Russia Finds an Eager Weapons Buyer in Iran
I guess I’m not the only one making these “drastic” claims
The following is from NPR.org. And for all y’all liberals if you don’t except NPR then, you ain’t liberal.
NPR is like the Clinton News Network times 10 (on the liberalometer). enjoy.
On a serious not though, Putin has got to go. Along with the crazy short man in Iran.
January 18, 2007 · Iran may be under United Nations sanctions for nuclear arms technology, but Russia has recently sold Tehran new conventional weapons. This week, Moscow said it has completed deliveries of anti-aircraft missiles — and it is ready to sell more arms to Iran.
Iran may be under United Nations sanctions for nuclear-arms technology, but Russia has recently sold Tehran new conventional weapons. This week, Moscow said it has delivered anti-aircraft missiles to the country.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov announced the fulfillment of Moscow’s billion-dollar deal with Iran to reporters on Tuesday.
“We have supplied modern, short-range TOR-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems in accordance with our contracts,” he said. “Iran is not under international sanctions.”
The deal has angered Washington, which accuses Iran of being the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Tehran, which is suspected of developing a secret nuclear arms program, is also under U.N. sanctions against atomic materials and technology.
But that hasn’t stopped Russia from building a nuclear power plant in Iran, which says it’s only interested in atomic energy for peaceful purposes.
Defense Minister Ivanov said this week that Moscow may supply Tehran with more weapons in the future.
“If Iran wants to buy defensive, I underline defensive, equipment for its armed forces,” Ivanov said, “then why not?”
Tehran’s recently acquired TOR-MI missiles are highly advanced battlefield weapons mounted on armored vehicles. They were designed by the Soviet Union to protect tank and infantry formations in a conflict with NATO forces in Europe.
Pavel Felgenhauer, a leading defense analyst, says the missiles are offensive, not defensive weapons.
“This is a serious development,” Felgenhauer said.” It gives the Iranians military possibilities if they can sort of believe that they can withstand to some extent American air supremacy in any kind of clash on the battlefield.”
Iran isn’t the only U.S. opponent Russia supplies with weapons. Moscow became the largest arms supplier to developing countries last year. Its biggest customers are India and China. But Russia also sells arms to countries like Venezuela and Syria.
Israel has accused Syria of supplying Russian rockets to Hezbollah — something Moscow denies.
The United States recently enacted sanctions against the main state arms export company, Rosoboronexport, and other Russian arms companies. But the growing standoff looks set to worsen strained relations between the two countries.
Once again I ask:
How long do we sit on our nice warm couches and wait?
I’m tired of waiting
Big Jimmy
the exact address for this article is http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6906839
Well we definately should not be thinking war at this point. I don’t agree that the Russians should be selling short range missles to Iran, and also the nuclear reactor. The US though has agreed to a Russian plan which unfortunately the Iranians will not adhere too yet. The Russian plans would limit Iran’s ability to covertly produce fissile material for possible use in a nuclear weapon by carrying out uranium enrichment in Russia. It is the best solution at the moment. I do agree that Russia’s transcations with Iran are not so transparent. Unfortunately the Russians are taking a oppurtunity to make an extra buck. Russia though does not want a fully nuclear Iran, they are giving into more sanctions. If for some reason Iran ever uses weapons we have the technology to intercept the missles. Iran only has small range missles, they are not a nuclear power yet and are far from it. I know the sooner we get them to scrap their nuclear ideas the better and safer we are. But we do have Alot of time! How can you be tired of waiting when so little time has passed? You can’t loose you patience so quickly Big Jim.
what i mean by being tired of waiting is i’m just 100% sick of the “wait until shot at” approach to EVERYTHING! For example Bin Ladin should have been taken out BEFORE the 1st WTC attack back in the early 90’s, but wait, we waited until after the 2nd WTC attacks. Why? why did we wait? politics. thats the answer. we wait because of politics. Back in the day of presidents like Teddy Roosevelt we did not wait, we took preemptive action. Personally of all foreign policies Teddy’s was my favorite, “speak softly but carry a big stick”. right now we speak softly and threaten to sanction. Also, I’m sick of fighting limited wars. we never fought limited wars until Korea. Then came Vietnam, Desert Storm, now Iraqi Freedom. We can only go so far with limited wars but we will never win. As the great General MacArthur said “You don’t fight to do anything else but win”. The reason we have limited wars and the reason why we have the “wait until shot at” approach is because of politics, dirty rotten no good politics. America needs to change it ways or pretty soon we’ll be fighting the war here. Its also kindof hard to have patience when you look around and see that we can’t even put a friggen fence around our own borders. Once again, why can’t we put up a fence between us and Mexico. Politics. And its not just one side, its both republicans and especially democrats.
You seem like an anarchist to me. Are u? We can’t predict the future and assume we are right everytime. So what do u want? I don’t think we are waiting on any issues we are just trying to solve issues less radically then you suggest. Your right we are most likely going to pull out of Iraq b/c of politics and the war popularity is at an all time low. Politicans want votes. At the moment this is what the majority of the people want so politicans if they want to stay in office will most likely follow the majority. There seems no thinking to your ideas. What are we going to go after we topple the Iranian government, are we prepared for another situation in Iraq. You expect the impossible, if we go into Iran of any of the approaches you suggest we will have Vietnam level protests. Our country is a democracy and it is the leaders responsibilty to act in the interests of the public well most of the time. Do you only care about America, this is a world with many countries and cultures that should be respected. Your policies are so one sided, you can’t have that in today’s world b/c it would only serve so few. And just to comment on your Mexican problem, a fence will not solve the problem it will only be a short term solution. You can’t take the easy way out of everything.
Also is this chat still on Russia/Iran policies
Not good thing indeed, but not unprecedented in this country as well. Did we not arm the rebels who were fighting Mother Russia? That aside, should Putin go, do you think the next leader would have any different feelings towards America?
You could call me an anarchist but according to what definition. If you go with the literal defintion, that it is anyone who wants any kind of gov’t overthrown, then technically yes (Iran,Russia,Cuba,Mexico,France,Syria,Iraq,China,NK,Pakistan,Saudi Arabia,etc are gov’ts I would like gone) but if you go with the practical defintion which is hippies that go around and purposefully make riots and just hate authority, then I am the farthest thing from that. I am not advocating anarchy in the US but I do advocate reform and cleanup. You can’t possibly tell me that America doesn’t need a political cleanup. If you call me an anarchist than include the following: George Washington, the patriots of the revolution, Ronald Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, Truman, Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill, FDR, Eisenhower, our men and women in uniform over in Iraq and Afghanistan try to overthrow a putrid gov’t and gov’t system, etc. If I had the time I would list more.
OK, America has 10% of Mexico’s population and you say a fence won’t stop anything? Is it just me but I don’t think their flying in by plane, or parachuting in, there’s really only one way in from Mexico, accross a land border that isn’t protected.
Now I think you think I want to start a war with Iran and Russia. No, I do not. I just want their gov’ts taken out, I don’t know how we should do it but I don’t want to sit here and get nuked because politics told us it was wrong.
And to answer anonymous in the post before, Why shouldn’t we have armed the rebels who were fighting Mother Russia?
Personally I am pretty certain Putin will still run the country in some aspect after the 08 elections. He will be gone theoretically, there will be a new Putin crony as President, but behind the scenes Putin will still hold power. Either he will become head of the UNited RUssia Party or most likely head of Gazprom the state owned oil company. Gazprom already follows exact orders from Putin. Putin is Russia, he runs everything under the mask of a democracy, or “managed democracy” as most call it. The Russian elite don’t want Putin to go, b/c that would cause a fight for power within the Kremlin. Even most of the common Russian ppl don’t want him to leave they know chaos most likely will erupt. The tricky part is Putin reveals little information on what he actually will do, he doesn’t hint to his advisors until he has clearly made up his mind. Russia is always interesting b/c it is a nation full of secrets, we don’t know half the stuff that goes on in that country and that whats makes it such an interesting topic. Putin will not change the constitution for extending his term to him that will fully take him out of the western mold. He likes the G8 with Bush and Europe, he doesn’t want to be with crazy Chavez of Venezula or Lukashenko of Belarus. He knows contact with the west will bring prosperity to Russia. The Soviet Union did fail after all so he knows he has to make talk witht the west. As his successor, it will be a nobody for sure. He will not have Ivanov or a strong oligarch to take his place. It will be someone who can never outshine his power. I doubt we will get rid of Putin and the West certainly is not trying hard, they never want to bring out the Russian bear. Oil changes alot of minds quickly and Europe is totally suborinate to Russia on that issue. Putin will go when he wants to go, he can do what he wants. Russia will eventually become a democracy when the ex soviet leaders are to old to govern. thoughts?
Big Jimmy, have you learned nothing from Iraq?
Finally someone who agrees thank you!
Chris I do hope that Russia will follow the plan you said with the old USSR guys dying off BUT have you ever thought that maybe they will go back to communism? Since their total fall in ‘89 Putin has brought them the closest to that route. So like I said if it happened the way you said, then hooray BUT I still would not like to take the chance.
Anonymous, the thing I’ve learned from Iraq is we have to stop fighting limited wars. Limited wars will leave us with NO way to win which is the exact situation we are in right now.
It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.
Douglas MacArthur
In war there is no substitute for victory.
Douglas MacArthur
No Russia will not go back to communism, it has already failed. Russians are nostalgic for the past I will give you that, but they will not say the Soviet Union should return. Communism has failed and they know it. Russia has changed so much since the Soviet Union even though we feel they are sliding back into there repressive past. If you go to Moscow or Saint Petersrburg they are very metropolitan cities much like NYC or London. Russians can now buy foriegn goods and have been open to western commodities, I know Russia will not go back to communism. The 90’s were so tough for Russia. They tried to create a capitalist-democratic system the wrong way. You can’t go straight from a communist mentality to a capitalist thinker you need time to adjust and Russia never transitioned slowly. I blame this aspect on the West, we didn’t help Russia when there economy collapsed in 98. They needed our guidance, and Russians are still bitter about that. The poverty level was outrageous, much like the levels of 1917 revolution. They believe democracy in some respect has failed them b/c it has allowed corruption to spread. SUch a decentralized system as democracy is still a foriegn idea for Russians because of their communal nature, and they were like that before the communist era it was only exploited during that time, communalism is a staple of their culture. Russians are not niave though, they know Putin is no democrat and they know the elections are not fair. They realize it is like Soviet times in that regard. In there minds they think “what can we do?, nothing”.. Russia always had rule come from the top (one leader) where as democracies like the US the power and decisions work their way up from the bottom, the people. It is a step in the right direction for Russians to realize communism can’t return. Now they need to realize that they can control the fate of their country, I don’t think they have realized that yet. Russians only rebel when their is no food and shelter like they did in the czarist times, Russians are survivors and they take pride in their suffering for some reason. I do think Russia will be a democracy their youth have experienced the West, MTV things our youth experiences. I would give it 20 years and Russia will most likely change. Time moves slowly in Russia it always has, it is not the fast pace US. I know Big Jim your not a man of patience, but this is how Russians are and we might as well accept that. Do you agree?
OK, but what direction is Russia moving in right now? forward towards capitalism and democracy or backwards toward communism.
At the moment you are right in some regards it does appear they are moving backwards to the days of the Soviet Union. Russia suddenly has a new found confidence and wants to challange the west as it did during the 20th century. When Russia was the Soviet Union it was respected and feared, ppl listened to what they had to say. I know Russia has nationalised alot of its oil production, but economically it will not completely be as it was during the Soviet yrs. There is still foriegn investment in Russia and Moscow is trying to become a dominate force in the business world. Russia has centralized more of its economy, but certainly not the levels of the Soviet Union. Politcally Russia does seem to be heading backwards, with the recent crackdowns on free media, and one party domination in the Kremlin. Right now in general Russia has moved backward I will give you that. I am just trying to prove Russia will never fully return to the status of the Soviet Union it wont happen.
i am glad you’re scared, you little pussy.