Russia to sell Syria cruise missiles

Israel furious at completion of deal, fearing advanced missiles will fall into Hezbollah's hands

AFP
Israel News

Russia vowed Saturday to fulfil its contract to supply Syria with cruise missiles despite the turmoil shaking the Arab world and Israel's furious condemnation of the deal.


"The contract is in the implementation stage," news agencies quoted Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov as saying.Russia initially agreed to send a large shipment of anti-ship Yakhont cruise missiles to Syria in 2007 under the terms of a controversial deal that was only disclosed by Serdyukov in September 2010.



The revelation infuriated both Israel and the United States and there had been speculation that Russia would decide to tear up the contract amid the current turmoil plaguing north Africa and the Middle East.



The Israeli ambassador to Moscow confirmed that the state was primarily worried the missiles would end up in the hands of the Shiite Hezbollah movement that receives strong backing from Syria.



"The question of these missiles' deliver to Syria really has triggered a negative reaction in Israel," Dorit Golender told the Interfax news agency.



"And this is understandable since Hezbollah has repeatedly used weapons that they received either from Lebanon or Syria."


The disputed sale is believed to be worth at least $300 million (218 million euros) and is meant to see Syria receive 72 cruise missiles in all.


Russia has not officially confirmed making any Yakhont deliveries to date.


But Interfax cited one unnamed military source as saying that Russia had already sent Syria two Bastion coastal defence systems that can include up to 36 Yakhont missiles each.



The feared complex can only operate when equipped with radar and target detection helicopters and it was not clear from Serdyukov's comments which supplies, if any, had already been received by Syria.

Comment: The weak stance of the USA is part of the reason Russia is able to make such a power play. They know Obama is weak, will not stand up to the Russians or any of the Arab nations-the end result is Russia has passed through the open door to reclaim authority in the ME-this is only the beginning.