Russian ship with helicopters for Syrian regime sets sail again: A Russian ship carrying refurbished attack helicopters destined for Syria has weighed anchor from its Arctic port for a second time after failing to deliver the cargo last month. The Alaed’s previous attempt to convey the Mi-25 gunships to the regime of of President Bashar al-Assad under a Curaçao flag caused anger in London and Washington. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the aircraft would be used to kill innocent civilians. The ship’s new destination is unclear but maritime data show it was travelling south off Norway on Thursday and is due in Baltiysk on the Baltic coast of Kaliningrad, Russia’s exclave between Poland and Lithuania, on July 17.
A spokesman for Femco, the Russian company which owns the cargo vessel, said on Friday that it would arrive in St Petersburg two days later and may then head to the Russian Far East.
Moscow has insisted it will deliver the Mi-25 helicopters in the teeth of western disapproval and it appears likely the ship’s real or eventual target is Syria.
The Alaed turned back 50 miles off Scotland on June 18 and returned to its home port of Murmansk after its British insurer found out it had weapons bound for Syria on board and cancelled its policy rather than violate a EU arms embargo.
Its new departure under a Russian flag will provoke fresh tensions because the Kremlin sent a flotilla of naval ships headed by a destroyer, the Admiral Chabanenko, to the Mediterranean earlier this week. The flotilla is a short way ahead of the Alaed and is destined to call at Tartus, the Syrian port where Russia has a naval base.
On Wednesday, a senior Russian defence official said its navy could be dispatched to ensure the passage of merchant shipping to Syria.
“The fleet will be sent on task to guarantee the safety of our ships, to prevent anyone interfering with them in the event of a blockade,” Vyacheslav Dzirkaln said. “I remind you, there are no limits.”
Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms agency, confirmed in a statement on Friday that the overhauled helicopters were on board the Alaed. It did not mention the number, but originally there were three, which are thought to be the first deliveries of a larger batch.
Moscow has insisted that it is breaking no laws in delivering the aircraft, which already belonged to Syria but had been serviced in Russia under a contract signed in 2008. It says the helicopters are in parts and would take three months to assemble.
Russia also accuses the west of hypocrisy, pointing to reports that the CIA is coordinating arms supplies to Syrian rebels via Arab intermediaries.
Members of the Syrian National Council, a coalition of groups opposing Mr al-Assad, said this week during a visit to Moscow they were concerned the presence of Russian naval ships off Syria could encourage the president to use more violence against civilians.
© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2012
Russian ship with helicopters for Syrian regime sets sail again – Telegraph7/13/12 11:15 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/9398…/Russian-ship-with-helicopters-for-Syrian-regime-sets-sail-again
____________________________
Copyright © 1997-2011 – HIBM Editorial comments, opinions, and articles:
Regarding all Editorial comments, opinions, articles, video, and audio authored or written by HIBM or by any of its affiliated/associated staff is Copyrighted © 1997-2011 by the Hope of Israel Baptist Mission, Inc. (HIBM). All Rights Reserved Worldwide. The Information on this Site cannot be stored on BBS or Internet sites without written permission from the author. The information cannot be sold or placed by themselves or with other material in any electronic format for sale, but may be distributed for free by e-mail or by print. They must be left intact and nothing removed or changed, including these informational headers or footers. Any non-HIBM articles, videos, audio etc. included in these postings or within this website (www.hopeofisrael.net) are copyrighted by their respective authors and permission must be granted accordingly by them. HIBM will not be responsible for any copyright infringements or misuse by others. HIBM has done its best to reference all materials contained herein wherever possible, and has abided by the “Fair Use Act”, however in the unlikely case that credits are missing or information is inaccurate, we ask to be notified of any needed corrections etc. Disclaimer: All opinions contained herein are never intended nor orchestrated to offend or misrepresent any person or organization; its purpose is to educate and inform its readers about proper Biblical teachings regarding the issues of today, including factual supportive statements or Biblically based rebuttals to contrary or false teachings; whether it be about the Bible, Israel, Christianity, Bible Doctrines and Customs, Prophecy, End-Times, and Biblical Moral Responsibilities. Embedded or excerpt articles, reasearch, quotes etc. does not mean an endorsement of the author or organization. Standard disclaimers apply to all material on this site http://www.hopeofisrael.net Email: webmaster@hopeofisrael.net .
Hope Of Israel Baptist Mission, Inc., PO Box 1700 Powder Springs, GA 30127 USA
About The Author
