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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Syria Plans To Modernize Military |
| 2005-05-07 |
| Syria appears to be gearing up for the modernization of its military. President Bashar Assad has ordered the General Staff to upgrade the armed forces. The directive was said to include upgrades as well as the procurement of new military platforms and equipment. The official Syrian news agency, Sana, quoted Assad as saying on Tuesday that the military must undergo modernization in an effort to improve its capabilities. Assad issued the call during a meeting with senior officers. "President Bashar Assad asserted the necessity for modernizing the armed forces and boosting their defense abilities, pointing out to the importance of the ideological army which fights for the issues it believes in," Sana reported. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 The last time the Syrians were well upgraded with modern arms, it didn't work well. 1973 was not exactly a banner year in the Syrian armed forces. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-05-07 19:15 |
| #6 Not necessarily Russia as the supplier, or Syria providing the financing. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-05-07 18:43 |
| #5 maybe a big net to catch those IAF jets buzzing the palace? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-05-07 16:34 |
| #4 It's the culture, as much as the new platforms/equipment, that make a warfighting force. I don't know if Assad had any military training (unlike King Abdullah II of Jordan, who graduated Sandhurst), because he still doesn't seem to get "it". Like the importance of NCOs and cross-training, for one. |
| Posted by: Edward Yee 2005-05-07 15:25 |
| #3 ...the importance of the ideological army which fights for the issues it believes in," Sana reported. Like, going back into Lebanon? |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-05-07 13:25 |
| #2 I don't think the Russians are expecting to be paid back. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-05-07 13:07 |
| #1 With what funds? Isn't Syria the poor relation of the Arab world? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-05-07 12:23 |