Russian Government Duplicity Strikes Again
Jim Kouri, CPP
April 20, 2006
When President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time in 2001, Bush said, “I've looked into his eyes, and seen his soul, and I liked what I saw.” Well, I too looked in Putin's eyes and I saw a political thug. I saw the coldness in his eyes, perhaps a lingering reminder of his days as a commander for the Soviet Union's secret police.
In spite of the enormous amount of evidence that Putin's government has repeatedly worked against the United States, the Bush Administration appears to be oblivious to the Russians' duplicity on the world stage. When documents and tape recordings indicated that Russian military officers were in Iraq assisting the Iraqis prior to the US-led invasion, and that their assistance went so far as to provide Iraq's dictator with US invasion plans, the silence in the Bush White House was deafening.
As I've written in previous columns, the Russians are again involved in their characteristic duplicity, this time in Iran. While they are pretending to work with the US and the Europeans to curb Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions, at the same time the Russians are arming the Iranians with state-of-the-art weaponry and equipment.
Their latest act of duplicity is described in a recent report by the Russian news media that Russia will fulfill a big-ticket contract to supply Tor-M1 air defense systems to Iran, according to Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Baluyevsky.
Baluyevsky made the statement after his talks with James Johns, Supreme Commander of the United States and NATO forces in Europe.
"I'm sure this equipment is not strategic, but it is obvious that it will be delivered in accordance with Russia's international commitments in the nonproliferation sphere and under control by the appropriate bodies. I'm simply sure of it," Baluyevsky was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.
Up to 30 Tor-M1 complexes are planned to be supplied to Tehran which will defend the key state and military facilities, foremost nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Bushehr, Tehran and in other parts of the country.
The contract, worth $1.4 billion, is the biggest arms deal Iran and Russia has ever concluded, and Middle East experts predict it won't be the last.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov officially confirmed that the Russians would conclude the contract on December 5, 2006. Ivanov noted that the contract "is implemented in strictest conformity with the Russian legislation and Russia's international commitments."
The Tor-M1 is an all-weather air defense system intended for providing tasks at the battalion unit level. It ensures effective protection from cruise missiles, guided bombs, warplanes, helicopters and unmanned aircraft.
Russia's arms and technology transfers to Iran have created diplomatic and security headaches for Washington, as Tehran develops some fairly sophisticated military niche-capabilities and builds ballistic missiles armed with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) that threaten US interests and allies in the region. Even more troubling for Washington, it has been able to do very little about it and its options seem limited.
In addition, intelligence experts believe -- as with the Saddam regime in Iraq -- Russian intelligence officers are assisting the Iranians. Jane's Intelligence Review reports that while the KGB was dismantled, the Russians are continuously growing a huge intelligence network that is deeply entrenched in the Middle East.
It's believed that Russia is hosting Iranian intelligence officers at their training facilities and academies in order to upgrade their training in intelligence gathering and analysis, covert actions, and strategic planning.
In spite of the enormous amount of evidence that Putin's government has repeatedly worked against the United States, the Bush Administration appears to be oblivious to the Russians' duplicity on the world stage. When documents and tape recordings indicated that Russian military officers were in Iraq assisting the Iraqis prior to the US-led invasion, and that their assistance went so far as to provide Iraq's dictator with US invasion plans, the silence in the Bush White House was deafening.
As I've written in previous columns, the Russians are again involved in their characteristic duplicity, this time in Iran. While they are pretending to work with the US and the Europeans to curb Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions, at the same time the Russians are arming the Iranians with state-of-the-art weaponry and equipment.
Their latest act of duplicity is described in a recent report by the Russian news media that Russia will fulfill a big-ticket contract to supply Tor-M1 air defense systems to Iran, according to Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Baluyevsky.
Baluyevsky made the statement after his talks with James Johns, Supreme Commander of the United States and NATO forces in Europe.
"I'm sure this equipment is not strategic, but it is obvious that it will be delivered in accordance with Russia's international commitments in the nonproliferation sphere and under control by the appropriate bodies. I'm simply sure of it," Baluyevsky was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.
Up to 30 Tor-M1 complexes are planned to be supplied to Tehran which will defend the key state and military facilities, foremost nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Bushehr, Tehran and in other parts of the country.
The contract, worth $1.4 billion, is the biggest arms deal Iran and Russia has ever concluded, and Middle East experts predict it won't be the last.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov officially confirmed that the Russians would conclude the contract on December 5, 2006. Ivanov noted that the contract "is implemented in strictest conformity with the Russian legislation and Russia's international commitments."
The Tor-M1 is an all-weather air defense system intended for providing tasks at the battalion unit level. It ensures effective protection from cruise missiles, guided bombs, warplanes, helicopters and unmanned aircraft.
Russia's arms and technology transfers to Iran have created diplomatic and security headaches for Washington, as Tehran develops some fairly sophisticated military niche-capabilities and builds ballistic missiles armed with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) that threaten US interests and allies in the region. Even more troubling for Washington, it has been able to do very little about it and its options seem limited.
In addition, intelligence experts believe -- as with the Saddam regime in Iraq -- Russian intelligence officers are assisting the Iranians. Jane's Intelligence Review reports that while the KGB was dismantled, the Russians are continuously growing a huge intelligence network that is deeply entrenched in the Middle East.
It's believed that Russia is hosting Iranian intelligence officers at their training facilities and academies in order to upgrade their training in intelligence gathering and analysis, covert actions, and strategic planning.
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