Saturday, July 21, 2007
Report: Iran to provide Syria with $1b for new weapons
The sensitive details from the two leaders' meeting in Damascus earlier in the week were related to the Lebanese Arabic daily Asharq Alawsat by an anonymous Iranian source involved with the discreet meeting, and were brought to light on Saturday...
...The report went on to say that aside from economic, cultural and scientific cooperation, Iran will help to fund Syria's purchase of Russian and North Korean weapons. These weapons reportedly will include 400 advanced Russian T-72 tanks, 18 Russian Mig 31s, as well as eight M-8 helicopters and other military equipment.
In addition, Iran will reportedly help Syria build factories that would manufacture medium-range missiles, and will also supply Syria with Iranian-made tanks and armored personnel carriers. The Syrian navy will also reportedly be rearmed with Chinese-made C-801 and C-802 missiles, which are presently being manufactured in Iran.
The same type of missile struck an IDF Navy ship off the Lebanese coast last summer during the Second Lebanon War, killing four IDF sailors.
On the diplomatic front, Ahmadinejad reportedly promised Assad to help topple Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and to push sway on the Lebanese parliament with the aim of restoring pro-Syrian influence there. Assad, for his part, agreed not to enter peace negotiations with Israel.
Should we send in a dream team of Jimmy Carter, Nancy Pelosi, and John Kerry (or maybe just these guys), to straighten out this big misunderstanding, or is this just inevitable given the nature of the regimes in Iran and Syria and the way such leaders draw their legitimacy...legitimacy they'd bleed out because of the societies and expectations they've created amongst their followers if they ever actually sincerely pursued a peaceful course? You know what I think.
Update: Meanwhile, Amir Taheri notest that the Iranian economy is in the tank. Which brings the thought that a lot of the economic pressure and saber-rattling is having the effect of forcing Iran to spend massive money in war preparations while choking their economy from bringing in wealth -- think Soviet Union without the mass to continue for decades. Ideally, you could get a regime change without firing a shot.
I am sure that President Peanut Farmer will blame this on Israel and/or the United States.
BHG
Bottom line: Money talks. Leaders are spending money, that should be spent on their own people, to buy favours and support of other countries. Chavez, Ahmadinejad.
Costa Rica is abandoning Taiwan because China is offering more incentives.
Hopefully disatisfaction at home will be a catalyst for regime change (as you put it) in Iran and eventually in Venezuela.
However the former Soviet Union didn't "crave death" as the Islamofascists tell us they do.
The Soviets feared retaliatory annihilation while the Islamofascists have already publically stated they are willing to accecpt the loss of 200 million Arab/Muslims to destroy Israel.
The Islamofascists should factor in the total obliteration of Mecca (and the Kabba), Medina and Qom as a consequence of a WMD attack.
The Islamofascist Regime of iran should think of that eventuality.