Russia to supply Syria with arms

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=126606§ionid=351020206


Russia is to supply Syria with warplanes, defense apparatuses and military vehicles in a move that would irk Israel and the United States.

Head of Russia's Federal Agency for Military Cooperation Mikhail Dmitriyev said on Friday that Moscow is contracted to sell Damascus MiG-29 fighter jets, Pantsyr short-range air defense systems and armored vehicles, Russian media reported.

The announcement comes shortly after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Damascus -- the first-ever visit to Syria by a Russian head of state.

The arms transfer is expected draw the ire of the United States which has recently extended its sanctions against Syria for another year.

Israel, which along with the US, has accused Syria of supplying Russian-made Scud missiles to Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement, is likely to have a similar reaction.

Damascus, Beirut and the resistance movement have rejected the claims.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem have drawn a parallel between the accusations and Washington's claim that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction which was used as the main pretext for the invasion of Iraq in 2003.