Posted on 08/13/2010 2:48:54 PM PDT by dselig
Military sources told debkafile Thursday, Aug. 12, that a threat from Georgia was not the reason why Russian posted advanced S-300 interceptor batteries Russia in Abkhazia and air defense weapons in South Ossetia on the northern shore of the Black Sea -as Moscow officially maintained, but rather possible moves by the US and/or Israel against Iran and its nuclear facilities.
Georgia's armed forces do not run to the sophisticated warplanes, missiles or drones that would warrant establishing the high-powered S-300 interceptors for defending the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Ordinary air defense batteries would do for deterrence.
Therefore, US military sources believe Moscow placed the sophisticated batteries on the Black Sea shore more as a counterweight for the US Sixth Fleet warships present in the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the two big American bases close to the latter waterway - the Mikhail Kogalniceanu Air Base near Constanta, Romania, and the Bezmer Air Base used by the US Air Force just 50 kilometers from the southern shore of the Black Sea.
Their location gives the US Air Force the freedom to operate over both the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
Our military sources disclose that attention was drawn in Moscow and Tehran to the exercises the Israeli Air Force has been conducting from the two American bases to simulate strikes against Iran's concealed nuclear sites.
They noticed in particular the Israeli Yasur CH-53 helicopter which crashed in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania on July 26, killing six Israeli airman and a Romanian flight captain.
It was obvious to Russian and Iranian observers from the way the CH-53 crashed and the veil of secrecy clamped down by Israeli authorities that it had been engaged in practicing touch-and-go attacks on nuclear sites which the Iranians have holed up in tunnels burrowed in the sides of lofty mountain precipices.
Intelligence sources do not doubt that Russian placed the top-of-the line air defense systems in Abkhazia for intercepting flights taking off from the American bases in Bulgaria and Romania and heading east over Georgia and Azerbaijan and on to the Caspian and Black Seas to northern Iran.
Byt deploying the S-300s, Moscow has put paid to any plans Israel may have had for using this northern route for attacking Iran.
The deployment was also a message of reassurance from Moscow to Tehran: Although Russia is withholding the advanced S-300 interceptors from Iran it has its own methods for blocking an American or Israel raid on the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities...
Debka. Thanks dselig.
If there's anything to this at all (Debka), the above would imply COMMANDO RAIDS in addition to an air strike.
If Israel moves forward, or the US, or a Joint Command...there will definitely be a WAR.
Not a new war mind you...Iran has been at war with us for 30yrs. It'll just mean that it will be out in the open...and far more violent.
I don't know about the Debka thing but the crash happened and Israel lost several commandos and the location was as stated. My understanding was that the terrain was much like the target area not because of a potential Air Route. But who knows for sure?
Why wouldn’t Israel just put a couple of subs in the gulf and launch a missile attack?
I don’t believe they have that capability. They have lots of neat stuff but I don’t think they have that.
Besides Russian paranoia, the best explanation of this imho is that the Russians want to make it clear that they are basically annexing Georgian territory; it also is a palliative to the Iranians, who expected to have those S-300s by now.
re:commando raids http://www.debka.com/article/8940/
I just hope it’s televised, and then I will want it on disk to watch over and over.
These Russian missiles are to protect Iran. This is Russia’s version of the Poland-Czech missile defense system to protect from Iran which Obama cancelled.
Chechen leader: Azerbaijan not harbouring 'terrorists' - August 11, 2010 - "Today there is no support for terrorists and extremists in Azerbaijan and we are grateful to the country’s leadership and we want to thank them. May they be healthy and happy, especially my uncle, the mufti of the Caucasus, Sheikh ul-Islam."
Thanks Tailgunner Joe! A re-ping.
Eh ? I doubt Israelis would risk sending special forces over there. Iranian nuclear facilities are inside the rocks and well protected. I guess they will keep sabotaging Iranian nuclear program with “unconventional methods”.
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