EU ponders easing Syria arms embargo

[Gerald]

Rebels need more arms, situation is quite tangled that it is.

EU foreign ministers discuss British and French calls for them to ease sanctions against Syria so weapons can be supplied to the rebels.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/middle_east/

Note: 27 May 2013 Last updated at 14:04 GMT

[Jimbuna]

meeting ended without any agreement having been reached...no surprises there then.

[Skybird]

The embargo has run out. The Russian are crying wolf. Poor lads. They only mean it so well. :dead:

[Oberon]

They're crying wolf with S-300s. This can only end well... :shifty:

Anyone else think this 'peace conference' with the US and Russia is going to be a complete waste of time and money?

[Herr-Berbunch]

Anyone else think this 'peace conference' with the US and Russia is going to be a complete waste of time and money?

Are you Putin money on it?

[Skybird]

They're crying wolf with S-300s. This can only end well... :shifty:

Anyone else think this 'peace conference' with the US and Russia is going to be a complete waste of time and money?
Even if good intention lived for just one day, it nevertheless has lived. :smug:

Point is there are no good intentions involved at all.

[Jimbuna]

Can any of the western countries (NATO) actually afford to send arms in the quantities that would be needed?

[Jimbuna]

Syria crisis: How arms reach Syria, explained:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22694603

[soopaman2]

John McCain to the rescue!

I am sure his MIC warmonger benefactors will sell the rebels something, they can use.

Then feign remembering, like Reagan did during the Iran Contra affair, after it backfires..

[Skybird]

Syria crisis: How arms reach Syria, explained:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22694603

A bit earlier, Israel just commented on the Russian SAMs, saying something like "If S-300 missiles reach Syrioa, Israel will know how to react to that."

Bluffing? Serious? Whatever, the plans are ready in their drawers, I think.

[HundertzehnGustav]

Even if good intention lived for just one day, it nevertheless has lived. :smug:

Point is there are no good intentions involved at all.

right on.
Its about selling weapons to these people, what ever faction they aeem to fight with this week.
This is about making money.
its a business meeting.

...simple?

[Wolferz]

What choo talkin 'bout Willis?
They want to sell arms to both sides to maximize profits:hmmm:.

EMBARGO OFF!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/Wolferz_2007/master-blaster.jpg (http://s205.photobucket.com/user/Wolferz_2007/media/master-blaster.jpg.html)

[MH]

And the circus continues...rope walking? lol.

[Oberon]

A bit earlier, Israel just commented on the Russian SAMs, saying something like "If S-300 missiles reach Syrioa, Israel will know how to react to that."

Bluffing? Serious? Whatever, the plans are ready in their drawers, I think.

Not entirely sure what they could do about it without suffering casualties, the S-300 is not exactly a toothless tiger.

[Jimbuna]

A bit earlier, Israel just commented on the Russian SAMs, saying something like "If S-300 missiles reach Syrioa, Israel will know how to react to that."

Bluffing? Serious? Whatever, the plans are ready in their drawers, I think.

Not entirely sure what they could do about it without suffering casualties, the S-300 is not exactly a toothless tiger.

Cruise missiles or some kind of radar jamming perhaps? :hmmm:

[Skybird]

Israeli technology inventions are in practically every computer, smartphone and laptop being produced anywhere in the world, and most computers have components "made in Israel". The list of electronics patents Israeli people hold, is impressive. Not even mentioning patents in other fields.

What I mean is - if they really go after it, I'm quite certain they find a way to defeat the SAMs - even more when not running into them and getting surprised, but expecting them to be there. And when S-300s get moved towards southern Syria, closer to Lebanon, closer to Hezbollah, closer to positions from where they reach into Israeli air space - then at the latest they will take them out.

They have no other choice then anyway. No nation able to confront the other would sit still with somebody else's spear tip pointing at his throat, over the border. The air force is too important for Israel.

There are many different versions of the S-300, with ranges varying between 70 km (SA-10 Grumble) and almost 200 km (SA-20 Gargoyle). We do not know which version the Russian deliver, do we? If they deliver the Gargoyle-armed variant, then they really provoke Israel and indeed ask for Israel striking at them.

[Oberon]

Cruise missiles or some kind of radar jamming perhaps? :hmmm:

Jammers might work but the S-300 is said to be pretty good at defeating ECM and is designed to be able to intercept cruise and ballistic missiles. In a way, it's quite similar to the US Patriot systems.

Israeli technology inventions are in practically every computer, smartphone and laptop being produced anywhere in the world, and most computers have components "made in Israel". The list of electronics patents Israeli people hold, is impressive. Not even mentioning patents in other fields.

What I mean is - if they really go after it, I'm quite certain they find a way to defeat the SAMs - even more when not running into them and getting surprised, but expecting them to be there. And when S-300s get moved towards southern Syria, closer to Lebanon, closer to Hezbollah, closer to positions from where they reach into Israeli air space - then at the latest they will take them out.

They have no other choice then anyway. No nation able to confront the other would sit still with somebody else's spear tip pointing at his throat, over the border. The air force is too important for Israel.

There are many different versions of the S-300, with ranges varying between 70 km (SA-10 Grumble) and almost 200 km (SA-20 Gargoyle). We do not know which version the Russian deliver, do we? If they deliver the Gargoyle-armed variant, then they really provoke Israel and indeed ask for Israel striking at them.

This is true, if there's one thing I have learnt through history books that is to never underestimate Israel, because when they seek to undertake a mission, they don't hold back and they don't cut corners.
It's likely that there are plenty of Israeli agents inside Syria at the moment, they could be tasked to sabotage the S-300, all they'd need to do is blow up the radar truck after all, unless the S-300 has a backup system installed.
In regards to which system the Syrians are getting of the 300, it's hard to tell, but given that the Russians have already given Assad the P-800 ASM, I'd wager that they'd not think twice about giving them the Gargoyle over the Grumble, or a mixture of both as a multi-layered SAM defence.

[Jimbuna]

A small piece on the S-300PMU-1 missile defence system:


The US and Germany have called on Russia not to supply Syria's military with an advanced missile system they say could prolong the conflict there.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the delivery of Russian weaponry would have a "profoundly negative impact" and put Israel's security at risk.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22734537

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/67905000/gif/_67905786_s300_vehicles3_464in.gif


The long-range surveillance radar tracks objects over a range of 300km (185 miles) and relays information to the command vehicle, which assesses potential targets.
A target is identified and the command vehicle orders the engagement radar to launch missiles.
Launch data is sent to the best placed of the battalion's six launch vehicles and it releases two surface-to-air missiles.
The engagement radar helps guide the missiles towards the target. It can guide up to 12 missiles simultaneously, engaging up to six targets at once.

[eddie]

Russia to sell more MiG's to Syria now too. A spokesman for MiG said it will be more then ten of them, which the press said the contract called for only ten MiG 29's.

http://news.msn.com/world/russia-to-sell-at-least-10-mig-fighters-to-syria

[Jimbuna]

The Russians appear to be upping the anti then :hmmm: