-

Mideast News Update

-

8-21-8

-

-

Here is a round up of top stories relating to Russia and The Middle East.

-

Russia, Syria to Build Strategic Relations

Russia and Syria will build a strategic relationship in a bid to enhance bilateral ties and speed up cooperation, the two heads of states said on Thursday.

    "Russian-Syrian relations have been developing progressively and steadily," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as saying during talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad at Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.

    "Syria was and is striving to develop strategic relations with Russia, in the interests of security in the whole world," Bashar al-Assad said, hailing Russia's contribution to the settlement of the Middle East conflict.

    "We know you've supported our efforts in contacts with Israel, and we're interested in the support you can give in promoting the settlement processes," the visiting Syrian leader was quoted as saying.

    Kremlin officials have said that the talks will focus on the comprehensive Middle East settlement, including maintenance of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiation, normalization of the situation in Iraq, the fulfillment of the inter-Lebanese agreements made in Doha, and the Iranian nuclear issue as well as trade and economic ties.

    It's Assad's first visit to Moscow since Medvedev took office in May.  For more details, LINK HERE.

++++++

Assad Tells Russia:

-

 Plant Missiles In Syria

Russia Today TV reports Syrian president will allow Russia to place anti-aircraft weaponry in Syria, in response to US planting of missiles in Poland. Acting Russian ambassador in Israel: Why would we need to deploy missiles here?

Syrian President Bashar Assad has made an offer to his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, allowing the latter to counter the US's involvement in Poland by planting Russian missiles on Syrian soil, Russia Today TV reported Thursday.

 According to the report, Assad claims that the placing of Russian artillery in Syria provides an adequate response to the US's placement of its own artillery in Poland and the Czech Republic. The news channel did not report Medvedev's answer to the offer. More details, LINK HERE.

++++

Assad in Russia:

-

 Deploy Russian Missiles in Syria?
 

Just prior to his Thursday departure to Russia, Syrian President Basher al-Assad told a Moscow newspaper that his country backs the Russian republic in its conflict with Georgia, and said he would consider deploying Russian-made Iskander missile systems in his country to counter the US missile shield in Europe.

When asked by an interviewer about the option of installing Russian missiles in Syrian territory, Assad said told the Russian newspaper Kommersant, “[i]n principle, yes. We have not thought of it yet. No such proposal has been received. In any case, all similar projects must be first studied by military experts. And when everything is decided, we will make an open and public announcement," the Syrian president said in an interview published Wednesday.

The Iskander missile is a far more advanced and lethal projectile than a Katyusha rocket or Scud missile. Having a range of 280km in its export version, the missile, if fired from Syria’s border at the Golan Heights, could hit most population centers in Israel. It can destroy critical civilian infrastructure facilities, such as roads, brides and large buildings; enemy rocket and missile equipment in the air or on the ground, including missile defense systems; and it can wreak havoc on civilian and military aircraft on the ground. It is a classified as a quasiballistic missile, a recent innovation allowing for a lower flight trajectory, making it much harder to predict where it will hit.

From the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, when asked by reporters about his country’s plans to sell Iskander Missiles, the Pantsyr-S1 air defense missile system, the BUK-M1 surface-to-air medium-range missile system and other strategic and tactical arms to Syria, said: "We are ready to consider requests from the Syrian side on buying more arms.”  More details, LINK HERE.

++++

 Syria Tries To Turn Russia

-

 Against Israel and America

 

Syrian President Bashar Assad traveled to Moscow on Thursday to try to drive a wedge between Russia and Israel amid on ongoing crisis in Georgia and in light of Jerusalem's military aid to the small Caucasus nation.

An Assad aide told Russian media as the Syrians arrived in Moscow that they would seek to purchase advanced air defense systems, medium-range missiles and military aircraft, among other military hardware, from their hosts. If acquired, those weapons would help to tip the regional balance of power in favor of Israel's neighbors.

Israel stopped selling military hardware and providing military training to Georgia earlier this year as experts correctly predicted an armed conflict with Russia. Jerusalem feared that if it was viewed as helping Georgia fight Russia, the latter would increase arms sales to Israel's Arab enemies. More details, LINK HERE.

++++

Israel Warns Russia

-

Over Weapons Sale To Syria

Russia promised to consider the sale of "defensive" weapons to Syria during a visit to the country by President Bashar Assad.

But in response to the visit, Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, said: "It is in nobody's interest to destabilise the region."

She warnedthat Syria's continued links to the Iranian-sponsored Hizbollah militia in Lebanon meant weapons could fall into unexpected and "dangerous" hands.

"It is a mutual interest of Russia, of Israel and of the pragmatic leaders and states in the region not to send long-range missiles to Syria," she said.

Following Mr Assad's meeting with the President Dmitry Medvedev at his Black Sea residence, Russia's defence minister, Sergei Lavrov, told Russian news agencies that Russia is "ready to deliver weapons of a defensive character that do not violate the strategic balance of power in the region."

Earlier however Mr Assad told Russian newspapers he would discuss the deployment of Russian missiles on Syrian soil, along with the possible purchase of Russian missiles during his visit. The Interfax news agency reported a number of deals involving anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles were in the works.

"Of course military and technical co-operation is the main issue. Weapons purchases are very important," Mr Assad told the Russian newspaper Kommersant. "I think we should speed it up. Moreover, the West and Israel continue to put pressure on Russia."  LINK HERE.

+++++

Israel Tries To Look Positively

-

On Russian Developments

LINK

+++++-

-

-

-

-

-