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Russia's Risky Business with Syria
(Forbes) Dmitry Sidorov - When Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was in Damascus recently, he announced the possibility of Russia giving nuclear assistance to Syria. At the same time the Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko publicly confirmed Moscow's aid to the Syrians in building a nuclear power station. Syria is still under IAEA investigation related to the construction of a nuclear facility paid for by Iran that joined efforts with North Korea, and that was destroyed by Israel in 2007. If the Russians start building a nuclear power plant in Syria the very same way they have been assisting Iran, then it will double an imminent danger to the existence of Israel and create a very grim environment for the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf. Russian Fagot antitank missiles sold by Moscow to Damascus ended up in the hands of Hizbullah during the second Lebanese war of 2006, so Russian nuclear technologies could be passed by the Syrian government to the same terrorists. When the Russian president visits on June 24, the Obama administration should clearly indicate to the Kremlin that its nuclear project with Syria will be seen as an unfriendly, if not hostile, move.