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‘I Don’t Like to Make Deals With Any Devil’: Russia Denies Supplying Helicopters to Syria

 

Russia Denies It Is Supplying Helicopters to Syria After Clinton Claims Shipment Would Escalate the Conflict

MI-17 in Afghanistan (Photo: Wikimedia)

MOSCOW (The Blaze/AP) – On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made the claim that Russia was supplying attack helicopters to Syria. Today, Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavorv has rejected this claim that Moscow is sending helicopters to Syria, saying it is completing earlier weapons contracts with Syria exclusively for air defense systems.

(Related: Check out other Blaze stories on the conflict in Syria)

Clinton said Tuesday that the alleged shipment “will escalate the conflict quite dramatically.” Still Lavrov maintains that Russia isn’t providing Syria with weapons that can be used against peaceful demonstrators.

Russia, along with China, has shielded Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime from international sanctions over its violent crackdown on protesters in which more than 13,000 people have died, according to opposition groups.

Wired points out Rosoboronexport currently sells MI-17s to the United States for the Afghan Air Force. With Russia denying it also sells the MI-17s to Syria, this may be moot point, but here-in lies the problem should it really be the case:

To stop doing business with Rosoboronexport in protest of its complicity in the Syrian slaughter could jeopardize the Obama team’s plans to hand the Afghanistan war to the Afghans in 2014. To continue to do business with Rosoboronexport is to risk effectively subsidizing Assad’s massacres.

Wired reports Pentagon spokesman George Little saying “I don’t like to make deals with any devil here.” It also notes Capt. John Kirby, saying that “type of airframe” the Syrians use to kill their civilians “is immaterial.”

Russia and Syria have a longstanding military relationship and Syria hosts Russia’s only naval base on the Mediterranean Sea. But in light of the brutal violence, the U.S. has repeatedly demanded that any further deliveries of weaponry be halted. Russian military support in the form of materiel as advanced as attack helicopters would deal a serious blow to efforts to starve the Syrian army of supplies.

Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Clinton’s comments referred specifically to new helicopters that were being sent to Syria, and not already existing Russian-made or Soviet-made supplies being used by Assad’s government.

“We have been pushing the Russians for months to break their military ties with the Syrian regime and they haven’t done it,” she told reporters in Washington. “Instead, they keep reassuring all of us that what they are sending militarily to Syria can’t be used against civilians.

“But what are we seeing?” Nuland asked. “We are seeing the Syrian government using helicopters to fire on their own people from the air. So our question remains: How can the Russians conscience their continued military sales to Syria?”

Comments (31)

  • Ducky657
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 11:34am

    Wait a minute–Hillary is suggesting that Russia (the great Satan) is arming one of the little Satans? What a surprise! Where do folks think Al Qaeda gets their RPGs, AKs, and mortar rounds used to make IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan? She must be the last person on the deal wheel. She had better watch it or BHO will revoke her fund raising tour privileges for the Clinton Foundation.

    Report Post »  
  • Delores at CH WV
    Posted on June 14, 2012 at 3:57pm

    And, the US denies all the troops on the ground in the wars going on all of the world. Try telling your own citizens the truth before you judge another country’s actions. Hilliary and others: Take the plank out of your eyes. This administration is totally destroying the American Name all over the world. And, Bill thinks he is going to be the first “First Man” . Don’t bet your millions on that ever happening in a fair election.

    Report Post »  
  • G-WHIZ
    Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:58pm

    Where do they think all those Russian Hilo’s came from?? Maybe, Russia is having them…
    “MADE IN CHINA”!! :-)

    Report Post »  
  • Passerby
    Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:06am

    Granted the Assads are gangsters, literally, but worth contemplating the fact that in this one, we are on the side of Al-Qaeda and against the Christians.

    Report Post » Passerby  
  • Passerby
    Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:03am

    Did anyone mention that the Christians think they will be exterminated by the Muslims too and support the Alawites?

    (Who are far more Christian than Muslim and celebrate Christmas, Mary, John the Baptist, etc. and have never been considered Muslim by the Muslims. And have always sided with the Christians against the Muslims since before the Crusades.)

    Do we need a refresher course on Christian repression in Muslim countries?

    Russia is defending the Christians, not just the Alawites. That’s what the Christians think.

    Report Post » Passerby  
  • drrgb
    Posted on June 14, 2012 at 2:59am

    I thought Obama was against outsourcing and shipping American manufacturing jobs overseas. Did Boeing and Sikorsky go out of business so we had to go to the Russians to buy helicopters? This is tax payer money and American jobs being shipped overseas by the same Dem hypocrites that attack private business for investing private funds overseas for best economic value.

    Report Post »  
  • Cooperm707
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:47pm

    I found that very…interesting. Why does the United States, which accounts for 44% of the worlds military spending, buy helicopters from Russia? Shouldn’t we be making some more up-to-date helicopters that the Russians want off us? It just seems….backwards..

    Report Post »  
    • Puddle Duck
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 10:26pm

      Never sell your top line tech to a nation that is at best a 50/50 risk of remaining intact and is an even longer shot of remaining an ally 1 year after the US has pulled out. I doubt the Obongo admin has taken this into account but rather the wise mil poersonel at the Pentagon have arranged this knowing Afghanistan (if Obongo remains in office) will likely gace that nation as an enemy somewhere in the near future. If the Taliban are allowed to reconstitute in Afghansitan they will be a threat to US and Western security. Dealing with them will be tougher the second time around becuase of the training the Afghani forces have recieved which the Taliban will take full advantage of.

      Report Post » Puddle Duck  
    • Passerby
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 10:38am

      1. Because that company handles ALL of Russia’s weapons exports. We’d be ceasing trade with Russia.
      2. Because Russia isn’t the enemy it appears at the moment in that context. Russia helps in Afghanistan. Since Pakistan cut off our supply lines we use the routes effectively controlled by Russia.
      3. They hate Al-Qaeda even more than we do. Al-Qaeda is fighting on our side in this one, Russia is the one against them.

      Report Post » Passerby  
  • searching for the Truth
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:46pm

    So, let me get this straight – you want to protect the enemy from the enemy so that the enemies can increase in enemies to overtake the enemies of the enemies so that the enemies can win – I’m beginning to understand.

    Report Post »  
    • Puddle Duck
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 10:27pm

      Never try to make sense of a liberal foreign policy platform…it’ll make your head explode.

      Report Post » Puddle Duck  
  • Passerby
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:57pm

    You want a hoot, read the Communist Chinese mouthpieces, where the Ghost Goons don’t exist etc. Particularly this rather chilling one, preparing for the blood in the streets…

    DAMASCUS, June 13 (Xinhua) — At a time when the international community is still unable to reach a consensus to bring about a favorable solution to the stand-off in Syria, the Syrian government seems to have shelved all outside suggestions and chosen its own way: a military showdown to bring an end to the intractable crisis once and for all…

    …The Syrian government argued that it kept down military options out of concerns for the lives of civilians as the alleged gunmen are reportedly hiding among civilians in residential areas of restive cities across the country, as well as in a bid to give a chance for a political settlement.

    However, the escalation of violent acts and attempts by the so- called rebel Free Syrian Army to take battles to President Bashar al-Assad’s main stronghold, the capital Damascus, have represented a milestone in the Syrian crisis…

    .The military showdown extended later to the restive northern parts of the country amid daily official confirmations that those areas have been cleansed from “terrorists” one after another and the army has regained control of the areas from the hands of rebels.

    In the latest “cleansing operation”, Syrian troops have succeeded in repelling armed rebels from the mountainous town of Haffeh near the coastal city of Latakia…

    Report Post » Passerby  
  • Passerby
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:48pm

    Saddam threatened us.

    Assad didn’t threaten us.

    That’s the difference.

    Report Post » Passerby  
    • jhaydeng
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:59pm

      True

      Report Post »  
    • BuzzardSays
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:10pm

      Saddam – The name means “Destroyer”. He was a monster and is now rotting in his shallow grave upon the ash heap of history. He is camel spider food.

      Report Post » BuzzardSays  
    • BuzzardSays
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:14pm

      Just wait until he nukes or gasses using Saddam’s stock-pile of WMD moved to the Beccah valley. What fun Armeggedon will be when we discover what happened to Saddam’s WMD. Will there be any mea culpas to George Bush. Of course not!!! Being liberal means never having to apologize for the sheep-dip that spews from your liberal orifice.

      Report Post » BuzzardSays  
  • KidCharlemagne
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:42pm

    Apparently this tactic is not limited to Russia only:

    ————————————————————————–
    “American weapons showing up in Syria trace back to Iraq
    By Robert Tilford

    Gunrunning is rampant.

    It is one indication that the country is descending into violence and civil war.

    I talked with a guy on facebook in Syria who said an M-16 American made assault rifle goes for $2500 dollars on the street in Damascus. Out of curiosity I asked where the American rifle came from. The response was “Iraq”.

    An AK-47 goes for $2000 dollars and a rocket propelled grenade has gone up from $400 dollars to $2500, representing an almost 75% increase in prices. People are arming themselves, forming small bands of resistance fighters and taking the fight into the streets. It went from rock throwing and protest marches to people killing each other in armed conflict…

    …………………………….

    Increasingly these arms are proving to be American made, like I said. Time and time again I asked the question where the weapons were coming from, time and time again I got the same answer Iraq. Many were stolen, misappropriated or ripped off from the American military in Iraq during the military invasion and subsequent occupation of that country.”
    http://www.examiner.com/article/american-weapons-showing-up-syria-trace-back-to-iraq

    Report Post »  
    • Passerby
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:47pm

      They’re coming in from every country that has a border if an AK-47 sells for $2000. (And they don’t make them here.)

      Report Post » Passerby  
  • honkytonkman
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:34pm

    Trust me,said the spider to the fly…………………….

    Report Post » honkytonkman  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:12pm

    Both the Bashar Gov and the Syrian public danced when the WTC fell. Here’s to these dancers dying in droves.

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • Passerby
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:21pm

      Yeah, remember that. Been a while since I saw a Muslim crowd dancing around with their Bin Laden posters. Begging for a Hellfire missile I guess.

      Plus, he’s obviously a loser, a weak horse. (And being a Sunni, and not being named Muhammad, he can’t be your dad, the 12th.)

      Report Post » Passerby  
  • Passerby
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:12pm

    I don‘t rule out it’s all fixed. What can Russia actually do? If the Alawites just walk away the Muslims will exterminate them. At least that’s what they are convinced of after being persecuted by the Muslims for 1300 years.

    And the Alawites are along the coast, where the smuggling is, and inevitable that the tight ethnic Alawites would take control of that, and the Assads are the ones that did it. Those Ghosts that hacked up the kids, the Assads had them working for them long before they siezed national power, just not as many. They won’t go down easy.

    Partition the country. Alawites on the coast, Russia gets it’s port, WMD aren’t distributed to Al-Qaeda. That‘s what’s happening, all those slaughters, Homs, etc. are all in the Alawite areas. The “Rebels” aren’t attacking them, they are ethnically cleansing the Muslims out of the Alawite areas.

    Those that say the regional powers won’t permit it, the ethnic precedent that would give all those ethnic minorities, especially the Kurds ideas. That it can’t happen.

    Consider the alternative. The Alawites, 12% of the population can easily exterminate the 70% of the population that is Muslim. What then? Who stops them? What happens to the WMD?

    Report Post » Passerby  
  • Evil_Conservative
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:09pm

    Welcome to cold war 2. This must be the “reset” Obama spoke of.

    Report Post » Evil_Conservative  
  • trueamerican40
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 4:24pm

    It is only a matter of time before Russia moves on the middle east…there’s alot of black gold down there. Explosions will follow.

    Report Post » trueamerican40  
  • republic2011
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 4:13pm

    Seems to be the tactic used by Corrupt administrations… complete and utter denial. sound familiar? Holder, Obama, etc.. all just deny the truth. With no one in the media to call them on their lies, they get away with it. Food for thought.

    Report Post »  
  • zoro51
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:52pm

    let the COMMIES deny its fact n truth RISSIA LIES

    Report Post » zoro51  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:47pm

    Hillary’s looking for something, so it’s attack helicopters. Never mind the the hundreds of Russian tanks that have been there, or the fact that her “Friends of Syria” haven‘t been able to pull a ’Responsibility to Protect” on Syria as NATO did to Libya.
    Russia and China have set the stage for “dialogue only” for both the P5+1 meeting in Moscow, and the next “Friends of Syria” meeting in France. In both cases nothing will get done, and argue about when and if to have any more meetings.

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:45pm

    The private sector is doing so well that neither McDonnell Douglas or Boeing need the business, so we are buying crap Russian helicopters with U.S. taxpayer’s money? Who thinks this stuff up? It’s absolutely effing amazing!

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • rickc34
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:17pm

      I was wondering that myself. But one persons leader is another persons liar. Hilary looks a little butch donKt ya think?

      Report Post »  

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