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   From: abigmistake@barackobama.com   
      
   The United States has asked Greece to deny Russia the use of its   
   airspace for supply flights to Syria, a Greek official said on   
   Monday, after Washington told Moscow it was deeply concerned by   
   reports of a Russian military build up in Syria.   
      
   The Greek foreign ministry said the request was being examined.   
   Russian newswire RIA Novosti earlier said Greece had refused the   
   U.S. request, adding that Russia was seeking permission to run   
   the flights up to Sept. 24.   
      
   Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would not give any   
   official reaction until there was a decision from Athens.   
      
   Russia, which has a naval maintenance facility in the Syrian   
   port of Tartous, has sent regular flights to Latakia, which it   
   has also used to bring home Russian nationals who want to leave.   
      
   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told his Russian counterpart   
   Sergei Lavrov on Saturday that if reports of the build-up were   
   accurate, that could further escalate the war and risk   
   confrontation with the U.S.-led alliance that is bombing Islamic   
   State in Syria.   
      
   Lavrov told Kerry it was premature to talk about Russia's   
   participation in military operations in Syria, a Russian foreign   
   ministry spokeswoman told RIA Novosti on Monday.   
      
   Lavrov confirmed Russia had always provided supplies of military   
   equipment to Syria, saying Moscow "has never concealed that it   
   delivers military equipment to official Syrian authorities with   
   the aim of combating terrorism".   
      
   Russia has been a vital ally of President Bashar al-Assad   
   throughout the war that has fractured Syria into a patchwork of   
   areas controlled by rival armed groups, including Islamic State,   
   leaving the government in control of much of the west.   
      
   Foreign states are already deeply involved in the war that has   
   killed a quarter of a million people. While Russia and Iran have   
   backed Assad, rebel groups seeking to oust him have received   
   support from governments including the United States, Saudi   
   Arabia and Turkey.   
      
   The Syrian army and allied militia have lost significant amounts   
   of territory to insurgents this year. Assad said in July the   
   Syrian army faced a manpower problem.   
      
   Russia has been trying to build a wide coalition including   
   Damascus to fight Islamic State, which was reported on Monday to   
   have captured an oil field from government forces near the city   
   of Palmyra.   
      
   But the idea has been rejected by enemies including the United   
   States and Saudi Arabia, who see Assad as part of the problem.   
      
   A senior U.S. official told Reuters on Saturday that U.S.   
   authorities have detected "worrisome preparatory steps,"   
   including transport of prefabricated housing units for hundreds   
   of people to a Syrian airfield, that could signal that Russia is   
   preparing to deploy heavy military assets there.   
      
   The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Moscow's   
   exact intentions remained unclear but that Kerry called Lavrov   
   to leave no doubt about the U.S. position.   
      
   A Syrian military official has said Syrian-Russian military   
   relations have witnessed a "big shift" in recent weeks.   
      
   ENLARGING RUNWAYS IN THE NORTH   
      
   The United States and Turkey are planning to open a new front   
   against Islamic State in an area of northern Syria near the   
   border with Turkey. They aim to drive the jihadists from the   
   area with the help of rebels on the ground.   
      
   A Lebanese newspaper reported on Monday that Russian military   
   experts who arrived in Syria weeks ago have been inspecting air   
   bases and working to enlarge some runways, particularly in the   
   north, though Moscow had yet to meet a Syrian request for attack   
   helicopters.   
      
   As-Safir, citing a Syrian source, said there had been "no   
   fundamental change" in Russian forces on the ground in Syria,   
   saying they were "still operating in the framework of experts,   
   advisers, and trainers".   
      
   As-Safir said the Russians had "started moving towards a   
   qualitative initiative in the armament relationship for the   
   first time since the start of the war on Syria, with a team of   
   Russian experts beginning to inspect Syrian military airports   
   weeks ago, and they are working to expand some of their runways,   
   particularly in the north of Syria."   
      
   The newspaper, which is well-connected in Damascus, said nothing   
   had been decided about "the nature of the weapons that Damascus   
   might receive, though the Syrians asked to be supplied with more   
   than 20 Russian attack helicopters, of the Mi-28 type".   
      
   French President Francois Hollande, who announced on Monday   
   France would begin reconnaissance missions over Syria, said it   
   was important to talk to all countries that support a political   
   transition in Syria, including Russia.   
      
   When asked to comment on the reports of Russian military aid to   
   Syria, he said:   
      
   "Russia is an ally of the regime, but it doesn't mean that   
   Russia is an unwavering supporter of Bashar al-Assad. We will   
   have discussions. What Russia wants is to also find a solution."   
      
   Germany also voiced concern on Monday about reports that Russia   
   was moving toward a military build-up in Syria.   
      
   A Syrian military official declined to comment on the details of   
   As-Safir's report, but reiterated previous comments that Syrian-   
   Russian military ties had witnessed a "big shift" in recent   
   weeks.   
      
   The official said the Russian shift was prompted by the danger   
   represented by Islamic State and other groups fighting the   
   Syrian state.   
      
   "It is obvious that the Russians will be more resolute in   
   dealing with this situation. This forms a danger to the allies   
   of Russia," the official said.   
      
   (Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris, Sylvia Westall in   
   Beirut, Gabriela Baczynska in Moscow,; Editing by Janet McBride   
   and Giles Elgood)   
      
   http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/07/us-mideast-crisis-   
   syria-russia-idUSKCN0R70WT20150907   
        
      
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