Russia Says Ready To Supply Syria With Defensive Weapons

[Purveyor]

Source: RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, August 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is ready to supply Syria with defensive weapons, the Russian foreign minister said on Thursday following a meeting between the two countries leaders in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.

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"We are ready, and Dmitry Medvedev has confirmed this, to review a Syrian request to purchase new types of weapons," Sergei Lavrov said following the meeting between Medvedev and Assad.

"We will supply Syria primarily with weapons of a defensive nature that will not disturb the strategic balance in the region," he added.

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Israeli media reported on Monday that Russia was planning to deploy Iskander surface missiles in Syria and its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, in response to a proposed U.S. missile shield in Central Europe and arm sales by the U.S. and Israeli to Georgia.

When asked if Syria, a major importer of Russian weapons, would agree to consider the Russian air defense offer, Assad said: "In principle, yes. We have not yet thought about it." The issue of installing Iskander missile-defense systems had been raised by Syria several years ago he added.

Read more: http://en.rian.ru/world/20080821/116199385.html

[Bonhomme Richard]

1. Tag. Your'e it.

It's a dangerous game that bush, cheney, and rice are playing.
And take in all their other successes...we could be screwed.

[Andy823]

2. Problem is

Those assholes don't car if we are "screwed"! This game is to benefit McCain, and if he still can't get elected, then they leave a hornets nest for Obama to take care of. They don't give a damn about this country, only their goal to take over the world and start their "new world order" where the rich have it all and the rest of us are their slaves!

[David__77]

3. Russia has the power to really change the strategic balance.

The US thinks it can up the ante with Poland and this so-called "shield." Russia can certainly reinvigorate old alliances with Syria, Libya, North Korea and forge new ones with Venezuela, Bolivia, among others. It has very advanced military technology, and may decide that its interests are served by selling or giving it to its allies.

[seasat]

4. Bush/McCain can cause so much havoc in such a short time

We've got Bush in the White House encouraging a cold war with his missile defense boon doggle while McCain attacks Russia from the field. Putin is more than willing to play along because it helps him consolidate power while Bush/McCain benefits in the same way. The result is another military arms race that benefits only corporate interests. The Russian corporates benefit by selling weapons to Iran and Syria along with high oil prices while the US corporates benefit from the same. It's amazing how blind the general public is to what is going on.

[Supersedeas]

5. Georgia attacks Ossetia, Russia retaliates, US supplies Poland, Russia supplies Syria

Your move Condi.

That must have been one hell of a meeting that you had with the President of Georgia in July.

[Frisbee]

6. Doesn't Bush...

believe in End of Days, The Last Days or what ever, and WANT to see Armageddon? Hell, he just may get it before he leaves office. This is a VERY dangerous game they are playing, and I don't see either side wanting to be the first to blink.

[HereSince1628]

7. Deja vu Dimitry plays tit for tat just like Kruschev

Very reminiscent of the time when Americans put missles in Turkey, the soviets put missles in Cuba.

That only led to the most dangerous threat of nuclear exchange ever. I guess Cheney is working again on having a legacy.

[Dover]

8. U.S,/Israel have supplied and trained Georgia's military, and plans a missile shield in Poland.

Russia says it will supply Syria with military weapons. And then there's NATO membership issues,
and the fact that the U.S. is being shut out of the oil market. Tit for tat, tat for tit.

None of it surprising.

[Silentobserver]

9. Well said people! For you all will be counted among...

...those who spoke up when others kept quiet. For you folks will not be judged like the Germans were, for not speaking up against the Nazis!

[dazzlerazzle]

10. legacy grows

The return of the cold war - what a legacy item!

[bemildred]

11. Israel warns Russia over weapons sale to Syria

Russia promised to consider the sale of "defensive" weapons to Syria during a visit to the country by President Bashar Assad.

But in response to the visit, Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, said: "It is in nobody's interest to destabilise the region."

She warnedthat Syria's continued links to the Iranian-sponsored Hizbollah militia in Lebanon meant weapons could fall into unexpected and "dangerous" hands.

"It is a mutual interest of Russia, of Israel and of the pragmatic leaders and states in the region not to send long-range missiles to Syria," she said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/2597515/Israel-warns-Russia-over-weapons-sale-to-Syria.html

[bemildred]

12. U.S. to Syria: Do not meddle in Russia-Georgia conflict

Senior U.S. officials severely criticized Syria on Thursday after Syrian President Bashar Assad voiced his country's support of Russia in its military conflict with Georgia, saying that Syria should keep out of issues that don't pertain to them.

The officials suggested that Syria refrain from meddling in the affairs of other nations, "such as Georgia," Channel 10 reported Thursday. They added that Syria should remain focused on its own problems in the Middle East and keep trying to achieve peace in the region.

Earlier Thursday, Assad backed Russia's military action against Georgia at talks with President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday. Syria, a foe of Israel in the Middle East which stands accused by the United States of supporting international terrorism, is only the second country after Belarus to voice public support for Russia's military operation in Georgia.

"We understand the essence of the Russian position and its military response," Assad told Medvedev at the start of their meeting in the Kremlin leader's Black Sea residence, Bocharov Ruchei.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1014074.html