Russia refuses to supply Syria with the S-300 anti-missile system

Stephen Lendman’s headline is correct

Russia Bows to US and Israel, No S-300s for Syria

by Stephen Lendman

(stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)

Stephen Lendman,

11 May, 2018

In 2011, Russia contractually agreed to supply Syria with S-300 air defense systems before Washington launched war on the country – using ISIS and other terrorists as proxy troops, followed later by US-led terror-bombing.

Damascus needed these defense systems earlier. Now they’re vital to its survival to counter escalating US and Israeli aggression.

In September 2015, Russia intervened in Syria at the behest of Assad, a minimal force deployed to combat US-supported ISIS and al-Nusra, not other groups equally bloodthirsty – falsely called “rebels.”

Years of Kremlin diplomacy since 2012 failed to achieve any breakthroughs – nor are any in prospect ahead.

Endless US-led aggression on the Syria continues. Russia achieved nothing to resolve it.

Syrian forces are no match against Washington and Israel if greater war erupts. It vitally needs advanced air defense systems to combat aerial attacks on the country – its present systems inadequate.

Since 2011, Moscow repeatedly delayed delivery of S-300s – bowing to the will of Washington and Israel, forsaking its longtime Syrian ally on this vital issue.

In April, Russian General Staff Spokesman General Sergey Rudskoy said “I would like to note that a few years ago, taking into account a pressing request of some of our Western partners (sic), we stopped supplying S-300 air defense systems to Syria,” adding:

Given current developments, Moscow believes it is “possible to return to mulling over the issue, and not only with regard to Syria but also to other states as well.”

Current Syrian air defense systems were produced by Soviet Russia, way inadequate for current needs. Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport is ready to supply S-300s if approved by the Kremlin.

It’s not forthcoming, not now at least. According to Putin’s military technical cooperation aide Vladimir Kozhin, Russia will not supply S-300s to Syria’s military – nor are talks about possible delivery being held

Kozhin falsely claimed Syrian armed forces have “all” the air defense systems “they need” – a shameful remark, clearly untrue.

Failure to supply with what Syria vitally needs constitutes betrayal – yielding to US/Israeli interests at the expense of its own security.

If Russia fails to confront US-led aggression in Syria more forcefully, Assad could fall, his government replaced, isolating Iran ahead of similar action to replace the Islamic Republic with pro-Western puppet rule.

It’s no match against US/Israeli aggression if events unfold this way. If they achieve regional hegemony, Russia and China are next on Washington’s target list.

That’s how imperialism works. The US seeks global hegemony by eliminating all sovereign independent governments – by whatever it takes to achieve this objective, no matter now lawless, destructive, and harmful to humanity.

Russia, after Netanyahu visit, backs off Syria S-300 missile supplies

Reuters,

11 May, 2018

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is not in talks with the Syrian government about supplying advanced S-300 ground-to-air missiles and does not think they are needed, the Izvestia daily cited a top Kremlin aide as saying on Friday, in an apparent U-turn by Moscow.

The comments, by Vladimir Kozhin, an aide to President Vladimir Putin who oversees Russian military assistance to other countries, follow a visit to Moscow by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, who has been lobbying Putin hard not to transfer the missiles.

Russia last month hinted it would supply the weapons to President Bashar al-Assad, over Israeli objections, after Western military strikes on Syria. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the strikes had removed any moral obligation Russia had to withhold the missiles and Russia’s Kommersant daily cited unnamed military sources as saying deliveries might begin imminently.

But Kozhin’s comments, released so soon after Netanyahu’s Moscow talks with Putin, suggest the Israeli leader’s lobbying efforts have, for the time being, paid off.

“For now, we’re not talking about any deliveries of new modern (air defense) systems,” Izvestia cited Kozhin as saying when asked about the possibility of supplying Syria with S-300s.

The Syrian military already had “everything it needed,” Kozhin added.

The Kremlin played down the idea that it had performed a U-turn on the missile question or that any decision was linked to Netanyahu’s visit.

“Deliveries (of the S-300s) were never announced as such,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call, when asked about the matter.

“But we did say after the (Western) strikes (on Syria) that of course Russia reserved the right to do anything it considered necessary.”

The possibility of missile supplies to Assad along with its military foray into Syria itself has helped Moscow boost its Middle East clout. with Putin hosting everyone from Netanyahu to the presidents of Turkey and Iran and the Saudi king.