Syrian FM: Russian arms deal "Israeli fabrication"

1/15/2005 9:46:00 AM GMT

Syrian FM Farouq Al-Shara'a accused Israel of launching fabricated campaigns against his country, and that the alleged Russian-Syrian arms deal was untrue and just fabricated by the Jewish state.

Speaking at a news briefing held alongside his Italian counterpart, Al Shara’a said "the campaigns launched by the Zionist entity against Syria are mere fabrications. You know the source of such misleading charges. It's the same source that had warned the Russian leadership. It's "Israel"," said Al-Shara'a

Recently, news reports have been circulating, saying that the Israeli PM Ariel Sharon asked the Russian president Vladimir Putin to stop an arms deal with Syria if the "Israeli"-Russian ties were to improve.

"The premier sent a message to the Russian president in which he explained that such a deal might pose a threat to "Israel" and that such weapons might go to Hezbollah party and/or other "terrorist organizations" existing in Damascus," An Israeli official, who demanded anonymity was quoted as saying.

The Israeli deputy defense minister said that he expected the U.S. to take action to stop those missiles from reaching Syria, adding that such missiles would be used against U.S. aircrafts carrying reinforcements to the U.S. occupation forces in Iraq.

On Friday, The Russian Foreign Ministry denied the presence of any arms deal with Syria, and affirmed that there that its relations with Syria are absolutely transparent and dismissed reports that Moscow is planning to sell new high-tech missiles to Damascus.

“There are no negotiations taking place over this particular issue. There are preparations for the visit of President (Bashar) al-Assad to Moscow at the end of this month,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Israeli officials charge that Russia is planning to supply Syria with advanced anti-aircrafts missiles, including the Igla SA-18 and the Iskandar missiles, which they say are capable of reaching anywhere in Israel.

Israel says that the new weapons could threaten the Jewish state in the occupied Palestinian territories if the arms fall into the hands of the Palestinian resistance fighters.

It also claims that the arms could be used by the Lebanese Hezbollah movement to attack Israeli aircrafts along its borders with Lebanon.

Israeli Foreign Minster Silvan Shalom raised the issue on Thursday when he told reporters that he asked Russia to stop the alleged missiles deal.
But Lavrov, echoing previous statements by Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov, said that the allegations were baseless.
“We don’t have any hidden topics in our relations with Syria,”

“We are ready for wide cooperation respecting our international obligations.” He added.

Earlier, Russia's defense minister, Sergei Ivanov, dismissed the reports on the arms deal, saying; "We do not have any negotiations with Syria on the possible shipment of such missiles".