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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Russia suspicious over Iran test |
| 2008-02-06 |
| "Long-range missiles are one of the components of a [nuclear] weapons system," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov told Interfax. Therefore Monday's test launch of Iran's Explorer-1 space rocket was "of course, a cause for concern", he said. Iran insists its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful energy production. Correspondents say the statement by Mr Losyukov appeared to indicate that Moscow increasingly shares Western concerns about Tehran's nuclear course. "It increases suspicion of Iran regarding its possible desire to create a nuclear weapon," he was quoted as saying. Iran said the rocket which was test-fired would be used to launch research satellites. The US State Department said the launch was "troubling", as it was an example of the same technology behind long-range ballistic missiles. In the past, Russia has been more sceptical than some Western powers about Iran's missile capability, saying it would take a long time to build long-range missiles. |
| Posted by:Delphi |
| #5 IRNA > ENVOY: HANOI [Vietnam] SUPPORTS IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM. Tehran-Hanoi ties + cooper expected to increase. IOW, CHINA may be putting its own panties in a wad by suppor Iran nucdev??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-02-06 19:25 |
| #4 Russian support for Iran is premised on an American attack on Iran that will simultaneously weaken both the US and Iran. If the US does nothing and simply lets Iran get stronger, the eventual consequences for Russia are not good, since Iran getting stronger means Russia is getting weaker, given the pull a stronger Iran will have on Russia's former Central Asian empire. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2008-02-06 18:31 |
| #3 Accidental mushroom cloud over Leningrad, perhaps! |
| Posted by: smn 2008-02-06 17:05 |
| #2 Skeptical? Suspicious? WTF do those guys have to do to make them certain? |
| Posted by: gorb 2008-02-06 15:46 |
| #1 Yeah right. |
| Posted by: danking70 2008-02-06 12:34 |