Jan. 13, 2005 1:32 | Updated Jan. 13, 2005 4:56
Russian missile sale to Syria worries Israel, US
By HERB KEINON
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Israel anticipates that the US will use its leverage to help scuttle a Russian arms deal to Syria because of concern that sophisticated missiles would be smuggled into Iraq and endanger American troops there, senior diplomatic officials said Wednesday.
After two weeks of whispers and rumors about a crisis in Israeli-Russian ties, Israeli officials confirmed that the disagreement was over a large weapons deal to Syria that reportedly includes the Igla SA-18, among the most sophisticated shoulder-held anti-aircraft missiles on the market, and the Iskander-E ground-to-ground missiles.
Syrian President Bashar Assad is scheduled to visit Moscow on January 24 to sign the deal, the first major Russian weapons deal to Syria in more than a decade.
At the same time, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov on Wednesday dismissed reports that Russia had agreed to supply the missiles to Syria, but he left open the possibility. There are no restrictions on transfer of missiles of such ranges, Ivanov said.
The US came out publicly on Wednesday against the sale and said Washington would consider sanctions against Russia if it went ahead with the deal.
"We've seen the reports of the sale. US policy on this is very clear. We're against the sale of weaponry to Syria, against the sale of lethal military equipment to Syria, which is a state sponsor of terrorism. We think those kinds of sales are not appropriate. The Russians know about this policy.
They know about our views," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
Asked what type of action the US might consider if Russia went ahead with the deal, Boucher said, "There are potential sanctions under US law. But that would have to be looked at if and when such a sale should occur."
US Secretary of State Colin Powell was scheduled to meet with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov later Wednesday in Washington.
Sources in Washington familiar with the discussions said Israel had raised the planned sale with American officials and expressed concern about it. It was not clear, however, when the matter was discussed or at what level.
A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Washington, David Segal, said, "The reports [of the sale] are disturbing and of concern. We raise issues that have a strategic significance with the administration on an ongoing basis."
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, when asked by reporters about the matter Wednesday, said only, "We have close contacts with the Russians. We had consultations over the past few days, and we hope to reach the necessary agreement."
Shalom met Tuesday with visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov and relayed to Moscow Israel's concern over the sale.
Officials in Jerusalem said Russia's interest in the deal stems from an effort to reassert its influence in the region. "For 30 years, Russia was involved in the Middle East on the basis of its giving away of weapons to the Syrians," one senior official said. "This is a way to again become a major player."
The official said Syria owes Russia some $8 billion for previous arms deals. This time, the official said, the Russians are demanding cash payment, and the expectation is that Iran will pay the bill.
Israel is concerned that the sale of the weapons could alter the strategic balance in the region, and is fearful of the prospect that the lightweight SA-18 could fall into the hands of the Hizbullah or other terrorist groups and be used to down Israeli aircraft.
Israeli officials said Jerusalem has been trying to solve the problem through quiet diplomatic channels for the last couple of weeks, maintaining tight secrecy regarding the reason for tense ties with Moscow.