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| Iran, Syria Sign Memorandum on Military Cooperation |
| 2004-03-03 |
| From Geostrategy-Direct, subscription req’d. Syria needs some more ClueBats to point it in the right direction. Iran and Syria plan to expand their defense and security cooperation. Syria can sure pick a winner, why Iran? The two countries have established a joint committee to review areas of cooperation in the field of defense, military and security. Iranian sources said the focus would be on defense research and development and on industrial projects. Like peaceful uses of enriched U235? The panel was established during the two-day visit by Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani to Damascus, which ended on Feb. 26. During the visit, Syrian President Bashar Assad expressed his intention to increase defense cooperation with Iran as part of efforts to protect against foreign threats to both nations. Since both are becoming "island nations" after Afghanistan and Iraq. Iranian sources said Assad wants to bolster defense industrial cooperation between Damascus and Teheran. They said Shamkhani, responsible for Iran’s defense industry and arms exports, toured Syrian weapons facilities to examine areas of potential cooperation. Syria sought to develop its defense industry in 2002 with help from the then-Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein and began producing and exporting surface-to-surface tactical rockets. Which will make them a target of the US and Israel. Iranian sources said Iran and Syria signed a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation. They did not provide details. Western diplomatic sources said that over the last two years, Iran sent several delegations to Syria to discuss weapons sales and joint industrial projects. Iran and Syria have cooperated in the development and production of Scud-based missiles. Iran has offered Damascus help in cruise missile and solid-fuel missile development as well as upgrades for Soviet-origin ground platforms. Again, having these around will make Israel angry. They will not like it when Israel is angry. Shamkhani’s visit came amid a deadlock in Syria’s efforts to obtain military platforms from Russia, such as tanks, aircraft and the S-300 long-range anti-aircraft system. The diplomatic sources said the chief obstacle to a Russian-Syrian arms deal has been Moscow’s refusal to agree to a long-term Syrian repayment plan. Damascus owes Moscow about $11 billion in debts accrued to the former Soviet Union. There is the real reason for cooperation. Syria never paid back Moscow, even when it was merrily selling Sammy’s gift oil for big profits. Syria is a bad credit risk. So they will go and tap Iran for awhile. During his visit, Shamkhani called Syria a major element in Iran’s strategic depth. We need to shallow up that depth a bit. The defense minister said Teheran’s relations with Damascus form part of Iran’s national security policy. The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, reported that defense research and development as well as industrial cooperation were to have been the leading issues on the agenda during Shamkhani’s visit to Syria. The agency did not specify these areas or cite current defense cooperation between Damascus and Teheran. The Syrian news agency said Shamkhani’s meetings with Assad included a discussion on military cooperation. Iran has reported sales of its military systems to 42 countries. Teheran has been marketing artillery systems, airborne radar, unmanned air vehicles and a range of rockets and missiles. If we can neutralize Syria, then Iran is isolated, and Israel gets a breather. Ein-al-Hellhole will wither on the vine when its terrorist funding dries up. Maybe Syria, NORK, and Libya should get together and compare notes. |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |
#2 Iran and Syria plan to expand their defense and security cooperation.Great! Now we can take out 2 for the price of 1. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-3-3 10:33:39 PM |
| #1 "Syria can sure pick a winner, why Iran?" Unlike NK - they had cash up front? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-3-3 10:14:21 PM |