Azerbaijan, Baku, 27 August/ Trend , corr U. Sadigova, R. Abdullayev/ The statement by the Syrian President Bashar Asad on the purchase of arms from Russia is a next move in a war with Israel while Moscow attempts to interferer in the Syrian-Israeli talks.
On 21 August, during his official visit to Moscow Asad reached an agreement with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev to purchase arms from Russia and also about the possible deployment of the Russian missiles in Syria which will help to pose a threat to the security of Israel. The key reason for such unexpected decision by Kremlin is the military support of Jerusalem to Tbilisi in a war against Russia.
Moscow tries to use its relations with the Near East states conflicting with Israel, in this case with Syria and Iran, as a response to the military support of Israel to Georgia," Alon Liel, senior Israeli expert on Syrian and former director general of Israeli Foreign Ministry said to Trend .
According to expert, even if Russian-Syrian relations will develop into an open military cooperation, Damascus, in case of war with Israel, will probably first rely on its power and then on that of its allies in the region.
"In spite of open statement by the Russian president on the sale of arms to his Syrian partner, Moscow will not take that step as in this case Israel will continue military supplies to Georgia. Russia is probably making such statements to restore the influence it had in the Near East during Soviet Union," Liel said.
According to the Israeli expert, after the demise of USSR, the Russian influence in this region began to decline. Therefore, while US and its allies consolidate their positions in Near East, Moscow intends to recreate global anti-western alliance with the former Arab allies, for instance with Syria.
"Damascus is a key Near East point of Russia in its confrontation with US and its allies. Therefore, Moscow should have cast doubts on the further presence in the region," Liel said to Trend from Jerusalem.
The expert added that under the current condition of Syrian-Israeli relations, Damascus wants to get Russia involved in the process of peace talks, because for Syria it means return of occupied lands without any international obligations.
Independent Syrian analyst Haldun Asvad believes that a military cooperation with Russia is more advantageous for the current ruling regime in Syria rather than with Europe who demands reforms in the civil rights in the country. According to expert, Damascus is more concerned about the strengthening of power within the country rather than military conflict with Israel. Besides, if Syria wishes to launch war with Israel, it does not need to appeal to Russia for this purpose and to purchase arms openly. A military cooperation is simply a matter of international prestige.
"Military Alliance with Russia will help the Syrian government to restore everything that it has lost after withdrawal of its forces from Lebanon, but just the international influence," the independent Syrian politician Asvad said to Trend via e-mail from USA. The latter is an activist of the "Damascus Theoretic and Civil Rights Investigation Center" human rights movement.
According to him, the history shows that Syria has never used its weapons against Israel independently after the war of1973, but it did through mediators in the region.
Given the support that Damasuc provides "Hezbollah" in a war against Israel, it has caused anxiety that this weapon will be sent to the Lebanese organization and from there it will be used against Jerusalem.
On the other hand, Israel made Asad to make statements about the purchase weapons because of constant threat to the Syrian government. Therefore the last has nothing to do but to buy weapons from the allies for self-defense. According to the Syrian Politician Samir Tagi, as an independent country, Syria has an absolute right to purchase and produce any weapon for its security.
"Israel every day carried out military operations in the territory of Golan Heights and in the frontline with Lebanon which is a serious threat for Syria. Therefore, the activities of Damask are completely grounded," Director of Damask International Relations Institute Tagi said to Trend by telephone from Damask.
He added that Syria can independently combat with Israel therefore the military partnership with Russia is only guarantee for Syrian security.
Two months ago, during his visit to France and participation in the opening of the Mediterranean Summit Bashar Asad stated that Syrian relation with the West will be reviewed and the sides can start full-scale cooperation in future. However, as the recent events had it, European efforts to make Syria closer to itself, the main partner Tehran and Moscow in the Middle East, did not yield any results. As before, Damascus is oriented at its old partner and arm supplier - Russia. And Syrian relation with Iran has only strengthened.
Still in the period of former Syrian president Hafiz Asad, Damascus and Moscow had firm relations mainly in the military and economical spheres. After collapsing USSR and Russia's gaining independence Syria turned out to own Kremlin nearly $17 billion. However, understanding that Damascus can not repay the debt Moscow did not lose its main Arabic partner and wrote off Syrian debt 75 per cent. In exchange for it, the last agreed to standing military cooperation.
"Joint efforts of USA and Europe to make Syria leave the Alliance with Russia and Iran could not make Asad turn to West, on the other hand added it authority in the Middle East and Russia," Israeli expert Alon Liel said.
Correspondent can be contacted at: [email protected]