of them pay much heed to the National Coalition.

It hasn't managed to actually do anything.

[jtuck004]

2. Oh, yeah, ok. How about the Syrian National Coalition go standin between the aid and the

refugees and explain it to them.

[840high]

3. We need to stay out of this.

[CountAllVotes]

4. We are in it already

The USA has agreed to take 10,000 refugees.

I have no problem with this but I don't think we should become engulfed in it on any level at all.

It is a sad/tragic situation at best and everyone needs to try to help in some small way that they can, be it a nickel given to a refugee fund or go so far as to provide a home.