Russia Denies Plans to Sell New Missile Defense System to Iran

[zrinkill]

A Russian government agency disputed reports that it had signed a contract to sell a sophisticated air-defense system to Iran, saying it had no such plans.

Earlier this week, the Iranian defense minister said that a contact had been signed previously and that Russia would equip Iran with S-300 missiles, which are used to shoot down planes and missiles.


In a statement posted on its Web site, the Federal Military and Technical Cooperation Service flatly denied the Iranian claim.


“The issue of supplying Iran with S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, raised by mass media, is not on the agenda, is not being considered and is not being discussed with the Iranian side at the moment,” the statement said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/wo...html?ref=world

[zrinkill]

Russia Denies Plans to Sell New Missile Defense System to Iran


The federal agency overseeing Russia's military exports on Friday denied reports that the country is planning to deliver a powerful new anti-aircraft missile system to Iran.

Iran's defense minister had said earlier this week that Russia was preparing to equip Iran with the S-300 missile system, which would dramatically increase the country's ability to repel an attack.
But Russia's Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service denied the claim in a brief statement.


"The question of deliveries of S-300 systems to Iran, which has now arisen in the mass media, is not currently taking place, is not being considered and is not being discussed at this time with the Iranian side," said the agency, known by its Russian initials, FSVTS.


The system is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of over 90 miles and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet. Russian military officials boast that its capabilities outstrip the U.S. Patriot missile system.


The S-300 is an improvement over the Tor-M1 air defense missile system. Russia delivered 29 Tor-M1s to Iran this year under a $700 million contract signed in December 2005. Iranian media reports have claimed the improved missile systems could inflict significant damage on U.S. or Israeli forces, were they to attack Iran.
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The United States had said in the past that it would not rule out military action as a way to halt Iran's nuclear enrichment, claiming it was using the nuclear program as cover for weapons development. But earlier this month, Washington reversed course, concluding in an intelligence assessment that Iran stopped direct work on creating nuclear arms in 2003 and that the program remained frozen through at least the middle of this year.
Russia has provided Iran with submarines and military planes in recent decades.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318707,00.html

[zrinkill]

I made sure to post it from a liberal and a conservative news source so no one would complain .....

[BrAinPaiNt]

Love Bush or Hate him...I think we can all say he flubbed up with his infamous Looked into his eyes line about Putin.

Putin is not a good guy at all.

[Sasquatch]

Originally Posted by BrAinPaiNt

Love Bush or Hate him...I think we can all say he flubbed up with his infamous Looked into his eyes line about Putin.

Putin is not a good guy at all.

Not the only thing these people have been wrong about.

Autocrats are this administration's best friends (Musharraf, Putin, Khaddafi, Abdullah, etc) and the inspiration for the imperial executive that is their principal legacy.

[StevenOtero]

Originally Posted by zrinkill

I made sure to post it from a liberal and a conservative news source so no one would complain .....

[burmafrd]

Actually its been well known for a long time about Putin. Just not much we can do about it. So we make nice publicly. Actually that is a smart way to play this particular problem; when we finally have to take a public stand against Putin no one can say that we never were friendly to him.