The Threat from Iran Seen by Russia

Secretary of State Clinton has returned from her European tour and she states that Russia is very much aware of the dangers posed by Iran. However, Putin isn't about to let any political camaraderie get in the way of the money it is making off of Iran at this time. Russia needs money and Iran needs defensive and offensive materials, since Iran has been effectively quarantined because of its zeal to promote its theocratic government. That and we haven't forgiven them the 1979 assault on our embassy.

So, Putin, I mean Russia, will not go along with the U.S. demand for sanctions against Iran at this time, but it is keeping an eye on them.

Great! I wonder what the world will do once it is confirmed that Iran possesses a nuclear weapon? The president of Iran has made it known of his dislike for Israel and his wanting to destroy this Jewish state. What will Israel do? What kind of balls does the government of the U.S. of A. have to deal with a nuclear capable Iran? How far will we go to prevent the exploitation of this weapon by fundamentalist people intent on destroying anything, anyone that is not a member of Islam?

Saudi Arabia is doing its part in trying to broker a deal to buy missile systems from Russia in exchange for the ex-soviet union member not to sell any missile system package to Iran. This is to delay Israels intent on destroying the nuclear facilities in Iran before they finishing making a nuclear bomb. After all, what else can Israel do to stop the Iranians from producing and delivering a nuclear weapon first?

Countries do not want a major conflict in this region, but I fear there will be a meltdown within a couple of years when everyone has the weapons in hand to do what they have been planning for years. Maybe the year 2012 is important?
lakotahope
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BBC News

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told the BBC that Russia now recognises the threat posed by Iran.

Wrapping up a European tour in Moscow, Mrs Clinton said Russian leaders had in private said they were ready to act if Tehran did not meet its obligations.

But Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, on a visit to China, said it was too early to talk about sanctions on Iran.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that threats of sanctions were counter-productive.

Iran denies allegations by the US, EU and Israel that it is trying to build the bomb under cover of a civilian nuclear energy programme.

Mrs Clinton told the BBC on Wednesday that Russia in the past six months had "moved tremendously" to acknowledge the threat of Iran's programme.

There is no need to scare the Iranians - there is a need to reach agreements Vladimir Putin Russian prime minister A Russian policy shift on Iran? Iran on defensive over secret site

She said Russian officials, in private talks, had recognised the need to act if diplomacy failed.

"We are in total agreement on all of that," Mrs Clinton told the BBC.

"And we are also in agreement that if our diplomatic engagement is not successful then we have to look at other measures to take, including sanctions to try to pressure the Iranians."

As a permanent UN Security Council member, Russia would need to back any fresh sanctions against Iran.

At the start of this month, Iran agreed at a meeting in Geneva to allow UN inspectors into a previously undisclosed nuclear site near its holy city of Qom, and to send low-enriched uranium abroad for enrichment to a higher level.

'Buying time'

Mrs Clinton acknowledged to the BBC that Tehran had bought itself more time with this move.

But she said Iran had also made commitments which the Russians and the Chinese now expected them to fulfil.

However, wrapping up a visit to Beijing, Vladimir Putin said talk of sanctions was premature.

"I believe it's too early to speak of them," Russia's prime minister told media, reports AFP news agency.

"There is no need to scare the Iranians. There is a need to reach agreements."

After Moscow, Mrs Clinton headed for Kazan, capital of the religiously and ethnically diverse region of Tatarstan, east of Moscow.

The US has been trying to "reset" relations with Russia

Her five-day European trip included stops in Zurich, London and Belfast.

US President Barack Obama, who met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in July, has pledged to reset relations with Moscow.

Mr Obama, for his part, has met a key Russian demand to scrap plans to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of a US missile defence system in Europe.

The US administration insisted it did not expect concessions in return.

But Washington has called on Moscow to support, or at least not oppose, the idea of tougher sanctions on Iran if it fails to live up to its international obligations.

The council wants Iran to end uranium enrichment and has approved three rounds of sanctions - including bans on Iran's arms exports and all trade in nuclear material.

Saudis Trying to Buy S-300 Missile Defense from Russia

One has to love the way diplomacy sometimes prevails in the Middle East. Iran has been trying to obtain the S-400 advanced missile defense system from Russia for a while. This system is as advanced as any U.S.A. system. Russia needs money and has proven more than willing to share its weapons for the right price with countries around the world. Recently, countries like India, Venezuela and India are buying nice new 'toys' from Russia.

Now we have an Arab country doing what it can to prevent a "Shiite Islamic" state from obtaining advanced weapons. Something the West couldn't accomplish all that successfully, because Israel is straining at the rope to destroy Iran's hopes of a nuclear capability. This Arab state is helping out the Jewish state in order to keep peace in the Middle East. Saudis don't trust Iran and for the most part Syria anyway.

Israel may go after Iran with or without the missile system in Iran. It still may happen, with U.S. help and/ or approval...Saudis laws are strict and treat women like garbage, but this little act will keep peace a day or two longer.... lakotahope
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milplex
Saudis consider Russian air defense system

It is considered that the S-400 missile defense deal could be part of a much bigger arms deal with Russia. That would signal Riyadh's break from decades-old dependency on traditional arms supplying nations like Britain, France and the United States.

by Staff Writers
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (UPI) Oct 7, 2009
Saudi Arabia is considering buying Russia's most advanced air-defense system in a deal that Riyadh hopes may deter Moscow

from selling a similar defense system to potentially nuclear Iran, experts argue.

Experts cited in a string of media reports from the region said Moscow and Riyadh

were close to signing a deal on the purchase of Russia's S-400 anti-missile shield. The deal is valued between $4 billion and $7 billion.

The system is the latest version of the S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile system that Russia has been negotiating to sell to Iran.

"The Russians were selling the S-300 in large part because of the money. Now, a larger deal will be made with Saudi Arabia," said a World News report, citing an anonymous Egyptian intelligence official.

Diplomats in the Gulf, however, argue that strong Western and Israeli pressure, capped by a multibillion-dollar deal with Saudi Arabia, may sway Moscow against its initial designs to sell the surface-to-air missiles system to Iran.

Saudi Arabia, influenced by Sunni Islam, is threatened by the growing influence of Iran, dominated by Shiite Islam.

It is considered that the S-400 missile defense deal could be part of a much bigger arms deal with Russia. That would signal Riyadh's break from decades-old dependency on traditional arms supplying nations like Britain, France and the United States.

In late August, for example, Russia's Interfax news agency reported that a $2 billion weapons deal was in the making between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Under the deal, Russia would supply up to 150 combat helicopters, and equal number of T-90S tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

This week The Financial Times reported that as part of the deal Saudi Arabia demanded guarantees that Russia would not send the S-300 system to Iran.

"The Saudis would rather this weapon system were not sold to Iran or (another possible buyer) Syria," Theodore Karasik, director of research at the Dubai-based think tank, was quoted saying by Russia Today.

It said Tehran was initially interested in the S-300 system in 2005 when a deal was signed. The equipment, however, has yet to reach Iran.

Saudi officials are increasingly worried that Western pressure has failed to sway Iran's development of nuclear know-how. It has repeatedly contested Iran's insistence that its nuclear ambitions are entirely peaceful.

"The pressure from the U.S. is a stick and the huge weapons deal prepared by the Saudis is a carrot," Director of Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies Ruslan Pukhov told Interfax news agency. "We all know Saudi Arabia buys weapons as a 'bribe' to the world's great powers in exchange for support," he added.