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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Sharon says Putin told him Russia will sell missiles to Syria | |
| 2005-02-16 | |
| JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Tuesday he has been informed by President Vladimir Putin that Russia will go ahead with the sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, despite Israel's misgivings. Sharon said he is unhappy about Russia's decision. Israel fears the missiles will be supplied to Islamic militant groups in Lebanon. "We are not pleased with the sales of weapons to Syria," Sharon told a news conference. Sharon said he had been promised by Putin in a meeting more than two years ago the missiles would not be sold to Syria. Sharon said he has not yet read Putin's letter, received Tuesday, but he understood "they (the Russians) are going to sell that kind of weapon to the Syrians." "We, of course, worry about that, and don't think that that should have happened. We are in constant contact with the Russians in order to settle this issue and ensure that these weapons don't reach terror organizations located in Lebanon." Syrian President Bashar Assad said after a visit to Moscow last month the missiles would not pose a threat to Israel.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #11 seems like Putin is going back too his communist KGB days don't it? Anything too go against Israel and the US |
| Posted by: Thraing Hupoluper1864 2005-02-16 5:34:12 PM |
| #10 And give us the remote control self-destruct RFID, of course. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-02-16 2:43:39 PM |
| #9 The only way Putin could make up for this is if he discloses to the U.S. exactly how many missles are to be sold, where they're going EXACTLY, who he's selling them to, addresses, phone numbers, serial numbers of each missle, make and model, and if he promises to sell only the ones that don't work so good. |
| Posted by: shellback 2005-02-16 1:04:47 PM |
| #8 All these weapons sales to people with no internal moral control on stopping their use-apparently, the prevailing 21st century business strategy. Sigh. Writing on the wall for our generation. The world is full of Fausts. It isn't blood for oil-it's greatly increased dangers to everyone in the world in exchange for money. |
| Posted by: Jules 187 2005-02-16 11:41:21 AM |
| #7 Strategypage offered this summation on February 6, 2005 By selling to Syria, even via the use of an enormous discount, Russia gets a foreign customer for their new anti-aircraft systems. This makes it easier to sell these systems to other foreign customers. |
| Posted by: Uleper Hupains4886 2005-02-16 11:27:15 AM |
| #6 Leigh, perhaps Russia is using this sale as a cheap missile disposal method. After all, they had a similar contract to supply weaponry to Saddam, again not COD, and will never, ever get paid. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-02-16 7:41:23 AM |
| #5 Sign a Mutual Defense Pact with the Ukraine.That would be a good poke in Putty's eye. |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-02-16 7:31:25 AM |
| #4 The Russians better ask the Syrians to pay COD because... if they plan to pay "on-time" the Syrians might not be around to make good on their debts. |
| Posted by: Leigh 2005-02-16 2:33:55 AM |
| #3 The Chechens are vicious animals, unfortunately, who export terror to the entire region, much to the detriment of those of their people who would much prefer to tend their vegetable gardens in peace. There would be absolutely no gain whatsoever in the short, medium or long term for the U.S. or the War on Terror from supporting such people, regardless of whether or not Putin benefits from our restraint in this matter. More to the point, I think, is that the Iraqis have not forgotten who supported their freedom, and who worked to oppose it. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-02-16 1:31:35 AM |
| #2 What goes around...comes around! Let's see if Sharon or the US has the "balls" to tell Putin that weapons could be negotiated and or sold to the Chechens! Tit for Tat as plain as day, in my book! |
| Posted by: smn 2005-02-16 12:22:25 AM |
| #1 That's cool. We can sell more HARMs to Israel (or use up the USAF inventory). More sales for Raytheon, more profit-sharing for Me. |
| Posted by: jackal 2005-02-16 12:20:01 AM |