Israel vows to prevent Russian anti-aircraft missile system from becoming operational

 

May 31, 2013 – ISRAEL – Netanyahu tells European foreign ministers that if the Russian missile systems get into Syria, Israel’s ‘entire airspace will become a no-fly zone’ and therefore it ‘cannot stand idly by.’  Israel’s National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror sketched out what Jerusalem’s ‘red line’ is vis-à-vis the S-300 missile systems Russia intends to send to Syria before the 27 European Union ambassadors in Israel. Two diplomats who were in the room during the briefing last Thursday, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was a closed event, said that Amidror stressed Israel will act ‘to prevent the S-300 missiles from becoming operational’ on Syrian soil. This message was also conveyed by Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon when he said on Tuesdaythat if the missiles reach Syria ‘Israel will know what to do.’ Amidror’s briefing, the diplomats said, made it clear that Israel estimates that sooner or later Russia will provide Syria with the missile systems and for reasons unrelated to Israel – namely Russian rivalry with the U.S., Britain and France on the Syrian issue. ‘We understood from Amidror that the Israeli government thinks the missile transfer cannot be prevented, therefore it will act against them after the transfer but before they become operational,’ one of the diplomats said. Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has confessed in an interview to AL-Manar TV Lebanon that the government has received the first batch of Russia-made long-range surface-to-air missiles, Israeli media report. Assad added the next shipment of advanced S-300 missile systems was coming in shortly. Al-Manar is expected to publish the complete interview later today. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov previously told journalists he wasn’t in a position to either confirm or deny the reports that claim the first S-300 missiles had already reached Syria. He added however Russia was indeed planning to supply Damascus with its missile systems. Mr. Ryabkov said he realized this news came as a wakeup call for Russia’s global partners, but underscored Moscow was not going to revise its stance. Moscow hopes US, EU will ‘rein in’ opposition Syria National Coalition – Foreign Minister Lavrov. Moscow hopes that the US and EU will be able to “rein in” opposition’s National Syrian Coalition, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. Moscow hopes that the US and EU will be able to “rein in” opposition’s National Syrian Coalition, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. He condemned the opposition forces for urging a regime change in Syria, a call that can abort the planned Geneva peace conference. Mr. Lavrov said he hoped Americans and Europeans would show some common sense and restrain the most aggressive of opposition elements. He also criticized those who were trying to present the NSC as the sole force capable of speaking out on Syria’s behalf. Israel is looking into reports on Thursday that Syria had received the first shipment of the advanced Russian air defense system S-300, an Israeli official said. “I have no information beyond what has been reported, which we are looking into,” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, after a Lebanese newspaper quoted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as saying a shipment had arrived. Israel, which has made veiled threats to prevent S-300 missiles from becoming operational in Syria, has lobbied the Russians against the sale and said on Tuesday that shipments had not yet been made. Israel’s airspace would be within range of the system if it is deployed in Syria, a northern neighbor. Russian deliveries of S-300 defensive surface-to-air missile systems to Damascus could help prevent any possible intervention by external forces in the Syrian conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at a press conference in Moscow. “In our opinion, these deliveries play a stabilizing role. We believe that such steps will largely help stop certain hotheads from turning it into a possible international conflict, from considering a scenario that would make this conflict international with the involvement of external forces that are not averse to such ideas,”  he said. “We are speaking about deliveries of defensive weapons to the government of this country with the aim of protecting facilities and contingents of soldiers,” Ryabkov said. –VOR

contribution Irene