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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Russia fumes at claim it flamed tension with Syria |
| 2007-09-01 |
| Top Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad's accusation on Thursday that Russia was partly responsible for recent tensions between Syria and Israel could undermine Israeli-Russian relations, a senior Russian diplomat in Tel Aviv told The Jerusalem Post. Andrey Demidov, the No. 2 official at the Russian Embassy, said he was "disappointed" and "regretted" reports published Thursday that Russia was largely behind tensions between Syria and Israel, in an effort to increase arms sales to Damascus. "And I regret the statement made by Amos Gilad, because it can only undermine our relations," Demidov said. Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Military Bureau, said in an Army Radio interview, "At a certain time, the Russians caused the Syrians to believe that Israel was preparing for war. "I think that they have stopped this," Gilad added. "Syria is not planning on attacking Israel, and Israel is definitely not planning on attacking Syria." Demidov said he had no intention of meeting with Gilad or speaking with him to get clarification of his comments. "Yesterday he said one thing, tomorrow he will say another thing. I only regret it," Demidov said. The Defense Ministry refused to respond to the diplomat's comments. Moscow "very, very much values the present state of relations between Russia and Israel, and won't do anything to undermine it, Demidov said. "How can we be hostile to a country where more than one million of our compatriots live," he said. "We need Israel for economic and scientific cooperation. For example, we can enrich ourselves through scientific and economic knowledge here more than in Syria. Our cooperation can be more efficient here than in Syria. I believe that we have more interests here than in Damascus." Demidov said, however, that comments such as Gilad's and press reports like those saying Russia was banging the drums of war in Syria only made building ties more difficult. For instance, he said, these types of reports made planning for the visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, scheduled for October, more difficult. Western sources said recently that Syria was told that the US would attack Iran by the end of the year and that Israel would use the opportunity to strike at Syria. As a result, President Bashar Assad set off on a massive military buildup that included training his forces, reinforcing positions along the Golan Heights and purchasing large amounts of weaponry from Russia. Demidov said he had not "seen reports of the kind." He added that Russia was "not happy about military preparations on both sides, and it is not our aim to instigate one party or another." Demidov also said he knew nothing of claims made by defense officials Thursday that more than 1,000 Russian military advisers were currently stationed in Syria. |
| Posted by:Fred |