Russian embrace of Syria tightens, but for what purpose?

Syria denied on Friday that it was considering hosting an advanced Russian missile system, a day after President Bashar Assad held talks with Russian officials about upgrading his country's military.

Syria's state news agency said deployment of Iskander missiles, which Moscow says are capable of defying any missile defense, was not on the agenda of talks between Assad and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at a Black Sea resort on Thursday.

Russian media had quoted Assad as saying that Syria was ready to negotiate deployment of the surface-to-surface mid-range missiles, which can also reach Israel.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that Russia was prepared to sell Syria "defensive weapons which are not breaking the regional balance of power."

Syria is interested in Russia's Pantsyr-S1 air defense missile system, the BUK-M1 surface-to-air medium-range missile system and aircraft, Russian agency Interfax quoted a diplomat as saying.

Commentators say they believe the rapprochement between Syria and Russia was aimed mainly at pressuring Israel vis-a-vis its indirect talks with Syria.

In an article posted yesterday on the Asia Times Web site, Syrian political analyst Sami Moubayed, wrote that the concern in Jerusalem is "playing nicely into the hands of Syria, which is using it to strengthen its ties with an old and resurrected friend, send messages to a traditional foe [Israel], and pressure the United States into changing course over Damascus."

U.S. Syria expert Joshua Landis wrote in his blog Syriacomment.com that "Syria's bad negotiating position is leading it to look for more weapons and to try to grow more teeth before returning to the table with Israel," adding, "Both Assad and Hezbollah are hoping to get new weapons systems from Russia and greater diplomatic backing." But despite the preoccupation with weapons, he asserts that all eyes are on the peace process.

	Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad, during a meeting in Russia last week. (AP)