Russia: We will provide Syria with advanced missiles, despite Israeli protests

[Stark]

Russia plans to go ahead with its sale of advance anti-ship rockets, state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Russian Defense Minster Anatoly Serdyukov as saying on Friday, despite recent attempts by U.S. and Israeli officials to thwart the planned deal.

The deal involves the sale of advanced P-800 Yakhont supersonic cruise missiles to the Syrian military, weaponry which Israel considers as capable of posing significant danger to its navy vessels in the Mediterranean Sea.

Last month, Haaretz reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had tried to sway his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, from completing the deal, reportedly saying the missiles could be transferred to Hezbollah and used against IDF troops, as was the case in the Second Lebanon War.

Speaking Friday, however, the Russian defense minister indicated that Russia would indeed go forward with the 2007 contract, saying that "the issue of selling the missiles to Syria was raised during the talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates... Undoubtedly, it [the contract] would be fulfilled by the Russian side."

Responding to the Haaretz report last month, Sergei Prikhodko, a senior adviser to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, told 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."

In his talks with Putin last month, Netanyahu indicated Syria's transfer of advanced Russian anti-tank missiles to Hezbollah during the 2006 war, also mentioning the incident in which Syrian-acquired Chinese-made C-802 anti-shipping missiles were used by Hezbollah to target an Israeli destroyer.

Earlier this month, Defense Minister Ehud Barak made another reported attempt to stop the planned arms deal in conversations with both Putin and the Russian defense minister during his official visit to Russia

[Razboj]

Bussines is bussines...USA can support Georgia - Russia can support Syria...

[Spieler]

I can not understand all that butthurting about this missles. They are DEFENCE systems. So if you won't strike Syria this missles won't hit your ships. The same thing with different SAM systems.
Also saying that this systems could get to the terrorist hands is big BS. It is not simple as AK or RPG. They are very complicated systems wich sometimes you have to learn for several years to operate them in high military schools.

[Yono]

I can not understand all that butthurting about this missles. They are DEFENCE systems. So if you won't strike Syria this missles won't hit your ships. The same thing with different SAM systems.
Also saying that this systems could get to the terrorist hands is big BS. It is not simple as AK or RPG. They are very complicated systems wich sometimes you have to learn for several years to operate them in high military schools.

The last part of your quote isn't very accurate....Second Lebanese war pops into mind...

[Yono]

Bussines is bussines...USA can support Georgia - Russia can support Syria...

I am not very sure how you can compare Georgia to Syria...many very,very big differences which change everything.

[ianstone]

The commies are back hell bent on pissing us off

[KGCNC]

Did anyone actually think Russia would back out of it? Ya huh..

[Scott]

Did anyone actually think Russia would back out of it? Ya huh..

Russia backing out of anything is hard to beleive.... i didn't expect Russia to pull out of this contract no matter what the US and other Countries says, Putin has his own mind and sticks his 2 fingers up at the rest of us :D

i like Putin but hes still a idiot.

[LJFHutch]

If only the US and RU would help eradicate the extremists instead of continuing the cold war I'd be very happy :|

[Yono]

If only the US and RU would help eradicate the extremists instead of continuing the cold war I'd be very happy :|

Russia has their own band of hard core extremists to take care of...but still, it would be nice to see the tension die down.

[Devious187]

crazy ass world we live in

[DefensorFortis]

Bussines is bussines...USA can support Georgia - Russia can support Syria...

Georgia- Democratic nation, facing threat from separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia supported by Russians who just so happen to be occupying territory of Georgia years after their invasion to protect so called "citizens" after Russian and sepatarist forces attacked Georgian villages before the war to provoke Georgia into a trap.

Syria- Less than Democratic nation, which still hates Israel's guts and has ambitions to procure weapons of mass destruction, who also supports terrorist groups and allows it's citizens and foreginers to go into to Iraq to carry out terrorist attacks against innocent civilians and U.S. troops trying to rebuild that country and improve the lives of Iraqis.

I rest my case :P

[eaglethebeagle]

Well the US can go ahead and revisit selling anti missile technologies now.

Of course obama is the pussy that stopped that.

[Tolgy]

Georgia- Democratic nation, facing threat from separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia supported by Russians who just so happen to be occupying territory of Georgia years after their invasion to protect so called "citizens" after Russian and sepatarist forces attacked Georgian villages before the war to provoke Georgia into a trap.

Syria- Less than Democratic nation, which still hates Israel's guts and has ambitions to procure weapons of mass destruction, who also supports terrorist groups and allows it's citizens and foreginers to go into to Iraq to carry out terrorist attacks against innocent civilians and U.S. troops trying to rebuild that country and improve the lives of Iraqis.

I rest my case :P

Georgia - A democratic country thats run by a fucking nut job who got his ass handed to him by Russia because he thought NATO would support him in South Ossetia.

Syria - You're partly right about, except for the nuclear part.

Anyway, I pretty much knew Russia wouldnt back off, fact is they'd sign the contract just to piss the US off.

[Arab Solidarity]

About Syria, I know that place well and it's very stable. I would actually say that some American cities are far more perilous than it. Now, its true that Syrians hate Israeli guts (since a young age) because of the Golan occupation (six day war) but the country has absolutly no intention in building any sort of WMD. For the 'terrorism' issue, first you must define the word and think a little. I hate it when people say "arab" and they automaticaly think terrorism, this is modern and effective western propaganda. If you watched a movie called "House of Saddam", you'd realize that Iraq was better off without the American INVASION that caused all the destruction and disarray.

[MadeInRu]

Georgia- Democratic nation, facing threat from separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia supported by Russians who just so happen to be occupying territory of Georgia years after their invasion to protect so called "citizens" after Russian and sepatarist forces attacked Georgian villages before the war to provoke Georgia into a trap.

Syria- Less than Democratic nation, which still hates Israel's guts and has ambitions to procure weapons of mass destruction, who also supports terrorist groups and allows it's citizens and foreginers to go into to Iraq to carry out terrorist attacks against innocent civilians and U.S. troops trying to rebuild that country and improve the lives of Iraqis.

I rest my case :P

Georgia is a democratic nation?


Have you been there lately sir? It's pretty much same us Russia if not worser and on top of that it's being ruled by a maniac.

[Toki]

About Syria, I know that place well and it's very stable. I would actually say that some American cities are far more perilous than it. Now, its true that Syrians hate Israeli guts (since a young age) because of the Golan occupation (six day war) but the country has absolutly no intention in building any sort of WMD. For the 'terrorism' issue, first you must define the word and think a little. I hate it when people say "arab" and they automaticaly think terrorism, this is modern and effective western propaganda. If you watched a movie called "House of Saddam", you'd realize that Iraq was better off without the American INVASION that caused all the destruction and disarray.

Then why was Syria a hub and training ground for terrorists who flooded into Iraq during the beginning and middle of the war?

[Arab Solidarity]

Then why was Syria a hub and training ground for terrorists who flooded into Iraq during the beginning and middle of the war?

1. Is your source reliable about Syria being a training ground for ''terrorists''
2. Who were those "terrorists" trained by? The Syrian government? I highly doubt that. Besides, those men began entering Iraq and the bombings started coincidentaly when the Americans invaded. Makes you think... Those armed men maybe entered Iraq to repel the invader? Perhaps. But if you look at the history of Iraq for the past decade, you'd realize that the country only became dangerous when the Americans invaded, wich prooves that the Iraqis want the Americans out and that the US Army failed to keep the nation stable and safe.
"A man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter"
Excuse me if I drifted away from the topic.

[b__Rad]

It shows how arrogant Russia really is!!! They sell weapons to Islamic regimes yet wonder why the Islamists attack them. Islam has no friends unless you are Islamic so Putin better get used to the veiled women it's a coming in Russia Always a dumb move in store when fun boy Putin and Medeyev are in control....

[Arab Solidarity]

It shows how arrogant Russia really is!!! They sell weapons to Islamic regimes yet wonder why the Islamists attack them. Islam has no friends unless you are Islamic so Putin better get used to the veiled women it's a coming in Russia Always a dumb move in store when fun boy Putin and Medeyev are in control....

Syria is a secular country (such as the US), it favors no religon inspite a big muslim population. ISLAMIC means extreamist, fanatics who comit acts in the name of god. This isn't the case of Syria. if you think Islam has no friends, then the whole world must have gone crazy because of the millions of people who have converted over the years other than naturaly born muslims (Cat Stevens and many others). Russia sells arms to Syria and other boycotted countries (by the US), because no other country will (and maybe to tease America a bit). It's a good buisness! It shows how ignorant some people really are!!!

[nastyleg]

About Syria, I know that place well and it's very stable. I would actually say that some American cities are far more perilous than it. Now, its true that Syrians hate Israeli guts (since a young age) because of the Golan occupation (six day war) but the country has absolutly no intention in building any sort of WMD. For the 'terrorism' issue, first you must define the word and think a little. I hate it when people say "arab" and they automaticaly think terrorism, this is modern and effective western propaganda. If you watched a movie called "House of Saddam", you'd realize that Iraq was better off without the American INVASION that caused all the destruction and disarray.

Ok i got a documentory for you. Uncle Saddam. Terrorism: the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion(Meriam Dictonary),the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear(Princeton Dictonary) Terrorist:a radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities(Princeton Dictonary)

[Arab Solidarity]

Ok i got a documentory for you. Uncle Saddam. Terrorism: the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion(Meriam Dictonary),the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear(Princeton Dictonary) Terrorist:a radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities(Princeton Dictonary)

Then that means that medieval crusaders were terrorists as well, right? Israel's blocade over Gaza must also be terrorism because they are oppressing civilians by bombing them and claiming that the land is historicaly and religiously their's.
Thanks for the proof that not only muslims are terrorist!

[Yono]

Then that means that medieval crusaders were terrorists as well, right? Israel's blocade over Gaza must also be terrorism because they are oppressing civilians by bombing them and claiming that the land is historicaly and religiously their's.
Thanks for the proof that not only muslims are terrorist!

Uh yeah about that, just last friday two terrorists climbed over a fence in the Village of Itamar in souther Israel, and murded both parents and 3 out of 6 children IN THEIR SLEEP.
THAT is terrorism. A blockade against a faction you are at war with IS NOT UNDER THE DEFINITION OF TERRORISM.

It'll go down in history that we didn't bomb buses, we didn't stab families in their sleep, we didn't go on shooting sprees in schools, we didn't use suicide bombers. It'll go down in history that the proud soldiers of the IDF, wearing the uniform of the IDF fought to the best of their abilities and made mistakes and god knows horrifying mistakes were made, but they were mistakes not purposeful killings that your so called "oppresed Gazan civilians" make. And this goes for all armies trying to defend their homeland from MONSTERS who would spring at any chance to kill as many women and children as possible.
I'm proud to be who I am and I am proud that we are allies with countries like America, Great Britian and all other true democratic nations, because when the shit hits the fan I know that soldiers of these countries will be in front of the children, not behind them.
GOD BLESS all those brave men and women fighting for a safer tomorrow, I may not be a soldier but I sure as hell respect them and acknowledge what they do AND WHEN PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARAB SOLIDARITY try to make scum look innocent, well it pisses me off. So you can go dance with your fellow "peace loving freedom fighters" and treat your women like shit, feed your childrens brain with hate and propaganda and kill in the name of your peace-loving god. Peace fucking out.
/rant over