Tag Archives: Russia

Nov 25 2012

Russian expert warns of possibility of large-scale war in Middle East

Turkey has asked NATO to deploy “Patriot” missiles on the Turkish side near the Turkish-Syrian border.

In an interview with the Voice of Russia, Russian analyst Konstantin Sivkov said: “Deploying these missiles in Turkey will be dangerous for Syrian military planes – this is obvious. A lesser obvious thing is that Turkey is getting ready for a war against Syria. If an attack on Syria from the territory of Turkey does take place, this will most likely be an attack not of the Turkish army, but of NATO’s forces.”

“The Middle East is getting ready for a large-sale battle which will very likely affect the Russian part of the Caucasus, and this, in its turn, will be reflected on the entire Russia,” Mr. Sivkov added.

Deployment of Patriots in Turkey means no-fly zone for Syria

The planned deployment by NATO countries of Patriot air defence systems on Turkey’s Syria border will actually amount to the imposition of a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft in circumvention of the UN Security Council.

The opinion has been voiced by the leading research fellow of the Russian Institute for Oriental Studies, Vladimir Kudelev.

He feels that Patriot systems may drastically influence the fighting between the government troops and the opposition in the north of Syria, since the militants will thus get a 200 kilometre – to 250 kilometre-wide “umbrella” all along the Syrian-Turkish border. Continue reading →

Oct 26 2012

PUTIN’S PIPELINE TO SYRIA

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By Brother Nathanael

WHILE CNN WAS PROMOTING terrorists in Syria, (95% of ‘Syrian rebels’ are not Syrians), a little noticed headline appeared in the Wall Street Journal in July 2011.

The article, “Iran, Iraq, Syria Sign $10 Billion Gas-Pipeline Deal,” reported that a new Middle East pipeline, changing the geopolitical complexion of the region with dire consequences for the Jewish-led West, would run from the Iranian South Pars gas field to Damascus via Iraq territory.

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According to the deal, Syria would purchase 20 million cubic meters of Iranian gas a day with Iraq acting as a transit agent.

In August 2011, Syrian exploration companies discovered a huge new gas field in Homs near its border with Lebanon and just east of the Russian-leased Naval port of Tartus on the Mediterranean situated above the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Syria ultimately plans to extend the planned pipeline from Damascus to its Mediterranean port of Tartus where it would be delivered to energy-thirsty EU markets.

Any export of Syrian-purchased Iranian gas to the EU would thus be transited through the Russian-docked port of Tartus.

Vladimir Putin is keeping the enterprise under wraps knowing that he stands to be a big winner in this new geopolitical equation.

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For with Russia acting as shipper and liaison with its established European energy market via its energy giants, Gazprom and Rosneft, Russia’s role as the EU’s leading natural gas and oil supplier would be enhanced by the Syrian pipeline.

Continue reading →

Oct 24 2012

Libya: US Blocks Russian UN Resolution of Bani Walid Violence

The United States has blocked a draft statement, proposed by Russia, on the resolution of violence in the Libyan town of Bani Walid, which has been under siege for weeks. The statement called for a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin said the move “can’t be serious,”reminding the American delegation of the deadly attack in Benghazi that claimed the lives of four US diplomats in September.

“Blocking a draft statement that called to solve the country’s political problems without violence is very strange,” Churkin said. “This is a case when it is difficult to explain the US delegation’s actions in rational terms.”

The statement drafted by Russia on Bani Walid called on the Libyan authorities “to take urgent steps to resolve the conflict by peaceful means and to preserve the rights of all Libyan citizens.” It also expressed concern about the significant escalation of violence in and around the city of Bani Walid in recent days. 

Lawrence Freeman, from news magazine Executive Intelligence Review says the US will block any peaceful solution to the ongoing violence in Libya, because stability in the region is not in its interests. Continue reading →

Oct 14 2012

Washington Plays Hardball with Russia on Syria

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By Stephen LENDMAN

If words could kill, America and Russia might be at war. Hopefully it won’t come to that. Given America’s rage to fight, even the unthinkable is possible.

Russia and China represent Washington’s final frontier. Building up around their borders and encircling both countries with US bases makes anything ahead possible.

Prioritizing peace isn’t America’s long suit. Unchallenged global dominance assures war. One country after another is ravaged. Multiple direct and proxy wars remain ongoing. Flashpoints easily shift from one region to another or target several at the same time.

Currently, the Middle East is ground zero. Longstanding US plans want Syrian and Iranian governments replaced by pro-Western ones. Russia opposes US imperialism for good reason. Recent exchanges between both sides show strain.

On October 12, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland addressed Turkey’s anti-Russian/Syrian provocation. Fighter jets forced a Moscow inbound Syrian airliner to land in Ankara. “We have no doubt (about) serious military equipment” being shipped, she claimed. She lied.

In less than so many words, she accused Russia of aiding and abetting Washington’s enemy. AP said Obama officials “Friday accused Russia of pursuing a ‘morally bankrupt’ policy in Syria.”

Continue reading →

Sep 26 2012

Russia halts imports of Monsanto corn over cancer fears

AFP Photo / Philippe Huguen

Russian authorities temporary suspended the import and sale of Monsanto’s genetically-modified corn after a French study suggested it may be linked to cancer.

The Russia’s consumer-rights regulator Rospotrebnadzor asked scientists at the country’s Institute of Nutrition to review the study. The watchdog has also contacted to European Commission’s Directorate General for Health & Consumers to explain the EU’s position on GM corn.

The report prepared by France’s University of Caen and published last week, claimed that rats fed over a two-year period with Monsanto’s genetically modified NK603 corn, developed more tumors and other pathologies than a test group fed with regular corn. The NK603, sold under the Roundup label, is genetically engineered to withstand glyphosate weed killer.

The company criticized the study, saying it “doesn’t meet minimum acceptable standards for this type of scientific research” and the data was incomplete.

Monsanto also said Russia’s ban will have little effect on its business as the country import small volumes of corn from the US. Besides that, the Russian government doesn’t permit farmers to plant GM crops. “Russia is a net exporter of grain, so the actual impact of their temporary suspension, if any, is likely to be small,” the spokesman said in a statement. Continue reading →

Sep 23 2012

Opposision holds conference on Syria in Damascus

The National Conference for Rescuing Syria has kicked off in Damascus on Sunday on the initiative of the Syrian Oppositional National Coordination Body (NCB). About 15 oppositional parties and 8 civil society movements are taking part in the conference.

The conference is also attended by the ambassadors from Russia, China, Iran and a number of Arab countries, which maintain diplomatic missions in Syria.

In his speech the Russian ambassador in Syria Azamat Kulmukhamedov noted that the main goal for today is immediate cease fire by the conflicting parties and conversion of the standoff into a peaceful political discussion.

According to Arab mass media the participants are to discuss such issues as change of the regime in Syria and switching to secular democratic state.

Rebel offensive beaten off

Syrian government forces have quashed a rebel attempt to seize three strategic towns in the northwestern Idlib province close to Syria’s border with Turkey. Continue reading →

Sep 21 2012

Russia mocks those who call to overthrow régime in Syria

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that there is no alternative to the political settlement to the crisis in Syria, with the inevitable commitment to its sovereignty and the non-interference in its domestic affairs.

The Russian President’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Bogdanov discussed during a meeting with the Syrian Ambassador in Moscow Riad Haddad the situation in Syria.

The statement added that the Syrian Ambassador affirmed Syria’s readiness to go ahead in this direction, appreciating Russia for sending humanitarian aids to Syria.

For his part, Spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Lukashevich called for giving the UN Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi enough time to get acquainted with the situation in Syria and work actively with all foreign players and sides to find a solution, based on UN resolutions, Annan Plan and Geneva Agreement. Continue reading →

Sep 19 2012

Moscow orders USAID to stop operations in Russia

Moscow has ordered the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to close its aid mission in Russia.

The Russian government has set a deadline of October 1for the agency to end its operations.

“The United States recently received the Russian government’s decision to end USAID activities in the Russian Federation,” US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a written statement on Wednesday.

Source: Press TV

Sep 10 2012

‘US doesn’t need UN to oust Assad’ – Clinton

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (AFP Photo/POOL/Jim Watson

Hillary Clinton threatens the US and “like-minded states” might pursue regime change in Syria in circumvention of the UN if the new resolution on Syria is “toothless”. Russia’s Foreign Minister believes the conflict is still solvable diplomatically.

Having conducted talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has acknowledged that the Russian position is steadfast: foreign intervention in Syria is intolerable.

“We have to be realistic. We haven’t seen eye-to-eye… that may continue,” Clinton revealed on Sunday.

Since the Russian and American positions on Syria do not converge, “then we will work with like-minded states to support a Syrian opposition to hasten the day when Assad falls and to help prepare Syria for a democratic future and help it get back on its feet,” she declared.

There is no point to passing a new UN resolution on Syria “with no teeth”, she said, “because we’ve seen time and time again that Assad will ignore it and keep attacking his own people,” Clinton told reporters.

“As I underscored yesterday with Foreign Minister Lavrov, that will only be effective if it includes consequences for non-compliance,” she added.

Russia together with China has vetoed three consecutive Western-drafted UN Security Council resolutions on Syria, claiming the resolutions were unbalanced.

Still, Clinton promised that she will continue to work with Lavrov “to see if we can revisit the idea of putting the Syrian transition plan that we agreed to in Geneva earlier this summer into a Security Council resolution.”

The disagreements on Syria between Moscow and Washington are not only limited to the UN resolutions. The foreign minister explained that Russia is firmly against bilateral sanctions the US and EU are imposing on Syria. Continue reading →