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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Former Head Of Russian JCS Says Russia Will Defend Syria And Iran
2012-02-07
Former Member of Russian Joint Chiefs of Staff Col.-Gen. Leonid Ivashov: Russia Is Ready to Use Military Power to Defend Iran and Syria; Attack on Syria or Iran Is Indirect Attack on Russia; U.S. in Libya Like Hitler in Poland.

Video.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#12  Meanwhile, not to be outdone by their own Russian Armed Forces ....

* FREEREPUBLIC > RUSSIAN ENVOY [Amb. Vitaly Churkin] THREATENS TO DESTROY QATAR!?

And the related ...

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > DE-RETROGRESSION: CHURKIN TO BIN JASSEM: IFF YOU TALK TO ME IN THE SAME TONE AGAIN .... THERE WILL BE NO QATAR AFTER TODAY.

IIUC ARTIC > AMD. CHURKIN = all but directly says that, as far as Russia is concerned, tiny Qatar is a mere Guest on the UNSC, + must keep its place as such when talking to a much bigger Power.

Like any good Diplo-doublespeak, Churkin cannot confirm or deny he threatened Qatar, only that "making [false? = real?]threats is not his style"???

versus

* RUSSIA TODAY > WAR OF NERVES IRAN: IRANIAN WARSHIPS ARRIVE IN SAUDI ARABIA, in support of Iran future naval ambitions [Global NavOps = "Blue-Water Navy] + to counter seemingly growing international "Iranophobia".

VARIOUS NETTERS/POSTERS = opine that SHIA IRAN MUST BE LOVING THE REGIONAL CHAOS + ON-GOING WEAKNESS, DIPLOMATIC FAILURES OF THE SUNNI SAUDI-LED ARAB LEAGUE, e.g. first agz Gaddafi now Baby Assad???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-02-07 23:05  

#11  Russia likes to agitate things to keep oil prices up. They would find a way to back out of it if push came to shove.
Posted by: gorb   2012-02-07 22:05  

#10  ...Concur with Lone Ranger - the Soviet Union Russian Federation is a danger only to places that are within walking distance. Keep in mind too that the Russian troops of today, with the exception of a few 'elite' units, are not the do-what-you're-told-and-like it troops of Communist days, not to mention the attitude of the Russian public will HAVE to be taken into account. If the people and the troops decide they aren't defending the Mad Mullahs, they won't, no matter how loud Putin and his sock puppets yell. What they could do - and assuredly will - is cut off energy supplies. Remember that the RFSR supplies a good chunk of Europe's natural gas, and a LOT of the world's oil. They could get almost the same results with that as with a full-dress invasion.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2012-02-07 20:56  

#9  Russia's ability to project and sustain power much beyond its borders is negligible. The US is about the only power that has that capability. France and the UK can do it small scale, and China is trying to develop that capability - but Russia is simply out of the picture.
Posted by: Lone Ranger   2012-02-07 19:37  

#8  Warm-water ports has always been one of the underlying reasons for Tsarist, later Soviet/Stalinist, Russia's many historical attempts to control Iran.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-02-07 19:02  

#7  ..read - warm water port that is not subject to be geographically limited being blocked [something Russians regardless of political slant have longed for].
Posted by: Procopius2k   2012-02-07 17:05  

#6  What does Russia see in Iran or Syria?

A thorn in the West's side and a naval base in the Mediterranean.
Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793   2012-02-07 16:21  

#5  They must be having problems shipping the evidence of their endeavours elsewhere ..
Posted by: Bubba de Medici3120   2012-02-07 15:46  

#4  Oh, and don't forget the second rate nuke plants.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2012-02-07 15:23  

#3  Customers for their second rate military hardware.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2012-02-07 15:22  

#2  What does Russia see in Iran or Syria?
Posted by: Paul D   2012-02-07 14:54  

#1  Wouldn't that be "like Hitler in Czechoslovakia"? If you're going to Godwinize, be clever, for the love of Mike.
Posted by: Mitch H.   2012-02-07 13:22  

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