Two comments:
First, I hope the Russian made Iran pay a good price for the missiles, and didn't "give" them anything.
Second, any air-defense system is only as good as its detection equipment, and as good as the people operating and maintaining such equipment. Remember the young German pilot who, twenty or so years ago, flew his prop-driven plane across the Soviet frontier and landed it in Red Square, all un-challenged and even undetected by the much-vaunted Soviet air defenses. I can't imagine that the Iranians will be any better than the Soviets. Remember, this is the regime that thought the best way to clear Iraqi mine-fields was to drive thousands of school-boys across them.

Posted by: ebonystone at July 23, 2008 8:59 PM

ya the Iranians need an upgrade of their air-defenses after witnessing Israeli Jets defeat Syrian air-defenses last Nov.

Posted by: kyros at July 23, 2008 9:02 PM

Apparently Androcles and The Lion has been translated into Russian.

Apparently, they believe it and use it as a basis to formulate policy.

Interesting.

Posted by: emet-veritas at July 23, 2008 9:09 PM

The principal issue here is the inability, yet again, of Russia to align itself on the side of freedom. Russia has its virtues, but it's an idiot where the matter of freedom is concerned.

Posted by: Wellington at July 23, 2008 9:26 PM

The deadline just got a whole hell of a lot shorter.

Memo to the US Department of Defence and the US Government.

Unless you want to witness a second Shoah conducted by atomic weapons:

for god's sake, *give* Israel a fleet of those F22s, complete with fully trained pilots, NOW.

Plus a passel of satellite photos.

DON'T tell anyone you've done it. DON'T let anyone else find out.

Tell the IAF - USE YOUR INITIATIVE.

And if the Russians kick up a stink afterwards: let the American representative at the United Nations recite Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem, Babi Yar, in their faces, and tell them: this was done to prevent a horror ten times worse than Babi Yar.

Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at July 23, 2008 9:47 PM

Once again we sell stuff to Pakistan and the Arabians. It is hard for me to complain about what the Russians do until we clean up our own act. Remember we also supported Kosovo. There is a price for everything in this world. It looks like we are paying for it. Everybody (not the just the USA) has the right to be a fool...including the Russians!

Posted by: greatcometof1577 at July 23, 2008 10:00 PM

I've read some interesting commentary on this article. Russia has supposedly let it be known that the system won't be operational for six months. Perhaps to give time for Israel to hit Iran? No one knows for sure.

Posted by: s at July 23, 2008 10:15 PM

Every weapon producing country wants to sell their weapon systems to other nations. It's simple economics. You can read Jane's and quickly learn who makes and who buys the worlds armament. That being stated, these weapon producing countries should be responsible about who they offer their wares. Do not give monkies the gift of fire; this is very bad.

Iran has made it clear that their strategy is to use stall tactics and keep on keepin' on developing nukes. I think the time has just about run out for the Western strategy of waiting the situation out. The uncomfortable truth is that we know exactly what we're waiting for and must not let it happen.

Israel may well draw first, I hope we support them with what it takes to get the job done. Can it be done from the air? Do we know how deeply dug in their facilities are? Will it take boots on the ground to destroy their facilities? Will this all ignite as we are trying to move troops from Iraq to Afghanistan? With the Soviets it was brinksmanship. These Muslim nutjobs can't wait to meet their maker. This will get real shitty real fast.

Maybe we could loose some rats and they will just run away!

Posted by: Richard at July 23, 2008 10:21 PM

Once again we sell stuff to Pakistan and the Arabians. It is hard for me to complain about what the Russians do until we clean up our own act. Remember we also supported Kosovo. There is a price for everything in this world. It looks like we are paying for it. Everybody (not the just the USA) has the right to be a fool...including the Russians!

Posted by: greatcometof1577

You got that right! Radovan Karadzic was finally just apprehended. The U.S. should have just stayed out. We watched half of the fight and then jumped in. What a bad ass mother though, Note to self: don't mess with any Serbs.

Posted by: Richard at July 23, 2008 10:32 PM

Fully concur with Comet and Richard. Only that I wish that Russia was openly negotiating their support to Iran vs US support to the Arabs, Pakistan and Yugoslav Mohammedans

Posted by: Infidel Pride at July 23, 2008 10:55 PM

Richard: "The U.S. should have just stayed out," you wrote. The problem with this analysis is that by 1999 the Balkans were in implosion mode and non-Balkan Europe was deeply concerned over the instability factor for all of Europe. You know this or should know it. NATO members were also worried about the four wars that had broken out between 1991-1999 in former Yugoslavia undermining the NATO alliance. Things were a mess and people were being slaughtered, raped and tortured in very large numbers.

America under Bush 41 and Clinton told Europe that this was their problem. Pathetic Europe, the feckless UN and cynical Russia, though, did nothing as the carnage continued----year after year. Finally, America decided to act (after they were practically begged to do so by major European nations) to put an end to the acute stage of the Yugoslavia break-up. I rarely have good things to say about Bill Clinton but he was correct in bombing Serbia to send a signal to all that the nonsense must end. It did. Everyone got the message and since that time you have only the ordinary screwed-up Balkans (including the ill-advised recognition by America and others of an independent Kosovo), not the extra screwed-up Balkans. And who gets the blame? Why America, of course.

Thus is the way of things and it's indicative of what a phony much of mankind is. The superpower puts an end to the acute nonsense of a backward section of the world and gets blamed for doing so. See why I often think the world is an idiot? Meanwhile, Russia once again aligns itself with forces opposed to freedom by cozying up to Iran. In fact, whenever Russia has made common cause with the right side of history it's only because it happened to stumble into the truth. Very tired of Russia. It's time it learns, though I suspect it will miss the history bus once again.

Posted by: Wellington at July 23, 2008 11:12 PM

Why are people surprised that a country that does not provide freedom for its own people (Russia is not a great example of the Rule of Law, much less a framework of westernized freedoms) would side with Iran?

This is not retaliation for anything done re: Kosovo or Pakistan. The Russians do this because they can . . . because it hurts the West, and increases their leverage around the globe.

I have stated many times on this site that those who look to Russia as an allie in the War against Jihad will be very very disappointed before it is all over.

Putin et al would like nothing better than for Iran and the US to fight--so long as it doesn't end in a quick US victory.

Think of what it will do to oil prices.

Posted by: JSobieski at July 23, 2008 11:54 PM

Dumbleldoresarmy is right again!
Russia is quite obviously on Iran's side . DAMN RUSSIA.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE THE CZAR ,THE COSSACKS, AND BABI YAR DURING WWII/HOLOCAUST!
REMEMBER, THESE SWINE HAD PICNICS AT BABI YAR WATCHING THEIR JEWISH NEIGHBORS BE SLAUGHTERED BY THE NAZI INVADERS!

Posted by: CHOI at July 23, 2008 11:59 PM

Iran is set to receive an advanced Russian-made anti-aircraft system by year-end that could help fend off any preemptive strikes against its nuclear facilities, senior Israeli defence sources said on Wednesday.

As kyros mentioned...the Russian defense systems suck big time.
They're useless as tits on a Bull.

This is capitalism at its finest.

Which car company makes the best car. Which plane goes higher. Which companies electronic warfare gear and offensive weapons can defeat the other companies defensive systems.

Monkeys or not, they have cash, and someone's gonna sell em' fire. That's the way of it. As was said...simple economics.

Gordon Brown just made it clear that the UK will back Israel if they strike Iran...two nights ago? We all know that the US is up for this one.

Remember...Iran and Iraq fought for 8 years, and the best Iran could manage was a stalemate with millions dead. Iraq rebuilt their armed forces and we faced an army, far greater in strength than the Iranians did.

That army was destroyed in 3 days. How long do you think Iran will last?

Posted by: Alaskan at July 24, 2008 12:41 AM

Comet, Richard, and Infidel Pride,

Kudos to all three of you for seeing the obvious. Every country should look after its own interests and Russia is no exception.

Russia has suffered more from Islamic jihad than any other country except Israel and Serbia. The Muslim murderers of these thousands of Russians were all financed and trained by US allies Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

On the other hand, Iran, no matter how evil its government, is not a threat to Russia. Why? Because Russia has no Shi'ites. All of Russia terrorists are Sunnis/Wahabhis. Iran, despite being a Shi'a theocracy, has supported Russia's Christian ally Armenia against Azerbaijan, despite the fact that the Azeris are fellow Shi'ites.

Russia sees a secure Iran as a counter-balance against the terror states of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. For this reason, their policy is understandable, even if I don't like it.

Posted by: Provoslavni at July 24, 2008 1:37 AM

Choi: Babi Yar is in the Ukraine, not Russia.

Posted by: johndoe at July 24, 2008 4:51 AM

Iran, despite being a Shi'a theocracy, has supported Russia's Christian ally Armenia against Azerbaijan, despite the fact that the Azeris are fellow Shi'ites

1. Azerbaijan: Religion - Shia, Ethnic - Turkic. Despite this commonality with Iran, Azerbaijan has tended to be pro-Turkish (and by extention, pro Western) since independence. AFAIK, they don't have any territorial aspirations on NW Iran, even though the latter has an Azeri population that's not too happy with the ruling Farsis. But shouldn't they be Shia first, and Turkic afterwards?
2. Tajikistan: Religion - Sunni, Ethnic - Farsi. Despite that, this country has allied with fellow Farsi, but non-fellow Shia, instead of following neighboring Sunni leads and allying with Turkey. And unlike Azerbaijan, where there are dissatisfied ethnic Azeris in Iran, there are no ethnic Tajiks in Turkey, although Tajikistan does have territorial claims on Samarqand. So what gives?

Jan Sobieski

It is surprising that Russia supports Iran not because they are a dictatorship, but because they have their own problems with the Mohammedans, and they are ignoring the fact that Iran too hopes to lead the global ummah, despite Shia Sunni differences. I disagree with Provoslavni above that what they are doing is in their interests, but I do think that they are doing the moral equivalence of the US supporting Kosovo and Bosnia. After all, why should the US be the only country that can legitimately support jihad?

Posted by: Infidel Pride at July 24, 2008 5:57 AM

I'm sure Russia is well aware of the sentiments of Israel and the rest of the world. And I would think that Israel will respond appropriately to protect themselves. Basically, Russia has given them six months notice so Israel can plan their attack appropriately.

It serves Russia's best interests to be Iran's ally. Is that not what nations are supposed to do?

We are the only nation that operates against our best interests. I hope that Israel takes out Iran's nukes. The sooner...the better.

Posted by: Spot on at July 24, 2008 7:43 AM

"It serves Russia's best interests to be Iran's ally. Is that not what nations are supposed to do?
"We are the only nation that operates against our best interests."

Posted by: Spot on

Yes, that's what nations are SUPPOSED to do. But I would argue that the Russian leadership does not realize what Russia's true interests are.
I agree that the U.S. is operating against its own best interests. Certainly Bush's leadership has been less than inspiring. I don't mean to bash Bush, he's likely done better than either Algore or Lt. Kerry would have done. Pretty much the whole Washington crowd has been clueless -- most of Congress, the courts, the bureaucracy, the media.
And I think that the U.S. has been far from alone in acting against its best interests. Virtually all the European governments have acted even worse. Letting in millions of Moslem immigrants was the worst folly imagineable.

Posted by: ebonystone at July 24, 2008 8:16 AM

After all, why should the US be the only country that can legitimately support jihad?
Posted by: Infidel Pride

That's a compressed idea. Open that up and all kinds of Jacks pop out of the box.

Putin is doing what he can at the moment to slap Bush for the missile shield deal, and a host of other things he sees as a threat. I bet Putin is rooting for Obama, most despotic leaders are.
Muslims world wide want him in badly.
With Obama, the world does not need bombs or shields from them, sweet reasoning is all it takes. He will 'reason' with the worlds troublemakers. And they will listen to him. Not because of his power position, but because of those golden throat tones, that liberal women swoon over. The girls in the front row swooning over Sinatra in the 40's, are the same girls swooning over Johnny Ray in the 50's, who were the same girls swooning over Elvis and the Beatles, now it's Obama, the one man rock band.
Putin never laughs, but I bet the prospect of President Obama brings a sly smile to his lips...

Posted by: duh_swami at July 24, 2008 9:10 AM

Memo to the West:

Strike.

And do not stop until the job is done.

As for disruption and the Strait of Hormuz:

The economy has to be our servant, not our master;

In any case it too prefers strength to weakness, resolution to wavering and backsliding.

Wingate.Churchill.Gideon.

Posted by: dgene at July 24, 2008 9:57 AM

Russia has still never learned their lessons from Beslan, Moscow Metro suicide bombings, Moscow theater siege, downing of two Russian airliners, and atrocities in Chechnya and neighbouring radical Muslim regions. Why is Russia sleeping with the enemy?

Posted by: Dobra Dyen at July 24, 2008 10:05 AM

Yes, that's what nations are SUPPOSED to do. But I would argue that the Russian leadership does not realize what Russia's true interests are.

ebonystone

You are right. No question.

Posted by: Spot on at July 24, 2008 10:54 AM

This is Charlie's War in reverse!

Posted by: American at July 24, 2008 12:51 PM

When a British MP recently met with Putin he returned to say that when he looked into Putin's eyes he saw pure evil. I'm no fan of Putin or his KGB cronies, but I totally agree with all who posted above about them selling to Iran. This is what countries do, and have been doing for years.
Look at China, N. Korea, etc.

Don't worry, the IAF will have taken note, and with any luck will strike either before delivery is taken, or before it's up and running.

Posted by: gymgal at July 24, 2008 1:18 PM

I guess Iran wants a better Russian air-defense system then what Russia sold to the Syrians. I guess Iran remembers the recent Israeli penetration and bombing of the warehouse last year in Syria, of which the newest Russian air-defense systems did not even notice Israel was there.

Posted by: alaskan1000 at July 24, 2008 2:00 PM

This is Russian payback for US recognition of Kosovo and the US supporting muslim destruction of Orthodox Slav countries.

Posted by: European Crusader at July 24, 2008 2:26 PM

Note to self: don't mess with any Serbs.

if you unarmed do not. Otherwise they'll bravely rape and kill you. As for fighting against armed people: half of Serbs led by Lazar surrendered in 1389 and the other half with Vuk Brankovic run away. They also capitulated in 11 days and then openly collaborated with the Germans. We also know ho well they did after Croatians armed themselves.

They do get an A+ for propaganda though. I bet you didn't know that 1500 Serbian knights were at the siege of Constantinople and that Serbs fought valiantly with their brother in law: The sultan. Until Russia told them to rise in 1800's, the Serbian Church was happily collecting the taxes for the Sultan and Serb nobles were happily fighting as vassals for the Sultan.

Posted by: nameless-fool at July 24, 2008 2:48 PM

Almost all of Russia's leaders, from czarist days onwards, have attempted to make Russia great but have pretty much failed in this task, though they have succeeded in making Russians small. What is continually not grasped by Russia's elite is that freedom is the most important factor in true greatness. That's the single most important reason why America in two centuries has vastly eclipsed what Russia has achieved in a millennium.

Now Russia aligns itself once again with the forces of anti-civilization, in this case the religious thugs who run Iran. This just can't be explained as another example of realpolitik. Even the most decent nations have to compromise in this regard from time to time. America and Britain aligning with the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany is a good exmaple of this. America bombing Serbia in 1999 to put an end to the massive instability and carnage caused by the break-up of Yugoslavia is another. No, it's more than power politics, which everyone has to play from time to time. It's something far more profoundly troubling-----an inability to see that the protection and promotion of freedom, internally and externally, is what really makes for greatness. In this respect, Russia has been dismal.

Posted by: Wellington at July 24, 2008 3:32 PM

The left made excuses for the beligerence of the USSR with the old bromide that Russia was paranoid about being invaded so many times and afraid of the U.S. No they are just a timeless third world country with rusty nukes and a penchant for bluffing and vodka.

Posted by: pismopal at July 24, 2008 4:35 PM

The US & Russia are cowardly Cantacusening each other, and innocent Serbia & Israel are caught in the middle. The US & EUrabia criminals have slandered, scourged and crucified Serbia both to please the Muslims and to get to Russia, out of exagerated perception of Serbia's importance to the Russian government. And Russia is trying to get back at them by arming Israel's enemies out of exagerated perception of Israel's importance of Israel to our American Russia-hating, Islam-appeasing elites, State Dept. sociopaths and neoconae-verminae. Both are trying to redirect the Global Jihad against each other. The only winner is the Global Jihad, aided by both. Ahmadinejad is undoubtedly having wild fun watching the 2 big camps of "infidels" do the job for him, actually bringing the conditions for the coming of the 12th imam. As I hear about Russia providng a great array of powerful anti-tank missles, ballistic missles and rockets to Syria, capable of hitting any point in Israel, and advanced anti-aircraft systems to Iran, I just shake my head in frustration. Why to Iran and Syria? Why not to their Serbian brother and sisters to deter the cowardly Western dhimmocracies from launching yet another war of aggression against them?

Ruslan Tokhchukov, EnragedSince1999.

Posted by: Enragedsince1999 at July 24, 2008 6:18 PM

It kind of reminds me of making friends with the schoolyard bully - not because you like the bully, but because you hope the bully will leave you alone.

If/When Iran attacks the Jews, will the soviets help, say nothing, or object? My guess, they'll be outwardly silent, but actively supportive, all prearranged of course so the Iranians don't get confused or upset with the Russians.

During the cold war, it was common knowledge that the Soviet's had one very effective negotiating tactic that seemed to work every time -- lying.

The current russian nuts don't fall far from the tree.

Posted by: Dr. T at July 24, 2008 7:43 PM

Dr. T: It's wrapped up with the freedom thing I mentioned above. Oh yes, with a proper understanding of freedom comes the implicit acceptance of a superior moral order (those beholden to Islamic morality need not apply here) and the rule of law (ditto for the rubes who think Sharia has merit), two very important ancillary matters the Russians are abysmal on.

Posted by: Wellington at July 24, 2008 8:18 PM

"half of Serbs led by Lazar surrendered in 1389 and the other half with Vuk Brankovic run away. They also capitulated in 11 days and then openly collaborated with the Germans. We also know ho well they did after Croatians armed themselves."

Posted by nameless-fool above.
-----------------------------------------

You obviously know nothing of history. It was the Croats and Bosnian Muslims who openly collaborated with the Germans as some of the nazis most loyal allies. The Serbs, along with Jews and Gypsies, were the victims of the Nazi/Croat/Muslim genocide. The Croat Ustaše was probably the most viscious of all nazi groups. The only Croats who opposed the nazis were Tito's communists.

The Serbian King led an anti-nazi government in exile (in London) while royalist forces fought heroically against the Ustaše. The Royalist General Draža Mihailović was even on the cover of Time Magazine in 1942 as the primary anti-German resistance leader. He would be betrayed and executed by the communists at the end of the war.

As for your accusation of Saint Lazar's "surrender" in 1389, this is patently false. During the 1389 battle of Kosovo, Lazar was one of those killed, along with much of Serbia's political elite who also died during that battle.

You mention the traitor Vuk Brankovic. Well he is hated by all Serbs. However, it is a lie to say that half the Serbs joined him in running away. Here are the facts. There were around 25,000 total Serb warriors at Kosovo: 15,000 under Lazar, 5000 under Vlatko Vuković, and another 5000 under Brankovic. When Brankovic fled, he took less that 300 with him while the rest of his troops cursed him for his cowardice.

Now the facts of the "surrender": After Saint Lazar died in battle and it was clear the Serbs could not prevail againt the overwhelming Ottoman forces, on June 15, 1389 Miloš Obilic and his men made their way into the Ottoman camp pretending that they wanted to surrender.

When they were brought to the Sultan Murad's tent to make obesience, they forced their way to the Sultan's tent and Obilic stabbed him to death. Obilic and his men were then slashed to pieces by the Sultan's bodyguards. Obilic's deed is seen by true Serbs as striking a blow against tyranny and is symbolic of the Christian fight against Islamic oppression.

These are the facts about the Serbian character, and it remains true despite having to live under 5 years of Nazi occupation and genocide followed by 45 years of Croat dominated Communist oppression. The Serbs survived all of this only to face today's NATO attacks and dismemberment of their ancient homeland in favour of their Muslim enemies.

Posted by: Provoslavni at July 25, 2008 10:51 AM