TWILIGHT OF EMPIRE: Russian military has begun large-scale withdrawal from Syria, US and Western officials say. “Without a Libyan port, and if they are forced to abandon Tartus in Syria, the Russians would be left without a Mediterranean sea port to project power on NATO’s southern flank, the official said. The loss of Tartus, even temporarily, will also make it harder for Russia to move illicit materials between Russia and Africa, the defense official said.”