Russian Syria

From MT:
"Russian Language to Become Compulsory in Syrian Schools"

The Syrian government plans to introduce mandatory Russian-language classes in its schools, Itar-Tass reported Thursday. The Syrian government made the decision following Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin's visit last Saturday to the war-torn republic. Rogozin met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and expressed Moscow's confidence in "the full legitimacy" of the upcoming presidential vote there. Former Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin, who announced the news at the State Duma Thursday, contrasted Russia-Syria relations with the diplomatic turmoil that has arisen from the Ukraine crisis. "We are being pressured in Ukraine, but look at what is happening in Syria," Stepashin said. According to Stepashin, Syria has always been "our [Russia's] real outpost in the Middle East."

^ This reminds me of what happened during the Cold War. The countries (in Asia, Africa, Europe) that received money from the Soviet Union forced its people to learn Russian. Learning Russian (whether it was 30 years ago or today) doesn't really help you unless you travel to Russia. Don't get me wrong I support people learning Russian - I did  - but you still need to be realistic with how you will use the language after you learn it.  Regardless, of politics, English is the only international language that is used in: science, military, economics, tourism, etc. It's clear that the Russian Government is really the only country left that supports the Syrian dictator in his civil war and so making Syrians learn Russian is logical in the sense that Syrians really can't go any other place except Syria or Russia. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-language-to-become-compulsory-in-syrian-schools/501168.html