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This R&D provides resources on Russian foreign policy in Syria.  Syria has long been a client state of Vladimir Putin’s regime and Russia has a naval base at Tartus, which is its only naval facility on the Mediterranean.  Putin argues that Western intervention has made the Syrian Civil War worse, making parallels to how Western intervention in Libya destabilized that nation’s political and social order.  In recent weeks, Russia has increased support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, sending more tanks, artillery, and military personnel.  The Pentagon also postulates that Russia could be building a forward air base near the port of Latakia.