Israel Opposes 'Russia-Syria Missile Deal' -Reports

Wed Jan 12, 2005 11:59 AM ET

By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel is trying to stop a sale of missiles by Russia to arch-foe Syria, which the Jewish state accuses of backing Hizbollah guerrillas and Palestinian militants, Israeli and Russian media said on Wednesday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom did not confirm details but told Reuters: "We held discussions on this here among ourselves a few days ago. We hope to reach the necessary understandings with the Russian government."

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said he had no knowledge of a Russian-Syrian arms deal in the works.

Channel Two said Russia planned to sell Syria arms including an unspecified number of SA-18 shoulder-fired missiles, which could threaten Israeli aircraft over Syria and southern Lebanon.

The Russian daily Kommersant said the sale included Iskander-E ground-to-ground missiles, which would bring most of Israel into Syria's range.

According to Kommersant, Israel recalled its ambassador from Moscow in protest. But a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the ambassador had not been recalled and was in Israel on vacation.

Syria has not been seen by military analysts as a major strategic threat to Israel since the collapse of its main patron, the Soviet Union. Channel Two described the new Russian deal as Syria's biggest arms procurement "in years."

Syria backs Hizbollah, whose guerrilla attacks ushered in the end of Israel's 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000. Israel accuses Syria of backing Palestinian militant groups, which have offices in Damascus.

Hizbollah has acknowledged helping groups waging a four-year-old uprising in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Israeli officials accuse Palestinian militants in occupied Gaza, which Israel plans to quit this year, of trying to smuggle in anti-aircraft missiles with which to bloody retreating troops. (Additional reporting by Maria Golovnina in Moscow)

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