Russia and Syria get cozy

[Buzzard 72 0]

A little article:

 

TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND

Russia and Syria sign major weapons deal

U.S., Israel upset at Moscow's new alliance

 

 

Posted: January 28, 2005

1:50 am Eastern

 

 

By Aaron Klein

© 2008 WorldNetDaily.com

 

 

 

Russia and Syria this week signed a major weapons agreement in addition to the energy and trade deal the two countries reportedly reached Wednesday, prompting American and Israeli officials to privately voice concern over Russia's assistance to countries accused of aiding the insurgency in Iraq.

 

Russian president Vladimir Putin and Syrian president Bashar Assad signed a military cooperation agreement that enables Russia to upgrade Syria's military and sell Damascus advanced arms.

 

Among the first weapons transferred is the sale of an advanced anti-aircraft missile system mounted on armored personnel carriers, according to sources.

 

The system is highly effective against low-flying aircraft and cruise missiles, and the mobility offered by the carriers renders the new missiles difficult to detect prior to launch. A deal in the works may also provide Syria with advanced surface missiles capable of engaging multiple targets at once.

 

Assad was in Russia this week to discuss ways of strengthening ties with the former Soviet Union and to request debt-forgiveness.

Putin pledged joint business ventures, including projects focusing on the development of oil and gas resources in Syria, and agreed to write-off 73 percent of Syria's $13.4 billion debt to Russia.

 

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, who participated in talks with Assad, said Moscow is ready to cooperate with Syria "in every direction," including facing "new challenges and threats" in the Middle East region.

 

But U.S. and Israeli officials have been urging Russia to limit the scope of its new military pact with Syria and have expressed concern the weapons could be passed to Hezbollah or to insurgents for use against U.S. forces in Iraq.

 

Insurgents have been spotted crossing the Syria-Iraq border, and the U.S. says it has substantial intelligence Syria has been providing fighters with funds, weapons and intelligence information. Several detained insurgents have confessed to receiving Syrian support.

 

Israeli officials have an added gripe. Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin reported last week Israel is upset its own technology may be incorporated in the systems for sale to Syria.

 

A source in Jerusalem said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon became alarmed as intelligence reports accumulated showing Russia not only is interested in selling hardware to the Syrians, but has been using as bait supposed secretive, growing technological and scientific ties with Israel.

 

One report reveals the Russians had offered similar proposals to the Iranians and in so doing were blatantly breaching one-by-one weapons agreements and understandings achieved with Israel over the past five years.

 

The new weapons deal with Syria underscores fears Russia has been aligning itself with regimes working to destabilize American interests in the Middle East, particularly Iran, which intelligence indicates is the primary state sponsor of the Iraq insurgency.

 

Russia has been the main provider to Iran of nuclear technology and facilities. Moscow claims its nuclear cooperation with Tehran is confined exclusively to civilian nuclear plant construction, such as a previous deal for the construction and supply of Iran's Beshehr reactor.

 

But sources say Russia has embarked on a government-sponsored nuclear and missile technology transfer program that could provide Iran with the ability to produce nuclear bombs in one to three years. They say Russia still is contemplating providing Tehran with rods that are able to enrich uranium, a deal that was first reported last September.

 

Earlier this month, Russia reportedly installed a mobile radar system to protect the Bushehr nuclear reactor, and similar systems allegedly are in the works for other Iranian nuclear facilities, with a site in central Iran being fitted for the system. The portable units are designed to detect low, medium and high altitude incoming missiles, and would complicate any attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

 

Sources told WND operators of the Beshehr plant arrived earlier this month at a nuclear training center in Novovoronezh, Russia, where they have been receiving instruction on facility operation.

 

Iran has been directly connected to violence in Iraq. An agent of Iran's elite Jerusalem Force was arrested this week in Iraq's Diyala province carrying money and planning attacks against U.S.

 

The Iranian agent reportedly revealed during interrogation the location of a group of other Iranian agents working with them and admitted to having smuggled the group and their weapons through the Iran-Iraq border, avoiding security controls.

 

The arrest followed the confession last week of Col. Muayed Al-Nasseri, an insurgent leader and former head of Saddam Hussein's "Army of Muhammad," who told U.S. interrogators Iran was the principle financier of the insurgency in Iraq.

 

The U.S. has been attempting to formulate an appropriate policy to temper Russia's alliances with Iran and Syria. According to officials familiar with the talks, the U.S. has offered Russia different possible compensations in return for severing nuclear dealings with Iran including financial packages, agreeing to the Russian import of nuclear waste from Taiwan, South Korea or Japan, and even having NASA contract certain services from the Russians. But the offers were not effective.

 

One source said Bush is being pressured into warning Russia in a summit next month with Putin that relations with the U.S. are dependent on its cutting ties with Iran and Syria.

 

"Russia is trying to gain a foothold in the Middle East by lining itself up with Syria and Iraq," said the source. "This is part of a new global order being oriented after September 11 and with America staking out its position in the war on terror. U.S. policy on Russia needs to be updated to reflect this."

 

 

 

Whooppeee!!!!

[+Typhoid 231]

what a surprise..........!

 

[Nesher 628]

ahhh nuke them all... LOL

 

i tell.. sometimes i don't know whether to laugh or cry :|

what does the russians think when they give a**holes weapons and technology? hope it will bite them back hard in the a$$

[Roopod 0]

We see how Russia supports countries that sponsor terrorist acts in the world. The two main sponsors of terrorism are now Syria and Iran. Who wants to sell them top of the line weapon systems? It is Russia. China and North Korea are also major contributers. Axis of evil, oh yeah. Now when I go to the store I'll try my best not to sponsor these countries by buying their products.

Russian - Syrian arms deal:

-Related Story Here-

Big Russian flotilla heads for Syrian port

-Story Here-

I wonder what gilfts they'll bring?

Edited August 23, 2008 by Roopod

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

Ummm... this article is three and a half years old. They do realise that Dimitriy Medvedev is President now and Vladamir Putin is the PM, yeah...?

 

Seriously though, I wouldn't rely on Debkafile for reliable information as they have had their credibility question a few times for resembling a blog more often and only catering to (and relying on sources from) news stories that appeal to the far right conservative elements in the US. Just like I wouldn't rely on the Jerusalem Post and their story around this time last year that the IRIAF had penned a deal for 200-250 Su-30s from Russia.

[dsawan 624]

They gotta make money somehow!

[Stick 773]

Have the Syrians procured the SU-27 and MiG-31 yet?

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

Have the Syrians procured the SU-27 and MiG-31 yet?

 

They've allegedly inked a deal with Russia for 8 Mig-31Es, but there's no word on when they're being delivered, if they have been delivered; Whether or not they'll be conversions of existing aircraft or new builds, or anything really. I've heard delivery dates for 2009, but I've never seen it confirmed though.

[serverandenforcer 33]

And considering the role of the aircraft, there really isn't much point for them to get one anyways.

[Stick 773]

Oh no...remember Operation Orchard;any self respecting air-force would want to up the ante-if theres any plane that could take on the Eagle its the Flanker, the Fulcrum having proved itself far below par.

The Mig-31 if used in conjunction with an AWACS would prove to be quite a threat-typically say a flight of 4 Foxhounds on HiCAP with a Mainstay at say 40000ft, another flight of 4 Flankers down in the dirt below 500ft, and say a flight of 4 Fishbeds or Foxbats as bait sent out 50 miles ahead at 20000ft. If the IDF should engage then I'd answer with Amos missiles followed by Flankers. Of course the efficacy of such a strategy is quite doubtful given the standard of training and reliability of equipment.

Trouble is they dont fly these planes the way they should be flown.

A little note here- Im not a supporter of either Syria or Iran or infact any Islamic nation(Islam being the only religion in the world that justifies recourse to violence), but Id also like to say that terrorism today is largely a part of bad American politics during the 70's and 80's. American condescension can be a very nasty thing to tolerate and if you have some distorted version of the Koran being drilled into you whether you are bending over for namaz at a mosque or studying at a madrasa amid terrible squalor and utter decrepitude that your elders and teachers attribute to Western decadence it becomes very difficult to distinguish logically what the true cause of a problem is.

Edited August 24, 2008 by Stick

[+X RAY 83]

Now they got money for their gaz and oil...and mafia...and is logical they show muscles

But they better stay calm..Russia isn't the cold war era superpower

Their impressive submerine (from that time) is reduced to the bone-and is better for the crew don't sail (kursk sink) than many of their nuclear engines now is decaying or was selled to....somebody who wears a dinner jacket?

Last year-in response for the U.S. anti missile shield they've said that starts back strategic bomber flights-one week later 2 crashes!-

 

China now is a real big superpower and Russia fears it mooooore than the space shield!!!!

 

and for their technology to the Syrians....

Israeli tested last year I think with over border missions-and swiftly passed on by!

 

Israel haven't nothing to fear,others must fear Israel!

[JediMaster 451]

Just once I'd like to see the leader of some major nation called Putin a big baby.

"WAAAHHHH! We want influence there!!! WAAAAHHHH!!!!" The short-sightedness they've been displaying lately is stunningly awful.