Daily Alert Archives

U.S. Fears a Hostile Russia Could Destabilize Middle East with Weapons Sales

[New York Times] Peter Baker - If Russia's invasion of Georgia ushers in a sustained period of renewed animosity with the West, Washington fears that a newly emboldened but estranged Moscow could use its influence, money, energy resources, UN Security Council veto, and its arms industry to undermine American interests around the world. Israeli and Western governments have already been alarmed about reports that the first elements of the Russian-built S-300 antiaircraft missile system are now being delivered to Iran, while the president of Syria spent two days this week in Russia with a shopping list of sophisticated weapons he wanted to buy. "It's Iran, it's the UN, it's all the counterterrorism and counternarcotics programs, Syria, Venezuela, Hamas - there are any number of issues over which they can be less cooperative than they've been," said Angela E. Stent, who served as the top Russia officer at the U.S. government's National Intelligence Council until 2006. "Ironically, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there's always been the concern about Russia becoming a spoiler," said Stent, "and now we could see the realization of that."
2008-08-22 01:00:00
Full Article