Rice was unable to convince Putin yesterday not to do this. Do the Russians not know or not care that the Iranians and their Chechen enemies hold to the same ideology? They may find that this neo-Cold War arming of the mujahedin against the West may backfire on them. From the Telegraph, with thanks to Daryl:
Former members of the Russian military have been secretly helping Iran to acquire technology needed to produce missiles capable of striking European capitals.
The Russians are acting as go-betweens with North Korea as part of a multi-million pound deal they negotiated between Teheran and Pyongyang in 2003. It has enabled Teheran to receive regular clandestine shipments of top secret missile technology, believed to be channelled through Russia.
Western intelligence officials believe that the technology will enable Iran to complete development of a missile with a range of 2,200 miles, capable of hitting much of Europe. It is designed to carry a 1.2-ton payload, sufficient for a basic nuclear device.
The revelation raises the stakes in the confrontation between Iran’s Islamic regime and the West – led by the United States and European countries including Britain.