After nearly two years of conflict and 117,000 displaced Syrians UPI reports Syrian President Bashar Assad and his family have left the country and live aboard a warship manned with Russian security.
UPI cites an Al-Watan report claiming Assad's family are somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea and that the semi-deposed president travels back to the country by helicopter for meetings and receptions.
When he flies to his embattled country, the president lands at undisclosed locations and is transported to the presidential palace under heavy guard, the sources said. The Russian-guarded warship provides a safe environment for Assad, who has lost confidence in his own security detail, the report said.
Assad's presence on the warship suggests he has been granted political asylum by Russia but there has been no official comment from Moscow, the newspaper said. Assad's presence on the ship could be a sign of looming negotiations on the conflict in Syria, the report said.
While negotiations continue stumbling toward a beginning, Assad can take little comfort in the rebels growing proficiency with surface-to-air missiles. Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) have been appearing with great frequency among rebel forces and it only takes one shot to take down a helicopter flying in off the coast.
Assad may take some comfort residing offshore, but if the reports are true, that ride back in must be tense.
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