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Thursday 11 Feb 2016 - 12:54 Makkah mean time-2-5-1437
Washington, (IINA) - The United States stated on Tuesday that Russian airstrikes have provided Syrian Regime Leader Bashar Al-Assad with much-needed leverage as world powers work to find an end to Syria’s bloody civil war, Anadolu Agency reported.
Speaking to lawmakers at the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Intelligence Agency Director Vincent Stewart said that Moscow’s military support has made Assad “much stronger” than he was six months ago.
“He's in a much stronger negotiating position, and I'm more inclined to believe that he is a player on the stage longer term than he was six months to a year ago,” Stewart said.
Russia began an independent air campaign last September to strike what it calls terrorists in Syria, including ISIS.
However, critics have maintained that Moscow’s attacks, predominantly in the northwest of the country, have primarily been geared toward strengthening Assad’s battlefield positions.
The Syrian army has made strides over the past few months with Russian air cover and the support of allied militias.
Most recently, it has begun to seize positions long held by rebel forces around Aleppo. The gains could serve to provide the Syrian government with the ability to besiege Syria’s second city, opponents warned.
AG/IINA
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