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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Russia says it won't stop selling weapons to Syria
2012-03-14
MOSCOW: Russia has no intention of curtailing military cooperation with Syria despite calls from the West to stop arming President Bashar AssadÂ’s regime, a senior Russian government official said Tuesday.

Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Russia will abide by existing contracts to deliver weapons to Syria despite AssadÂ’s yearlong crackdown on the opposition, during which the UN says over 7,500 people have been killed.

“Russia enjoys good and strong military technical cooperation with Syria, and we see no reason today to reconsider it,” Antonov told reporters.

Russia has shielded Syria, its last ally in the Arab world, from UN sanctions over the Assad regimeÂ’s bloody suppression of an uprising against his government. Moscow has been a steadfast ally of Syria since Soviet times, when it was led by the current presidentÂ’s father, Hafez Assad, and has long supplied Damascus with aircraft, missiles, tanks and other heavy weapons.

The Syrian port of Tartus is now the only naval base Russia has outside the former Soviet Union. A Russian navy squadron made a call there in January in what was seen by many as a show of support for Assad. Also in January, a Russian ship allegedly carrying tons of munitions made a dash for Syria after telling officials in EU member Cyprus, where it had made an unexpected stop, that it was heading for Turkey. Turkish officials said the ship had instead charted course for Tartus.

Antonov said Russia’s supply of weapons to Syria is in line with international law and will continue. “Russian-Syrian military cooperation is perfectly legitimate,” he said.

“The only thing that worries us today is the security of our citizens,” Antonov said in a reference to Russian military personnel in Syria that are training the Syrians in the use of weapons supplied by Russia. He declined to say how many of them are currently stationed in Syria.

“It’s part of our contractual obligations,” said Antonov, who oversees military technical cooperation with foreign countries. “When we supply weapons, we have to provide training.”

Antonov dismissed allegations that Russia has sent special forces officers to assist government forces.

“There are no (Russian) special forces with rifles and grenade launchers running around,” he said.
They're carrying semi-automatics and MANPADs, of course...
Moscow insists it will block any UN resolution that could pave the way for a replay of what happened in Libya, where NATO action helped oust Muammar Qaddafi. Russian diplomats have dismissed Western hopes for a shift in Moscow’s stance on Syria after Putin’s election victory as “wishful thinking.”
Posted by:Steve White

#3   Syrian owe Russia despite writeoffs a significant foreign debt that Russia will probably never get if Assad falls.

Wll Russia really get anything if Assad stays in power, BernardZ?
Posted by: trailing wife   2012-03-14 13:46  

#2  And why should they stop? Germany sells tanks to Saudi Arabia's sharia state. The U.S. sells to Egypt despite Muslim Brotherhood political domination.

What's the rational distinction for us to get on our high horses about Russian sales to Syria?
Posted by: American Delight   2012-03-14 12:27  

#1  Russia has an enormous stake in Assad survival.
Besides large military contracts worth billions, the Syrian owe Russia despite writeoffs a significant foreign debt that Russia will probably never get if Assad falls. On top of that Russia has significant investments in Syria.
Posted by: BernardZ   2012-03-14 06:36  

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