Despite Israeli protests, Russia won't halt arms sale to Syria
Haaretz reported on Friday that PM Benjamin Netanyahu had asked Russian PM Vladimir Putin to cancel the sale of long-range surface-to-sea cruise missiles to the Syrian Army.
By Barak RavidDespite Israel's objections, Russia will not cancel its sale of advanced missiles to Syria, the Kremlin announced on Sunday.
Haaretz reported on Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to cancel the sale of long-range surface-to-sea cruise missiles to the Syrian Army.
Following the Haaretz report, Sergei Prikhodko, a senior adviser to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, told the state-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Moscow would fulfill all agreements it had made with foreign countries and would not halt the deal.
"Lately, some Israeli media outlets have been actively disseminating information distorting Russia's position on the implementation of its obligations to Syria, including in the sphere of military and technical cooperation," Prikhodko said. "I would like to stress that the Russian Federation honors all the agreements that were previously signed between Russia and Syria."
The agreement in question is for P-800 Yakhont missiles, a highly accurate Russian weapon with a 300-kilometer range capable of carrying a warhead of up to 200 kilograms.
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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin |
| Photo by: AP |
Israel is concerned the projectiles could significantly improve the Syrian military's ability to target its naval ships. The Chinese-made C-802 missile Syria currently has is less accurate, has a range of just 102 kilometers and can carry a warhead of no more than 150 kilograms.
Jerusalem also fears the more advanced missiles could fall into the hands of Hezbollah, the Syrian- and Iranian-supported Lebanese militia, which would create a significant threat to naval ships in Israeli ports and the Mediterranean Sea.
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One thing Israel must understand is ME belongs to the Arabs and surely they have the right to protect themselves the best way they can just as Israel is getting far superior weapons. Really weird when reading such an article that Russia must listen to a country which in the first place is an ally of its main opponent... USA. Moreover can you imagine the damage it will cause Russia if contracts are not honoured?
Which Israel bashers are too blinded by their dogma to notice,till it effects them. Then they will blame Israel
BE ON OUR SIDE: even if he would like to, he will not be able to (do otherwise). Not that he wants to do anything [{OTHERWISE}], BUTT: he cannot BE WANTING anything, ELSE! Don't worry about Putin cos he'SS A GOOD GUY JUST LIKE us and we do need him and his friend Medvedev and Rusia too, in this GAME. Let Russia better be the one DOING ALL WHAT OTHERS CANNOT: while it is RUSSIA, WE don't have anything at all to be worrying about!
Israel can sell some pretty fancy weapons as well that will not make Russias next salami foray into Georgia quite such a cakewalk.
right after we cancel ALL AID TO ISRAEL!!!
To the navy ? Well, maybe, tangibly. Remember that in the past wars Arabs did not manage to fire Soviet missiles, so it is no guarantee that Arabs can really use these missiles even when they have them and even when they are allegedly thaught by the Russians how to use them.
Dont be too sure your planes can even come close the next round. Still thinking of '67 wars. This is 21st century..
she's sell her mother for the right price, if she had one.
what about the right price that Georgia has paid for weapons maid in Israel?
Russia Arming Israel's enemies, and for fifty years now.
Were have you been in the mean time? By the way: Israel has no enemies since Israel's neighbours seek peace. Thus its Israel's neighbouring countries that are dealing with a enemy and not the other way around.
So let's get this right israel is allowed to sell weapons to Georgia so that georgia can attack Russia. But Russia cannot sell weapons to Syria because they might attack Israel?
What about the many Russian Advisors and technitions in Egypt prior to the /67 war. Until they were expelled?
....wonder what makes so many posters so happy at imagining what those rockets will do to Israel....the typical post is ...overture of trumpets and drums and curtain goes up and ...." Putin is going to stop Israeli aggression for once and for all. Syria will be loaded with sophisticated weapons, even S-300 missiles and thereafter it will than re-take the Golan Heights" etc.....That's the music they like!
Hope Israel won't wake up in a 'pile of nuclear rubble' to realise that her enemies mean what they say. You are playing into the enemies hands by waiting ... There's an old adage that says 'strike while the iron is hot ..' you many not get the chance again!
Anyone sees potential problems for the US Fifth Fleet as clearly as I do?
You are correct about the threat of Syria supplying Iran with those missiles. Just Google on US Lt. Gen. Paul Van Ripen and you'll how Iran has copied his strategies. Russia is once again a force to reckon with.
to cause the Iranian 5th Fleet serious problems. I wouldn't worry about it a couple of missiles from Syria to iran will make not one iota of difference.
It will take more than the P-800 to sink a carrier. They are a threat to smaller ships maybe but not an aircraft carrier. Iran would also be suicidal to sink a US ship the retaliation would devastate Iran. There are currently 4 carrier groups in the Gulf so plenty of firepower to smash Iran if it came to it.
Iran has had "unstoppable" Mach 3 Sunburn missiles for some years. Even without a warhead the kinetic energy & residual fuel will destroy an aircraft carrier!
Many of the newer weapons are more defensive and for now not a major shift in power but over time, using these as a base that could change the playing field. The number of reactors being built in ME are the greatest danger long term.
us do. Buy the equipment required to protect their ships from this particular threat. I am sure that the American taxpayer will pay the bill.
shhhhhh Israel just shut up and adapt urself with ur new position in the middle east.. to my Syrian brothers why don't u start to build ur military industry u got lots of scientists... why don't u try to invest in ur human being capabilities? why to rely on foreign countries?
Lebanon allowed maggots to sit in your seats of law and look what you have now, another potential loss of life and property due to idiots who will never defeat Israel. Lebanon will become a nuclear wastelnad and, you have these bearded ladie to thank. They will be in hiding as lebanon burns to ashes.
Seem to be generous compared to the ones being drawn up in Washington and Moscow right now. Even with all the "big talk" that some do, it's impossible to overestimate the effect that all the Russian and US spies in the IDF can have.
IOf Syria gets these cruise misiles and trhey can sink ISraeli warships, then Russian warships in dock at Syria Tartus port are also fair game. Putin is playing hardball, and now it needs to know that its assets as long as they are supporting Syrian Militaryn are also exposed.
israel will attack russia. lol
Have you ever heard about Syria protesting because the US are providing the most advenced weaponry to Israel? So why Israel is allowing such a right to itself? May be the whole world should comply with israel's politic and strategic line demands.
Israelis just get what they ask for: wars after wars and conflicts after conflicts. Perhaps there's something wrong with the way Israelis look at the world around them? I am very pleased with the idea that Putin is going to stop Israeli aggression for once and for all. Syria will be loaded with sophisticated weapons, even S-300 missiles and thereafter it will than re-take the Golan Heights. Israelis should stop feeding BS to themselves: you can't get peace and security by starting military conflicts after military conflicts.
Every war fought by ISrael has been at teh provocation of teh Arabs Paul, that is fact. The state actors in teh Area fromn Syria, to Lebanon now that Hizbullah is part of teh government to iran are all irresponsible and armed to teh teeth. There will come a point where their arms will give them teh confiodence to start another war thinking they can win and thuis push Israel pout of Jerusalem , Goman and who knows perhapos even teh Middle east. ISrael will not let that happen. regardless of what Russia sells to Syria, ISraela always has the Sammson option, which trumps anythiong and everything Russia is doing
Alice, senior Israeli military officers have acknowledged that virtually every major military conflict in the history of Israel was started by Israel. You're talking in terms of myths regarding Arab provocations. Just have a look at the 1930's maps produced by the 1st generation of zionists? Nowadays its still the ambition of the zionist movement to achieve a greater 'biblical' Israel. All at the cost of Israel's neighbouring countries and millions of innocent victims.
and I am wondering whether the west is co-operating with Russia by turning a blind eye as Israel's neighbours gets the military hardware to ensure that any Israeli attack will have a cost that Israeli politicians will not wish to pay. As they attack neighbouring states as part of their election campaign.
Putin is going to stop Israeli aggression once and for all? Hilarious. Where have they been the last 63 years? Selling arms to both America's and Israel's enemies and what's it go them? Russia is broke and can't feed her own people. The poorer ones give up their own kids for adoption.
How worried the IDF is in reality is not always the same to how worried they are on the record. The IDF would say they are worried about the Syrian army getting catapults if they thought it would stop them getting anything because all armies like the enemy to be as weak as possible. Israel still has options assuming the IDF is as worried as it claims. They have satellittes & UAVS to fly into Syria undetected which can track where Syria stores these toys and take them out. It can try and find a friendly country who has the system and Israel can practice trying to beat it. Israel might do what it did in 1968 when it snuck into Egypt in the middle of the night dismantled and flew an advanced russian radar to Israel for study and then passed it onto the US so it can learn how to get around the things. Israel can upgrade its own defenses. Israel has always been willing to play dirty which makes it unpredictable in its tactics which gives it an edge. In 1956 when the British & French asked Israel to join a coalition in the Suez war is was more than willing to help because Egypt had just taken delivery of some advanced fighter jets and at the time Israel had no jets so its price was jets from France and it then used those jets to help destroy Egypts before the egyptian pilots learned how to use them to maximum effect. So Israel got its own jets free of charge and it got to destroy Egypts jets at the same time. If it came to war with Syria Israel could win it hands down with or without the P-800. Russia would probably welcome a war because it means when its all over Syria will need to buy more hardware to replace whats been lost.
Actually, you are quite correct. Its really a lot more of protesting, postulating,hot wind, howling and hype. Russia cannot produce a missile that Israel cannot either shoot down, or jam its guidance system. Russia has dropped far below its previous technological advanced benchmark, both in aircraft and missiles. We know why the Saar 5 Corvette was hit in 2006, we also know that could never be repeated. We know that the IAF loiters over Iran,Syria and other countries, that are considered enemies. We also know that neither Syria or Lebanon seek war with Israel. Russia is broke, no money, R&D has dropped.Their latest sea launched missile was a flop. So are the Sukhoi fighters. Even Venezuela has purchased Chinese made fighters in lieu of the technical failures. Russia will sell anything to anybody, which is fine. For technically speaking, they are not near enough to IDF countermeasures. The good old days of the great MIG 23, that were knocked out of the skies in hours are over, the radar you mentioned that weighed over 5 tons was helo/ lifted and sent to Israel c/o Saayeret Matkal. That radar was so modern that is was part of the ABM defense system of the then USSR. Russia is not an enemy of Israel, they are in for money, selling 2 nd generation weapons. Israel makes 4 th generation. Hey, its snowing outside, can you believe it. Shalom ve shavua tov, where the heck are my snowshoes.?
The Russians are just like the Syrians. They are both nations that deal in corpses. Corrupt fat-cats and oligarchs manipulate their economy by selling arms to create violence or political openings for themselves. Both economies are teetering on collapse... and yet they compensate by trying to get geo-political leverage over their opponents. For the Syrians it’s their arch-rival Israel. For the Russians it’s the good old USA. And for Putin... it’s a nostalgic longing of a Soviet Empire once again.
I thought you people are so advanced with your militiry equipment. why scared of misiles from Russia. That is call From Russia With Love. dont you think so Israelis??/heeee
Barack Obama's promise to Muslim community in Cairo, the capital of Egypt was the cause of current Israel's problem. Muslims all over the world were already integrated in our community but Obama came and empowered them with much requests. He made a promise for this and that without knowing the consequences of all those promises. Palestinians now ask for more concessions without giving anything. Well, it is certain that when Obama is voted out of office in the next USA election, things will no-longer be the same, both for Palestinians and Israelis as Iran is bent in having nuclear weapon. I suspect that there will be wars plus wars plus wars all over the Middle East as this region love war.
If it were not for the United States, Israel would have weapons no better than the weapons of Hezbollah
read a little
and i wanna be like him when i grow up..lol, seriously, this man is one of the smartest men in the world, he had to be as an ex FSB commander, not to mention he wants to protect his future investment in the latakia syrian port, the soon to be major port in the M.E of russia.
one need not be a genius to be a killer. one needs to be a genius to hide his crimes. polonium-210 was discovered by the brits.
Polonium was discovered as even name suggests by Polish scientist Maria Sklodowska-Curie in France.
he thought that having hamburgers with medvedev would appease putin, the old kgb hand. he thought that sending envoys to terror supporting syria would rip appart syria's relations with iran. he thought that sending numerous letters of respect to the islamic republic of iran would get iran to give up its nuclear weapons program. it is a fact, however, that all of the above parties understand only force and strength. at least, obama should stop embarrassing himself.
Syria aren't allowed to buy weapons? Why, exactly? After all, the Syrians actually purchase weapons out of their own pocket..... unlike some countries I could name....
He is not the replacement for Ming the Merciless or even Emporer of the UN. He is the President of the US. Bibi's failures to get Russia to bow low are Bibi's failures. Nobody else's. The POTUS does not control Russian military hardware sales and never has. Not even Reagan or Bush (either one) could do that. Only John McCain and you neocons thought Obama was the Messiah. Obama never made the claim.
that is all i was saying. obama is the one who boasted about his diplomatic skills.
will be a guideline for every US President - even for Sarah Palin. You cannot play against all odds all the time. More and more I truly believe that in such times ,Bibi is maybe the next Peace Nobel Price Winner. B&B (Biarack and Bibi)
out of over a fifty posts, i am the only woman(with the exception of maureen). ask yourself why.
Obama is just the tip of the Arab iceberg...isn't he Cipora? Or wait...was it the Arabs or the Muslims?
and explain to me why it is Obama's fault that russia has decided to sell weapons to Syria? Your obsession is bordering on the delusional.
It is time for Israel to sell advance weaponry to countries that Russia would not want them to have.
Like Georgia.... oh wait... really, they already have?
Don't you think Russia is already enough pissed of with Israel? You want Russia do even more stuff to piss of Israel?
Israel has a huge aerial superiority BUT if Syria or/and Lebanon acquire the S-300 or S400 that will be the end of ALL superiority. Israel should hurry to make peace before it's to late. ( I should say, peace at any price ! )
That the S-300 system are defensive systems only, if Israel can stop being an aggressor, it will never have to face them.
If Syria or Lebanon acquired the S-300 or the S-400 Israel will no longer have control of it's own airspace. In fact Netanyahu is complaining because Saudi Arabia purchasing the S-400 will give it the capability from Saudi to close down Israeli airspace.
So the USSR supplied some countries of the world with weapons, and the USA did the same with other countries. That was what the Cold War was all about: a long established, rapidly growing, and immensely profitable business that used governments but eventually transcended politics. Does Bibi expect Putin to give that up? Hardly likely! I wonder what would happen if Assad asked Obama to give up supplying Israel with weapons? It is a cold, cruel world; and governments ran out of ideological excuses a long time ago. Now we are stuck with it. Sins of the fathers, etc.
Russia has been after warm water ports for centuries. Has Israel made a counter-offer? Ukraine and Georgia are not offering Russia long term deals. Geopolitics tends to be global.
if syria gives russia porting privileges such would be detrimental to u.s. maybe you are also thrilled that the russians are shadowing brit trident submarines with the intent of copying their sonar signatures.
Ukraine recently signed a new 100 year lease on Black Sea Russian naval bases. Georgia is run by a US puppet and so would certainly not do anything pro-russian.
I am a realist, not a neocon fantasist. I have also studied history. I find reality more secure than fantasies of world domination. The US has been trailin Russian subs for decades. If the Russians are catching up in sonar tech, it is not entirely surprising. They have engineers and scientists, too. Nobody has or has a right to a monopoly. That is realism too. And Russia started to negotiate for a Syrian port when Cheney was in power. Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. Try some reality for a change. It can change your whole perspective.
you sound like the useless un. i can assure you that the russians definitely want a monopoly, a monopoly of one.
Try a little gratitude instead of bashing it and anyone else who disagrees with you.
israel is the product of her sons and daughters who faught for the land. fully one percent of the nascent jewish state was killed during israel's war of independence. no country with the exception of czekoslovakia was willing to sell weapons to the jewish state.
With high precision weapons, it will be easier to hit military targets as opposed to the current low tech missiles that can only be sent towards a given area hoping for the best, which results in unfortunate and unwished for civilian casualties.
I would be willing to bet that Georgia has already asked to buy some American anti-ship and surface to air missiles too! We should send them right away.
Obama is not Darth Cheney. That is one reason he was elected.
Obamab is an idiot president, an appeaser, a weak kneed vsacilating socialist. FGrankly Amreica is so screwed. The first and last Black president. Study your history well Mark Boyo, because you dont ever want to make teh sam,e mistake of electing another O-frteaking bama again. He was weakened Aerika and strengthened its enemies
The changing demographics of the United States of America tends to poin towards Hispanic and black domination of American politics for the forseeable future. Barack Hussein Obama is in fact the first of many afro-american or Hispanic presidents The neocon fantasy of world domination was found to be just that a delusional dream, on the streets of Iraq. Russia has a right to sell arms to Syria. Israel tried to ask Russia not to and russia stuck up two fingers and told Netanyahu to go away. Live with it, besides what has this particular issue got to do with POTUS it is between Russia and israel.
Sorry I don't write with umlauts. I do appreciate the promotion. O'bama is not the first Irish President, just the first half-Irish one. And the first Irish President was half American. History has many interesting twists.
Was Iron Dome not a failure and an overpriced such? Cheap missiles against very expensive counter missiles will not work in the long run.
All this arming and missiles and stocking weapons are just the beginning of the end of the world. Let the games begin. Let all the nations fire every missile and bombs they have. Let's all do it at the same time. YAAAAAAAAA HOOOOOOOOOO
Israel has a rip roaring weapons manufacturing/export industry! And they don't have to sent to their destination via tunnel!
Israel trained Georgian troops and sold for $500 military hardware to Georgia , some commentors think Israel can mess with the Russian bear, by sinking their fleet in Tartous, such an act would be the end of Israel.
The truth is that Russia is the whore of arms sales. They denied that these were Russian missiles when Israel brought them whole Kornets with their markings captured from Hezbo. But as the Israel Bashers say: What goes around, comes around so Hezbo is probably going to get these weapons as well, but in the big scheme of things it would be a mere nuisance for the Israeli army but will not change the big picture. In military terms, it would mean that Israel will have to take more stringent anti-measures which means that more Hezbanese will die. So go cheer this, Israel bashers. As you say: What goes around, comes around.
Russia wants moneys to improve on it's on ammunitions, it doesn't care about any one else. Russia is building all it's military equipment up for the next war. It has plans to hit Israel it's self in the near future, stated by the Bible.
on which page precisely? I'm afraid I don't really recall any stories about Russia attacking Israel.
and we're all aware of the startlingly accuracy of biblical prophesy! for some, the dark ages continue
Used yet again as Israelis realise they haven't a leg to stand on. The last refuge of a scoundral.
Tel Aviv should stop telling other countries what to do.
Didn't Israel support the Georgians?
Since the west and capitalism won Israel instead of Soviet Russia, they decided to aid and arm the Arab nations in the Middle east frontier of the cold war. They're just continuing their practice.
no peace you will find
Putin will not forget that; Israel supplied Georgian military forces with elite training and arms, a top Russian general was quoted http://www.haaretz.com/news/top-russian-general-israel-armed-trained-georgia-forces-1.252082 "Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia" - Georgia 'started unjustified war' - BBC Considerable military support in terms of equipment and to some extent also training was equally provided by a number of other countries led by Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Israel, the latter contributing in terms of technology and quality rather than quantity, all of them adding to the new military strength of Georgia http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8281990.stm
And all states have weapons
Syria is just an irresponsible state actor who is trying to recapture its former glory so as to put down unrest in its own capitals If Syria loses this next round, Assad and his clan will be huing in tiown square. So he gambles much
it's precise enough to target individual infrastructures like airport control tower, oil refinery, ... etc
Putin wants to test Russian techonology against Israel's high tech at the expense of the lives of belligerents in the region. The Islamist-Jihadists are willing participants to Putin's test as mice do in laboratories. It is time Russia elects leaders who are Democratic and smarter than Putin.
Hey I am one of the ones who dispises Assad , but I think you got it completly wrong to think this Syrian government is stupid , they are anything but stupid to survive the last 7 years of pressure from Bush and EU , they are the real players in the middle east who have influence over every country around them including Istael's dealings with the Palestinians . US figured that out , that is why they've changed there policy . So go study some more to know the facts before you make comments like you did . PEACE!!!!!
Putin just showed the world he is the man and showed us that Israel can not tell us what to do or who to sell
Unfortunately, I also agree with the previous poster. As an American first and foremost, and being a decendant of Arab origins, with my loyalty only to the United States, and despise the Arab political culture with passion, it is impossible to write off Damascus's geopolitical importance and the Role Damascus plays. I truly believe, that our American interests can be better served through regimes like the one in Syria, not a bunch of gragmented and myopic oil sheikhdoms, who are are monkeys in tuxedos.
Thats when it loses iots cool and will as awlays be toof racdtured to makle teh break it needs to win. Syrian troops are not known to be the most stalwart and teh most brave. But time will prove this or not.
why should no one else in the region have the right to defend themselves ?
Cry me a river
it was cleaned up way to quick and there was not enough real security if it was a nuke site, cry ME a river.
no secrecy about it, what about the secrecy of israeli nuclear weapons, why dont they sign the npt? take a guess kid.
It was most definitely a secret nuke facility, absolutely no doubt about. I would not trust a Syrian with a knife and fork, let alone a nuke! And Israel has never threatened to wipe out another country, unlike it's regional neighbour. Israel has survived more than most countries will ever go through in their existence to justify the refusal to sign up to the NPT and maintain a policy of ambiguity. You have a problem with that? Cry me an OCEAN.
no it was not a secret place, go read a book about it, israel makes constant threats against lebanon, iran and syria, they bombed syria facility and they bombed iraq facility with NO PROOF, how about Syria and Iraq bomb israeli nuclear plants? You sir, are a hypocrite!
and syria and lebanon do have a right to protect themselves...you should make more friends, less enemies
When is Israel going to realize that it better off going together in a peace accord with Syria? The rest will follow. Othe than the military establishments, no one in the Middle East wants war, Arabs and Israelis alike. Russia wants to sell weapons, and customers are plenty.
History shows us that when Israel was weak, like in it's re-creation, then the nearby Arab nations attack. But when Israeli showed it's strength and built it's deterrence then they had to sign a peace agreement while others resorted to the use of proxies.
your pathetic cheerleaders have thumbsed you up for your ignorant comment about what chosen means, though, so you should be feeling a warm, fuzzy, conceited version of ignorance right now.