Posted on 06/12/2010 9:13:35 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Russia signalled on Friday it was scrapping the controversial sale of S-300 missiles to Iran in a major shift the Kremlin said was needed after fresh UN sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme.
"S-300 supplies to Iran fall under UN sanctions," a Kremlin source said in Tashkent where President Dmitry Medvedev was attending a summit of a regional security body led by Moscow and Beijing.
"Thus this type of weapon cannot be delivered to Iran," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In a flurry of statements, a number of other senior Russian officials made clear that Moscow was changing tack on the missile deal, in the pipeline for years but strongly opposed by Israel and the United States.
"We will strictly and unswervingly follow the criteria and requirements in the resolution" Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a statement posted on the foreign ministry website.
Separately, Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the State Duma's foreign affairs committee whose public pronouncements are known to reflect Kremlin policy thinking, said the S-300 sale had to be stopped.
"In the circumstances, I am opposed to fulfilling this contract," Kosachev said in remarks posted on his Internet blog and picked up by Russian media
He noted that that the UN resolution adopted Wednesday imposing fresh sanctions on Iran did not ban the sale of defensive weapons systems like the S-300 complex to the Islamic state.
But going ahead with the deal, long in the works, would "breach the spirit" of the resolution, he said.
Russia never made a secret of its deal to sell the powerful S-300 system to Iran and for years insisted that the move would in no way upset the balance of power in the Middle East.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Wise move....
Not sure I believe it....
Have they already delivered the goods I wonder..?
Hmmm, so why am I suspicious of this announcement?
Something's up, but what?
.
I do not believe it either.
“We will strictly and unswervingly follow the criteria and requirements in the resolution” until it becomes inconvenient for us to continue to do so....
Heh, a little adjustment on my part towards some truth there.
Maybe Iran no longer ‘needs’ the S300.
Maybe Russia is concerned with what Iran will use them for.
I don’t buy it.
I have a feeling that Russia doesn’t want to seriously destabilize the ME anymore than we do.
Maybe they just noticed that Obama isn’t capable of parrying Russian moves, and so they’re in danger of scoring when they might not really want to. Does that even make sense ?
I’d say Iran is likely behind on their payments to Russia for the reactors Russia built for them...just a guess
The Russians have been destabilizing and meddling in the Middle East since the Cold War .
Well Middle East IS in their backyard. They have as much right as US to “meddle” there. As far as the destabilizing part goes, I really don’t see them doing it.
This change of heart came after Iran declared support for Turkey’s ambition to recreate an Islamic Caliphate via Ottoman revival. Russia and Ottoman have many territorial disputes. Russia can deal with a strong Iran aimed at Persian Gulf to keep US busy, but they cannot afford a reviving Turkey working with Iranian support on their border. Russia may change attitude of strong US presence in Middle East.
Actually Russia and Turkey have just announced a new strategic partnership.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20100510/158954539.html
Russian and Turkey BOTH FEAR Iran ... and the Islamic Lunatics ...
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