The World - News from May 22, 1988

The Soviet Union is poised to turn its naval repair facility in Syria into a permanent base in a move cementing the military alliance between the two nations, Jane’s Defense Weekly says. The expanded base at Tartus would serve as home for the Soviets’ Mediterranean fleet, the noted British publication said, basing its report on diplomatic sources whom it did not identify. It said the Soviets have used Tartus, about 35 miles north of the Lebanese border, since 1969 as a limited repair and maintenance facility. But their presence increased markedly in 1976 after they were expelled from Egyptian bases.