RUSSIA IS STRENGTHENING SYRIA IN ORDER TO NEGOTIATE A BETTER DEAL FOR ITSELF AND THE ALAWITES. TED BELMAN
Game changer : Russian Iskander (SS-26) Mobile Ballistic Missile Delivered to Assad’s Syria
By Jerry Gordan, NEW ENGLISH REVIEW
Iskander (SS-26 Stone) Russian Mobile Short Range Balistic Missile
Reza Khalili reported in World Net Daily on Russian deliveries of the Iskander (SS-26 Stone) Mobile Ballistic Missile to Syria, “Russia arms Syria with powerful ballistic missile,”. The Iskander was developed to foil anti-missile defense systems, whether those deployed in Eastern or Central Europe or the Patriot batteries that NATO has just released to Turkey. The US deployed the first Patriot Batteries to Poland in 2010. Syria has criticized Turkey for this deployment. Kahlili notes the threat that Iskander presents to Israel’s missile defense umbrella in the wake of the recent rocket war in Gaza and successful tests of the David Sling intermediate range rocket and missile defense system. Israel had purchased and deployed Patriot batteries following the Scud attacks from Iraq during the First Gulf War in 1991. Kahlili notes:
The [solid fuel] superior Iskander can travel at hypersonic speed of over 1.3 miles per second (Mach 6-7) and has a range of over 280 miles with pinpoint accuracy of destroying targets with its 1,500-pound warhead, a nightmare for any missile defense system.
According to Mashregh, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard media outlet, Russia had warned Turkey not to escalate the situation, but with Turkey’s request for Patriot missiles, it delivered its first shipment of Iskanders to Syria.
Reporting today, Mashregh said the handover occurred when Russian naval logistic vessels docked at Tartus in Syria.
The Iskandar is a surface-to-surface missile that no missile defense system can trace or destroy, Mashregh said. Russia had earlier threatened that should America put its missile defense system in Poland, it would retaliate by placing its Iskander missiles at Kaliningrad, its Baltic Sea port.
Russia’s delivery of Iskanders to Bashar Assad’s embattled regime clearly shows that the security and stability of Syria remains Russia’s red line, Mashregh said. It is unknown how many of these missiles have been delivered but the numbers given are sufficient to destroy any Patriot missiles in Turkey, it said.
The delivery of the missile not only threatens the security of Turkey but also Israel, which would have to recalculate its strategy with its defensive and offensive capabilities.
As reported in a WND exclusive on Dec. 5, Iran’s Islamic regime also sees the toppling of the Assad regime as its red line and has 170 ballistic missiles targeting Tel Aviv in underground missiles
Military Today reported that Russia had invested $1.2 billion in development and deployment to counter US missile shields in Eastern and Central Europe. Moreover, it has sold 26 Iskander missile systems to Syria. Military Todaynotes the dangerous versatility of the Iskander (SS-26 Stone);
The Iskander road mobile missile system is equipped with two short-range ballistic missiles, which substantially increases firepower of missile units. Each missile can be independently targeted. System is capable of hitting moving targets, as target coordination can be adjusted while missile is in-flight. The Iskander has several different conventional warheads, including cluster, fuel-air explosive, bunker-busting and electro-magnetic pulse. Minimum firing range is 50 km.
The Iskander was designed to overcome air defense systems. Missile files at supersonic speed, excessively maneuvers in the terminal phase of the flight and releases decoys. In some cases this ballistic missile can be used as an alternative to precision bombing.
Missiles can be launched 16 minutes from traveling or 4 minutes from highest readiness. The second minute can be launched after less than a minute.
Given the deteriorating situation in Syria, if the Iskander (SS-26 Missiles) were to fall into al Qaeda, al-Husra or Jundallah Islamist militia hands in the fundamentalist opposition that would constitute a serious threat to Israel’s yet to be completed missile defense umbrella. The David’s Sling intermediate range defense system will be deployed in 2013 and 2014.
Watch this video of the Iskander (SS-26) Mobile Short Range Ballistic Missile.
“… it’s what America should have done in Iraq after successfully deposing Saddam – just withdraw and let them have the civil war – then if the wrong guys take over – just go in and do it and level them again or just turn them into a glass parking lot.”
I agree wholeheartedly, Max.
Felix Quigley Said:
Naw, I’ll go against both of them as well as Russia, and your commie organization.
Take a pill, Felix.
Doesn’t the Party issue you a suicide something-or-other for when you get caught?
@ Felix Quigley:
It’s my prerogative as a citizen of a democratic country to ignore anyone I please and I consider to ignore your propaganda. You are a waste of time and a waste of space.
Yamit answered you previously, need for me to re-invent the wheel.
You simply ignored his answers which is what propagandists do when they run out of truth and run out of arguments.
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And sure Mr. Commie, when all else fails resort to personal attack..
whatever….
Oh and hey! When they put a cap up Assad’s butt, that wont be Bull Excrement.
I’ll drink a toast to both you and him meeting up in Hades with your other pal Gadaffi.
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‘Will Russia allow Mr. Assad to fall?’
They have no choice, it’s not up to them, no more than it’s up to you or Comrade Quigley.
Nothing can save any murderous tyrant that has enraged and declared war on 70 to 80 percent of the population. Not yet anyway.
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So given that, we, the West, have the choice of what to do as he falls.
And such marvelous choices do we have. It’s so wonderful. 🙂
Gonna have a good old blast in the old towns next month.
Max:
You are quite mad!
You do not consider the concrete. it is you who has a dogma. You do not read or listen to my words in print.
You do not deal with what happens in Syria if Assad falls. The same as in Egypt but a more immediate massacre of the Christians, Kurds and Alawites than in Egypt. In Egypt the Copts should immediately get out because nothing can stop their massacre…Nothing!
You are a complete bullshitter. you consider nothing.
Mr Poster
“The elast bad”???
You misread and understate the situation grievously which will end in many lives, including Jewish.
The Weimar republic with its corruption was “least bad” to the Nazis. But no small matter.
that phrase of “least bad” is a cop out, and is getting ready to abstain.
I despair when I see people after all of this history not able to distinguish between secular dictators and the Muslim Brotherhood.
In these great battles we do not have the luxury of sitting on the fence. You have to come down completely on the side of Assad against the Muslim Brotherhood.
Whether it is the “secular” dictatorships of the likes of Assad and Khaddaffi or the “Islamic” democracies of the the Muslim Brotherhood America and probably the “West” lose in the mid to long term. Eihter group are bitter enemies of the United States. The least bad alternative would appear to be the secular dictatorships.
As a major oil importer, the foreign policy goal of the United States should be to promote stability in the region. Stability helps lower the price of oil. Even in the best of circumstances, democracy has a tendency to be unstable. Support for the “secular” dictatorships appears to be the best course of action. Additionally, the American military is worn down and depleted from continuing operations around the world in the Global War on Terror and is ill equiped for any more major actions.
Instead we have a situation where America’s foreign policy is based upon ideology of freedom and liberty for all. It needs to be understood that democracy is not a panacea. It does not work for every one all the time. Since this an Israeli oriented web site, I won’t spend allot of time in this post on what America’s foreign policy should be. I do agree with the general sentiment that Israel should chart a course for its foreign and deomestic policies completely separate from America even if this means throwing the foreign aid back in the faces of American leaders. In the mid to long term, this would be in the best interests of both nations.
The Russians have been extremely clever throughout the entire situation. Regardless how Syria turns out whether Mr. Assad stays or goes the Russians win big time. As a major oil exporter, the Russians benefit from the high cost of crude oil. Instability in the Middle East drives up the price of this commodity. This situation and others do a great deal to advance instability in the region which benefits Russia enormously.
Might Russia be deliberately holding back from Mr. Assad what he needs to completely crush the rebellion once and for all? I think this is a real possibility. Russia has the best intellegence and military services in the world. It seems unlikely they could not easily preserve the Assad government if they so wanted. Instability in this part of the world is good for high oil prices. Additionally, Russia can ride in later and act as saviour to the region any time it suits them.
Will Russia allow Mr. Assad to fall? I think this depends upon which action they conclude harms America the most. Should Assad fall, they can blame it on America even though the American role in this has been nominal and can act to further demonize their main enemy. After all they can always install someone else who might be even more friendly to Russian interests than the current Syrain leader. Regardless the outcome Russia wins. The same metrics apply to Russia for Iran, as well.
@ Max: Spot on!!!!!!!!!
@ Felix Quigley:
Ho ho.
The ghost comes from the shadows. Did I hit a nerve there?
You are rushing in to protect the holy interests of Mother Russia and her client states?
Yamit has previously answered you in detail on this topic. I needn’t add any more.
Who am I? I am your enemy. I support freedom and a word free from all fascist control and totalitarian ideologies be they religious or philosophical. I am your complete antithesis and your complete opposite.
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@terrence
Be careful. You are most likely being manipulated by demagoguery and rabble rousing. The clever idea of this kind of propaganda is to use your own angers against your own interests. Drum up your anger and hatred so you throw the good out with the bad and lose your chance of survival.
Under the dictators democracy is non-existent and both the commies and Islamic interests are protected. Under the broken dictatorships we have democratic ideologies working agaisnt Islamic (MB) ideologies. American military intervention is not ‘Obama Doctrine’ in action it is the strategic assertion of democratic interests against non-democratic interests and would and does occur whether Dem or Repub is in charge (often more so when Repub is in charge – but in any case no president can go against his own military advisors for protecting the free world interests). We now have many disparate and opposing groups in all of these countries and that works in our favour and even more so when some or many of those groups ally with us.
Under the dictators we have worse than nothing, no hand in the play – we (the West ‘excluding Felix interests’) under this see only the growing entrenchment of fascist power in which we will ultimately lose – and Felix knows this.
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Felix is a die hard commie. The client states of Russia are his spiritual lifeblood. He is not on anyone’s side except the commies side. Jews and Muslims are just tools to attempt to manipulate the destruction of Western democracy and capitalism and install a commie overlord state that will rule all, Jews included.
He especially loves his dictators, to him as with all commies the masses of human beings are just tools by which to achieve power.
I mean – just listen to him -would you really want him in your home at the supper table? It would be like sitting down with Stalin or a serial killer. A person who blithely rewrites natural human morality to suit his own interests by enthusiastically befriending genocidal dictators? One day you will be eating with him, the next day he will be eating you. He has no moral balance.
@ Felix Quigley:
I absolutely agree.
Israel cannot stand aside in these great battles (as it did with Mubarak and Gadhafi to the great cost of Jews in Israel especially Sderot) and now the issue of Assad and Syria is on the agenda. Israel has only one course of action which in the long run will help to defend Israel. That is to oppose Obama and Cameron/Hague, the American and British Imperialists (Fascists in world affairs, fast becoming Fascists at home too) and to defend Assad with everything that Israel has got. Israel is independent and must also make clear that if Assad or Iran threatens Israel with nerve gas, or poison, or anything, then it Israel will pulverise them, but do so independently. Israel must end the subsidy from Obama and throw it back into his Muslim Brotherhood supporting face.
The situation is moving at great speed and Israeli leaders (Netanyahu) sit like rabbits in headlights.
Look closely at this report from http://www.debka.com. Debka contains both truth and falsehood. Debka works as a conduit for spooks and in the first paragraph below it acts as the agent of Obama and Cameron. This is the great peril of false Israeli leadership:
The danger that Syrian ruler Bashar Assad will now resort to chemical warfare shot up Saturday afternoon, Dec. 8, after the rebels captured the “chloride factory” at Al Safira…
http://trotskyism.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/israel-must-not-abstain-it-must-defend-assad-and-create-alliance-with-russia-against-obama/
There is no reason for Israel and supporters of Israel which I am to abstain on this issue. Israel is independent and must pulverise Assad if he threatens, but Israel must not be a client of these international Fascists like Obama and Cameron.
I remember that “Max” was a real hater of the Serbs and a supporter of Islamofascist Izetbegovic, so is he in practice a supporter of Jihad?
Max
Whose side are you on… the side of Obama and Cameron?
After what happened in all of these countries where the defeat of secular dictators are replaced by Sharia how can you not only show your face but call for more! Who are you Max?
@ BethesdaDog:
Of course. But there is no Russian ‘struggle’ for Syria. They’ve lost it same as they lost Lybia. My comments pertain to how they handle the loss – just get every last ruble out of it and make as much obstruction for the West no matter who gets hurt or how many ordinary people of any non-Russian stripe are killed and maimed.
What is ‘negotiations to the Russians? — Simply to stall the inevitable in a lost cause – get every last ounce of whatever from it no matter how many more thousands die. The is no ‘legitimate negotiation’ that means anything – no more than there was in Libya.
Super-weapons are a tactical consideration but the idea that a few elements of tactical weaponry at this stage are going to change the strategic situation or any way affect the outcome is a little far-fetched.
If they are spotted, quite probably in the endgame, the USA will work with the FSA to secure the chemical weapons as well as the Iskanders. As well there will be a struggle between the FSA and the Al Queda groups after Assad which is another reason for US intervention on the FSA side. It’s already happening and ongoing.
The FSA with co-ordination support and help from the West just unified it’s command structure ,naming it’s commanders and excluding the Al Queda groups.
Both sides (FSA and AL Qaeda) have been stockpiling weapons for the post-Assad conflict. The FSA has much more popular support but AL Qaeda has been allowed to have too much influence over local populations because the Syrian people were cut off for the outside world.
The endgame should be interesting. France has put there hand in funding the FSA for a long time. The UK wants in on the action as well. It’s a good idea all round – nothing destroys Islamic fundamentalism like the taste of Western culture. But the question is..is it too late to keep that influence in there?
I don’t think it’s “just about money.” It’s about geopolitics. Syria is the linchpin of Russian Middle East influence. Without Syria, they have nothing in the Arab world. The Russians probably treat the heretical Alawites with less concern than they do the Sunnis, who are cause for concern. The Russians have domestic problems with Sunnis.
A concern for Israel would be whether David’s Sling could be defeated by the new Russian system. The Russian system was designed before David’s Sling is operational, so the Russians probably don’t have the kind of information they needed to incorporate into its system the capacity to cope with David’s Sling.That’s just an uneducated guess.
If that is true, if that is really the ‘red line’ then maybe we’ll all have Armageddon by New Year. The regime is going to be topped, that’s a given.
Anyway, a few missiles wont’ change anything it’s not an integrated military force and it’s without a sophisticated defense system to protect the missile bases. It will just increase the severity of a first strike scenario after chemical weapon use.
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Assad’s going down from the inside and if he uses chemicals Nato and America still have the capability of turning all of Syria with a first strike including the ISkanders into a very fine just in a matter of hours. That’s’ because they have their overwhelming forces in place and at the ready.
The article reads like sci-fi hysteria. Check back in 1-3 months and see what actually happened – because it’s all about to go down.
It’s not going to ‘change the game’ and there is no deal to be negotiated. There is nothing to negotiate – the demise of the regime is fore-ordained.
Assad will die in a culvert somewhere. The Alawites only have a chance of surviving if they switch sides before they are overrun. Unless in the inner circle someone turns on Assad and stands down the regime to the FSA the endgame is going to be very very messy.
And that’s not half bad for us Infidels – it’s what America should have done in Iraq after successfully deposing Saddam – just withdraw and let them have the civil war – then if the wrong guys take over – just go in and do it and level them again or just turn them into a glass parking lot.
Yeah Russia backed Gaddafi to the end, even long after it was obvious he was finished. They obviously will do the same with Assad even though it is equally obvious.
It begs the question,,why?
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I think it is about money – not in the long term but in the immediate sense. Both countries were Russian client states for weapons sales. They just want to squeeze the goose dry before it stops laying eggs. They know the shop is going out of business but they will squeeze every last dollar out of it. The new weaponry is part of the “clearance sale” , the “going out of business” sale.
And the other reason is Russian is still waging war on the West, the only morality they have is in reducing Western power – doesn’t matter to them who they sacrifice to accomplish this. It’s the USSR surrogate wars all over again.
The USSR is stil alive, they just switched for being run by the commies to being run by the Russian Mafia.
The West, the Ruskies, Islam and Red China. All four struggling for world domination. There is no peaceful co-existence – the war is on and ongoing.