Latakia, Syria: The Iranian Navy in the Mediterranean

While all of the world is focused on Japan, Libya, Egypt, and Bahrain, Iran continues its stealthy plans to have a Iranian naval base in the Mediterranean, which it now has. Iran and Syria has just signed an agreement that will allow the Iranians to supplement and enlarge the port facilities at Latakia and allow permanent Iranian warships to be based there. This could never have occurred had Egypt refused to allow the Iranian warships to transit the Suez Canal last month, first time since 1979. Obviously, either Egypt is silently with Iran or oblivious to their deception.

The base will include a large Iranian Revolutionary Guards weapons depot stocked with hardware chosen by the IRGC subject to prior notification to Damascus. Latakia harbor will be deepened, widened and provided with new "coastal installations" to accommodate the large warships and submarines destined to use these facilities. In Lebanon, Hamas, on Feb. 24th, fired several rockets into Israel, as if to "celebrate" the treaty. Iran will have a naval base 287 km from Israel. It is also 72 km from the permanent naval base Russia is building at the Syrian port of Tartous.

Worse, is that our Russian ally, has also signed an agreement which allows Iran to buy the sophisticated surface to ship, Yahkont missile that has a 300 km range and flies so low over the water it cannot be detected.

Iran's naval commander praised the treaty with Syria and indicated this move will cripple Israel. It will be sometime before the Iranian navy in the Med is felt, but it will not take long. As the world focuses on other events, Iran really does continue its plan to destroy Israel and spread their brand of Islam. Russia, is nothing but a whore, selling its advanced weapons for money to anyone, even regimes known for supporting and exporting Jihad. Egypt wants democracy but it will not occur without a political battle with Iran and its own Muslim Brotherhood. Libya will become an angry terrorist state even more so once the rebellion is crushed. Anything the West does now is now too late. Libya, Syria, Iran will become home to terrorists. Iraq and Egypt may follow.