Russia Aligns With Syria

[KMAN]

I guess we now know for sure that Russia is not our friend... I guess they believe socialism and terrorism is the answer.

Fear of new Mid East 'Cold War' as Syria strengthens military alliance with Russia - Times Online

 

[AllieBaba]

Yeah, imagine that.

 

[Denny Crane]

This boils down to an enemy of my enemy is my friend. If Syria can get significant military backing from Russia this could be a big deal.

 

[Charles_Main]

How is this news or New, Russia has always been allied with Syria.

 

[Denny Crane]

If Syria is looking to Russia for a big arms deal it could be big news. My guess is if this headline is true Israel is watching it closely.

 

[Charles_Main]

If Syria is looking to Russia for a big arms deal it could be big news. My guess is if this headline is true Israel is watching it closely.

Look at what Military equipment Syria uses today, it is nearly all Russian. I still fail to see how this is anything new at all.

 

[Denny Crane]

Look at what Military equipment Syria uses today, it is nearly all Russian. I still fail to see how this is anything new at all.

It's not so much what military equipment they have as how much of it they have. If Syria is looking to Russia for an arms deal that involves offensive military hardware it could be Syria might be getting ready to take back their land in the Golan Heights.

Syria has been trying to establish a market based economy too so this might be just saber rattling . I doubt that they want to make too big a wave in the pond if they are serious about expanding trade with other countries.

 

[Charles_Main]

If Syria is looking to Russia for an arms deal that involves offensive military hardware it could be Syria might be getting ready to take back their land in the Golan Heights.

They could try, but I suspect the outcome would be the usual one. Syria would get it's ass handed to it.

Syria has been trying to establish a market based economy too so this might be just saber rattling . I doubt that they want to make too big a wave in the pond if they are serious about expanding trade with other countries.

I tend to agree, I think this is just bluster. I doubt Syria will take any overt action against Israel. Especially not with the Israeli Government talking about handing the Golan over in a peace deal.

 

[Denny Crane]

I haven't kept tabs on events in Syria for about a year now but the last I knew they were trying to attract foreign investors. It doesn't make much sense for them to build up offensive weapons which would be the threat, and a move that would make investors nervous.

 

[editec]

Syria is a Ba' athist authoritarian society with a middling economy based mostly on oil revenues.

Basically a single party state it is top heavy with a strong regional military and that's where most of this socialist nation's hard currency gets invested.



Relations with America have been strained for the last sixty years, starting, with Truman's recognition of Israel.

They were practically a client state of the former Soviet Union.

When the Soviet Union fell, they took a less hard line stance against the USA, but they still support Hez'bullah. Pan Arabism is their official policy, but they are highly pragmatic.

They were the first nation to officially condemn the attack on WTC.

They openly supported Saddam against the USA

So now comes Russia. But this bear isn't hiberbnating, it's energized on petro-Euros.

Hence, Bashar Al-Asad finds chilling opportunities as the Cold War decents upon Damascus.

 

[Tech_Esq]

Syria is a Ba' athist authoritarian society with a middling economy based mostly on oil revenues.

Basically a single party state it is top heavy with a strong regional military and that's where most of this socialist nation's hard currency gets invested.



Relations with America have been strained for the last sixty years, starting, with Truman's recognition of Israel.

They were practically a client state of the former Soviet Union.

When the Soviet Union fell, they took a less hard line stance against the USA, but they still support Hez'bullah. Pan Arabism is their official policy, but they are highly pragmatic.

They were the first nation to officially condemn the attack on WTC.

They openly supported Saddam against the USA

So now comes Russia. But this bear isn't hiberbnating, it's energized on petro-Euros.

Hence, Bashar Al-Asad finds chilling opportunities as the Cold War decents upon Damascus.

Actually, Syria has an issue with declining oil production (may be tapped out) and it combined with agriculture only make up about half of its GDP.

Anyway, I think a more appropriate analysis of what is happening here is that Russia has a problem with Georgia. Georgia has been getting arms from Israel. Syria has a problem with Israel. Nothing like getting the band back together.

Syria then becomes a proxy for Russia to put pressure on Israel when Russia doesn't like what Israel is doing on its border. Additionally, Syria can be a proxy to offset US influence in Iraq and provide some good old fashioned Soviet....er...Russian influence. Let's give the people a choice of imperialists. (Ah, the good old new days of bi-multi-polarity).

 

[editec]

Nothing like getting the band back together.

Yup.

 

[KMAN]

Syria is a Ba' athist authoritarian society with a middling economy based mostly on oil revenues.

Basically a single party state it is top heavy with a strong regional military and that's where most of this socialist nation's hard currency gets invested.



Relations with America have been strained for the last sixty years, starting, with Truman's recognition of Israel.

They were practically a client state of the former Soviet Union.

When the Soviet Union fell, they took a less hard line stance against the USA, but they still support Hez'bullah. Pan Arabism is their official policy, but they are highly pragmatic.

They were the first nation to officially condemn the attack on WTC.

They openly supported Saddam against the USA

So now comes Russia. But this bear isn't hiberbnating, it's energized on petro-Euros.

Hence, Bashar Al-Asad finds chilling opportunities as the Cold War decents upon Damascus.

Looks like another case for providing our own oil/energy...

 

[Annie]

Look at what Military equipment Syria uses today, it is nearly all Russian. I still fail to see how this is anything new at all.

I agree. Russia, former USSR have backed Iran for years. Syria is an Iranian, thus ultimately Russian proxy. Nothing new:

RealClearPolitics - Articles - Syria, Iran and Russia Stir Up Trouble

December 02, 2006
Syria, Iran and Russia Stir Up Trouble
The Journal Editorial Report

 

[KSigMason]

I wonder if we'll see an increase on Russian style rockets being fired onto Israel?

 

[Annie]

I wonder if we'll see an increase on Russian style rockets being fired onto Israel?

When have they not been Russian?

 

[KSigMason]

When have they not been Russian?

Most of them have been Katusha rockets, but there were also some other styles. Terrorists get them wherever they can. I'm just wondering if we'll see an increase.

 

[Annie]

Most of them have been Katusha rockets, but there were also some other styles. Terrorists get them wherever they can. I'm just wondering if we'll see an increase.

from 2003, a cached version, original gone:

Middle East Newsline -

RUSSIA VOWS TO ADVANCE ISKANDER MISSILE

MOSCOW [MENL] -- Russia has pledged to complete development of a surface-to-surface missile that has been marketed to Iran and Syria.

Officials said the Russian Defense Ministry plans to complete development of the Iskander-E short-range missile. The SS-26 solid-fuel missile has a range of 280 kilometers and is meant to defeat U.S. missile defense systems, such as the PAC-3.

"This year we expect the completion of the state testing of the Iskander high-precision missile system," Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Moskovsky said.

Moskovsky told the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya that Moscow has invested in the development of missiles meant to penetrate missile defense systems, particularly those of the United States. He did not rule out that these missiles would be exported to Moscow's clients.

 

[editec]

Most of them have been Katusha rockets, but there were also some other styles. Terrorists get them wherever they can. I'm just wondering if we'll see an increase.

If it suits the interest of Russia to rachet up the pain in Israel, they'll do it, of course.

Israel is just another pawn in the chessboard.

 

[KSigMason]

If it suits the interest of Russia to rachet up the pain in Israel, they'll do it, of course.

Israel is just another pawn in the chessboard.

Especially when that chess piece is an ally of America.