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Warns it will not tolerate western powers crossing a "red line"
"俄罗斯力挺叙利亚-派调航母军舰、卖导弹." We now know what those six Russian warships
that reportedly entered Syrian territorial waters last week were carrying. Aside from
representing a show of strength to discourage NATO powers from launching a military attack,
on board were Russian technical experts ready to help Damascus set up a sophisticated missile
defense system sold to them by Moscow. "Russian warships that have reached waters
off Syria in recent days were carrying, among other things, Russian technical advisors who
will help the Syrians set up an array of S-300 missiles Damascus has received in recent weeks,
a report in the London-based Arabic language Al Quds-Al Arabi said Thursday. Citing sources
in Syria and Russia, the paper said that Moscow sees a Western attack on Syria as a "red line"
that it will not tolerate," reports Arutz Sheva.
The S-300 missiles, which according to the report will be used to "deflect a possible
attack by NATO or the U.S. and EU," are long range surface-to-air missiles developed by
Russia in 1979 for the purpose of protecting large industrial and military bases from enemy
attack aircraft and cruise missiles. The system is widely regarded as one of the
most powerful anti-aircraft arrays in modern warfare, having the ability to track up to
100 targets and engage 12 at any one time. Russia recently tried to sell the same system
to Iran but the transaction was halted after pressure from the U.S. and Israel.
Arming Syria with such a proficient means of aerial defense would obviously not bode
well for any prospective "no fly zone" being planned by western powers. Reports have been
circulating this week that fighter jets from Turkey and other Arab states would soon enter
Syrian airspace under "humanitarian" pretenses with logistical aid from the United States.
"Along with the missiles, the report says that Russia has installed advanced radar systems
in all key Syrian military and industrial installations. The radar system also covers
areas north and south of Syria, where it will be able to detect movement of troops or aircraft
towards the Syrian border. The radar targets include much of Israel, as well as the Incirlik
military base in Turkey, which is used by NATO," states the report.
French foreign minister Alain Juppé yesterday assured Syrian opposition forces that NATO
powers are planning to launch a military intervention by imposing "humanitarian corridors or humanitarian
zones" in the name of protecting civilians from the alleged abuses of the al-Assad regime.
The prospect of air strikes being launched under a "humanitarian" banner are seen as
increasingly likely given the fact that the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush has been
moved to the Syrian coast in recent days having left its traditional theater of operations
just off the Straits of Hormuz. Tensions also escalated yesterday after the
U.S. Embassy in Damascus urged its citizens to leave Syria "immediately," while Turkey's
foreign ministry told its citizens to avoid traveling through the country on their return
home from Saudi Arabia. As we have previously noted, attacking Syria
could merely be an entrée for an assault on Iran because Tehran has promised to defend
its ally. *********************Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com Thursday, November 24, 2011