GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Russia Vows to Sell Missiles to Syria

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Defense News

26February2011 6:00pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: MOSCOW – Russia announced Feb. 26 that it intended to fulfill its contract to supply Syria with cruise missiles despite the turmoil shaking the Arab world and Israel's furious condemnation of the deal.

"The contract is in the implementation stage," news agencies quoted Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov as saying.

Russia initially agreed to send a large shipment of anti-ship Yakhont cruise missiles to Syria in 2007 under the terms of a controversial deal that was only disclosed by Serdyukov in September 2010.

The revelation infuriated Israel and the United States and there had been speculation that Russia would decide to tear up the contract amid the current turmoil plaguing North Africa and the Middle East.

Israel – which is still technically in a state of war with Syria and fears its close ties with Iran – suspects that the shipment is ultimately aimed at supplying Hezbollah militants in neighboring Lebanon. (read full report)

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