Assad: Syria received Russian missiles
Source: Agencies |
May 31, 2013, Friday
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SYRIAN President Bashar Assad said his government has received the first shipment of sophisticated Russian anti-aircraft missiles, while the main Western-backed opposition group announced yesterday that it will not participate in peace talks.
Assad's comment on the arrival of the long-range S-300 air defense missiles in Syria, which was made in an interview with Lebanon's Hezbollah-owned TV station, could further ratchet up tensions in the region and undermine peace talks.
Israel's defense chief Moshe Yaalon said earlier this week that Russia's plan to supply Syria with the weapons was a threat and that Israel was prepared to use force to stop the delivery.
"Syria has received the first shipment of Russian anti-aircraft S-300 rockets," Al-Manar TV quoted Assad as saying. He added: "All our agreements with Russia will be implemented and parts of them have already been implemented."
The shipment of the missiles comes just days after the European Union lifted an arms embargo on Syria, paving way for individual countries of the 27-member bloc to send weapons to rebels fighting to topple Assad. The developments raise fears of an arms race - not just between Assad's forces and the opposition fighters battling the government troops, but also in the wider Middle East.
Israel has carried out several airstrikes in Syria in recent months that are believed to have destroyed weapon shipments bound for Hezbollah.
The S-300s have a range of up to 200 kilometers and the capability to track and strike multiple targets simultaneously. Syria already possesses Russian-made air defenses, and Israel is believed to have used long-distance bombs fired from Israeli or Lebanese airspace.
Meanwhile, the Syrian National Coalition's decision not to attend US-Russian sponsored talks with representatives of the Assad government torpedoes the only plan for trying to end Syria's two-year conflict that the international community had been able to agree on. "The talk about the international conference and a political solution to the situation in Syria has no meaning in light of the massacres that are taking place," the Syrian National Coalition said.
Assad's comment on the arrival of the long-range S-300 air defense missiles in Syria, which was made in an interview with Lebanon's Hezbollah-owned TV station, could further ratchet up tensions in the region and undermine peace talks.
Israel's defense chief Moshe Yaalon said earlier this week that Russia's plan to supply Syria with the weapons was a threat and that Israel was prepared to use force to stop the delivery.
"Syria has received the first shipment of Russian anti-aircraft S-300 rockets," Al-Manar TV quoted Assad as saying. He added: "All our agreements with Russia will be implemented and parts of them have already been implemented."
The shipment of the missiles comes just days after the European Union lifted an arms embargo on Syria, paving way for individual countries of the 27-member bloc to send weapons to rebels fighting to topple Assad. The developments raise fears of an arms race - not just between Assad's forces and the opposition fighters battling the government troops, but also in the wider Middle East.
Israel has carried out several airstrikes in Syria in recent months that are believed to have destroyed weapon shipments bound for Hezbollah.
The S-300s have a range of up to 200 kilometers and the capability to track and strike multiple targets simultaneously. Syria already possesses Russian-made air defenses, and Israel is believed to have used long-distance bombs fired from Israeli or Lebanese airspace.
Meanwhile, the Syrian National Coalition's decision not to attend US-Russian sponsored talks with representatives of the Assad government torpedoes the only plan for trying to end Syria's two-year conflict that the international community had been able to agree on. "The talk about the international conference and a political solution to the situation in Syria has no meaning in light of the massacres that are taking place," the Syrian National Coalition said.
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