Posted on 12/20/2005 4:38:06 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
MOSCOW, December 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will take Syria's side if charges against Syrian officials with involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri cause a conflict between the United States and Syria, two Russian parliamentary members said Tuesday.
"If Russia is to choose between its two strategic allies, it will undoubtedly take Syria's side," said Shamil Sultanov, a coordinator of an inter-faction association, Russia and the Islamic World: A Strategic Dialogue.
Nikolai Leonov, a member of parliament's security committee, who had recently visited Syria along with Sultanov and other MPs, said it was primarily beneficial for the U.S. to accuse Syria of murdering Hariri. "Indeed, Syria is an excellent oil corridor with access to deep-water Mediterranean ports. Besides, this is a good pretext to distract the world community's attention from the events in Iraq," the MP said.
Leonov said earlier that he was concerned that Syria could face the Iraqi scenario.
In October, an international commission chaired by Detlev Mehlis delivered a report to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and members of the Security Council suggesting that high-ranking Syrian and Lebanese officials had been involved in the February 14 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria said the report was politically motivated and inaccurate.
"And so it begins . . ."
Bad idea, Ivan.
Bad news for Syria... Russian friends don't have such a great survival record.
You have chosen...poorly.
As is their habit. In fact, it's pretty much a rule by now.
""If Russia is to choose between its two strategic allies, it will undoubtedly take Syria's side," said Shamil Sultanov, a coordinator of an inter-faction association, Russia and the Islamic World: A Strategic Dialogue."
Ya'll should consider this sentence in detail before barking reflexively.
Russia took Iraq's side during both wars.
They provided weapons, training, strategic advice, intelligence, and diplomatic support.
All combined, it delayed the start of the war, but didn't delay our troops a bit.
If we go into Syria, we'll be wading in the Mediterranean before Bashir knows what hit him.
This attack will NOT be successful.
Y'all should consider the absurdity of considering Syria a "strategic ally" in that context.
20 years ago this may not have been tantamount to France saying the same. Besides, I thought that Russia sold all of their military hardware to other nations. LOL
Interesting. Pakistan sides with Iran this morning and Russia with Syria.
So...China stays "neutral" and supplies all of them.
We have Afghanistan and Iraq on China and Iran's borders. How many of the '-Stans' are aligned with Nato and the US on Russia's borders?
I'd say 2006 is shaping up to be mighty interesting, boys.
Yesterday read that Pakistan is on Iran's side.
Seems Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Syria and China are forming some kind of military alliance.
Come on Joe, you sound foolish when you say revelation(s) plural. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ singular.
Last paragragh from article:
"In October, an international commission chaired by Detlev Mehlis delivered a report to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and members of the Security Council suggesting that high-ranking Syrian and Lebanese officials had been involved in the February 14 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria said the report was politically motivated and inaccurate."
Looks like Germany will be on OUR side...lol. So much for old ties. Between Mehlis and the new German Chancellor, chances are Germany will not be on Syria's side.
INFO ON HIM:
"Detlev Mehlis is currently the Senior Public Prosecutor in the Office of the Attorney General in Berlin. He has 25 years of prosecutorial experience and has led numerous investigations into serious, complex transnational crimes. He has been a senior public prosecutor since 1992 and has, over the course of his career, been responsible for prosecuting terrorism and organized crime cases. Most notably, he investigated the bombing on the discotheque La Belle in then West-Berlin in 1986, which claimed the life of 2 US soldiers and a Turkish woman, and uncovered the involvement of the Libyan intelligence service. He also proved the involvement of the terrorist Carlos in the attack on the French culture centre Maison de France, also in West-Berlin, in 1983. Since 1998, Mehlis has been the Chief of the Contact Office of the European Judiciary Network and Coordinator for the fight against organized crime in the State of Berlin.
In 2005, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Mehlis as the Commissioner of the UN International Independent Investigation Commission into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The Mehlis report was presented to the Secretary General on October 20, 2005. It implicated Lebanese and Syrian Military Intelligence in the assassination, and it accused Syrian officials of misleading the investigation."
Besides..it sounds like it is just two russian politicos mouthing off while in Syria. Probably working on some 'contract' involving large sums of money..(rolling eyes)
Putin is making a lot of very poor foreign policy choices that the Russians are going to regret when either the Jihadis or Chinese turn on them with a vengeance in 10 years or so.
If Pootie Poot thinks an anti-American turn is going to make Bin Laden and his buddies forget about their unfinished business in the Caucuses he is deluded.
Excuse me, still won't change the outcome.
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