Even while the Iranians aid the Chechen jihadists. How short-sighted can you get?
From AP, with thanks to Jeffrey Imm:
MOSCOW — Russia has agreed to sell more than $1 billion worth of missiles and other defense systems to Iran, Russian news media reported Friday, a move expected to draw a heated reaction from the United States.The Interfax and ITAR-Tass news agencies cited unidentified sources in the Russian military-industrial complex as saying that Russian and Iranian officials had signed contracts in November that would send up to 30 Tor-M1 missile systems to Iran over the next two years.
Interfax said the Tor-M1 system could identify up to 48 targets and fire at two targets simultaneously at a height of up to 20,000 feet.
The news agency quoted its source as saying the two countries had reached a deal on modernizing Iran's air force inventory, as well.
We fight two insanities. The insanity of a criminal fascist death-cult that parades as "The Best of Religions", and the insanity that will not recognize it even when it trumpets itself in an open, accurate, and completely honest(probably the only time it can be accused of being honest) manner.
"We few, we happy few..."
Yeah, I'm just friggin giddy.
Well, I guess that means we have, at most, 2 years, unless the first nukes are ready when the first missles arrive. Even then, I think that even these 12th Bozo craving lunatics will want a little backup for what comes after they start slingin' death at Isreal. Share the love, so to speak. I'm sure they'll want some for the Great Satan.
As described, these missiles are surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), meant for shooting down aircraft. They are not the type that could carry a nuclear warhead to Israel. Logically, they are intended to help thwart any pre-emptive attack on Iran.
Lenin once said "when it is time to hang the capitalists, a capitalist will sell us a rope." It turns out he wasn't talking about Western capitalists, but Russian fools.
Knowing how good Russian technology has been in the last few years, these are most likely duds, and will prol blow up the Iranians...
Advertised Tor-M1 capabilities:
The Tor-M1 system ensures reliable protection for government, industrial and military sites and ground troops from all types of missiles, unpiloted aircraft, aircraft bombs, aircraft and helicopters with stealth capabilities. The Tor system is the only system in the world which can detect and identify various targets. It can detect targets at a height ranging from 10 meters to 6 kilometers. The Tor system is autonomous and has short reaction time. The latest technologies of Russia's defense industry are used in it.
Russia is like the degenerate dope peddler selling ecstasy tablets to a 10-year old. In a country where life expectancy is 59, the population is shrinking, and oil and arms exports are the only thing standing in the way of mass starvation, there is no time for sentimentality or forward-thinking.
I thought Putin was iron-fisted but smart. Don't tell me they have PC over there too.
I can assure you this equipment won't be the slightest bit useful against the most likely powers to attack Iran (US & Israel)
The Russians are simply trading a bunch of 3rd world trash for a bunch of 1st world cash.
Mackie, l still dont give much credibiltiy on Russian arms. the Chinese are always trying and have stolen military knowledge mostly from the U.S.
The poor Russians just need the cash. It happened before with Iraq, when France build the anti-aircraft systems for Saddam and gave the blueprints of the weapon systems to the Americans when the first Gulf War started.
The thought of the Russian leadership being politically correct is just hilarious. The Russians are just being good businessmen.
Lulu: "Knowing how good Russian technology has been in the last few years, these are most likely duds, . . ."
The defensive minded ("defend the Revolution") Russians make the best surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) in the world.
Unlike the west, which fields few SAM types, and develops weapons systems in fits and starts according to congressional budget battles and political controversies over the nature of the current threat, the Russians continuously strive to design, manufacture, and upgrade dozens of SAM types for different military applications.
These new deployments of SAMs in Iran should be taken seriously.
I agree completely w/ Charles Martel and DrWolffenstein.
Russia just doesn't GAF...they're all about the ruples.
stendec and Mackie;
Thanks for the clarifications, I really should pay more attention.
Bush should take Putin off his Christmas card list. Putin is a Christian, he told W that himself.
My, what short memories the Russian leadership have. Supplying weapons systems to Iran, that same Iran who trained the sort of Chechen terrorists who murdered Russian children en masse in Beslan.
Before JW Posters start jumping up and down and
screaming abuse at Putin : REMEMBER AMERICA IS GOING TO SELL $BILLIONS IN HIGH TECH WEAPONS TO INDONESIA!! Britain & France have also done all kinds of shady deals to horrible regimes. U.S. has successfully funded Taliban,Kosovo Liberation
Army,Pinochet's murderers to name but a few. Get real children : so called Democratic nations do this for CASH. Putin is a very astute leader, pity Bush lacks his brain power. Assuming I will
be immediately blasted as a 'Commie Bitch' I'm not as abhor any Totalitarian Ideology be it Marxism or Islamic Fascim. Russia is strapped for
cash, weapons are DEFENSIVE and probably won't work put to the test. If the number of Slavs killed in Europe and Russia during WW11 were put together the
numbers are staggering - Jews died in a Holocaust
but so did many more millions of Slavs.
Russia has always been anti-Israel. Stalin murdered 21 mil and Jews were high on the list of undesirables. The term concentraion camp is of russian orgin. These missles may not be the magic bullet the Iranians are seeking, but the timing couldn't be more suspicious. Trusting Iran with any kind of weapon is foolhardy, I don't care how broke Putin is. Welcome to the new cold war.
Worse than a crime is this error. Was it not Russia that once upon a time had designs on Tsargrad (Constantinople) and after World War II, while no one was looking, occupied much of northern Iran (in retrospect, one wonders if it might not have made more sense to let the Russians, who had experience suppressing the basmachis in Central Asia, take over the Azeri-populated lands of northern Iran as part of Azerbaijan)? Will it not be Russia that will suffer the most if the Islamic Republic of Iran someday decides that it might start to expand northward, somehow linking up with co-religionists in the Caucasus now fighting the Russians, and perhaps providing them will all sortso of weaponry that might not have been possible had the current Russian government not assumed that any such aggression would never be turned on it.
A rash calculation. And the same calculation may be made by the American government in its intent to train, and arm, a new Iraqi army -- far better trained and equipped, if the Americans lose their heads even more, than it ever was under Saddam Hussein.
The thought of the Russian leadership being politically correct is just hilarious. The Russians are just being good businessmen.
That was sarcasm of course. As to whether they are 'good businessmen', I guess that depends on your definition of a good businessman. Are we being good businessmen by going out of our way to build up China? Maybe we're a little crazy too.
Russians selling missiles to Iran. It could be worse. Remember the time they gave the terrorist country Pakistan Nuclear Weapons, so that there could be parity between Pakistan and India. Oh wait woops that wasnt them, that was the US under Clinton.
USA, intead of pouring millions and millions of dollors to the ungreateful people of Afghanisthan and Iraq,should try to uplift Russia,which is in dire need of funds for its upkeep.Since the Iron curtain has been shreded into pieces,and Putin is in very good books with Prisident Bush,America can help Russia,and utilise for its advantage the great Russian potential,which,otherwise, is going either waste, or benefit enemies like Iran,Pakistan etc.
Russians should know that the same missiles,what they sell to Iran will be diverted to the Chechen rebels,who are fighting for indepencence from Russia.
Ruples but no scruples! Come on someone tell me Im having a bad dream. Why not wait till after the Israelis demolish the place before selling the missles.
I agree with Rafia...help Russia not the muslims. The US should be sending its advisors to Russia to help with eradicating islam from Chechnya.
Only short sighted if you consider this, but adding in the building of Iran's nuclear project they are really showing that they are not with us, or the world for that matter.
The "Cold War" is not over!
Kevin,
I believe that Spain set up concentration camps in Cuba during that island's independence struggle before the Spanish-American War. These camps were called reconcentrados.
Putin is no friend of Israel, America, or even his own country. He and his generals have made a mess of their war in Chechnya, as if they weren't trying to win but just make an unending bloody mess.