TruthNews

Israel Feeling Diplomatic Fallout From Russian Crisis With West

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, 22 Aug 2008

Russians officials assured on Thursday they will not take up President Bashar Assad’s offer to host Iskander missiles in Syria, but the growing Russian crisis with the West is now jeopardizing Israel’s indirect talks with Damascus as well as the six-nations’ discussions over tougher new sanctions on Iran.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hosted Assad yesterday to entertain requests for an assortment of military equipment, such as MiG-31 fighter jets and long-range missiles. But Ambassador Anatoly Yurkov assured that Russia does not plan to accept Assad’s offer, made earlier this week, to deploy on Syrian soil its cutting edge Iskander missile system, which accurately fires rockets up to 280 km that are hard to intercept.

Still, tensions continued to mount between Russia and the West over the Kremlin’s decision to invade neighboring Georgia and a mid-week agreement between Washington and Warsaw to deploy a US anti-missile system in Poland. In the initial diplomatic fallout, Russia decided on Thursday to temporarily cut off formal ties with NATO. By Friday, the damage was spreading.

First, diplomatic sources told an Gulf Arab newspaper that the Bush Administration wants Israel to suspend its indirect negotiations with Damascus via Turkish mediators. The request was in response to Assad’s offer to deploy the Russian missile system on its territory, as well as the Syrian ruler’s very vocal support for Moscow’s invasion of Georgia.

In addition, it appears that the effort at the UN to impose tighter sanctions on Iran has been suspended. Foreign ministers for the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany were scheduled to discuss new sanctions on Iran at a special meeting in advance of next month’s opening of the UN General Assembly, but that is now reportedly on hold.

A senior diplomat involved in the six-nation talks said on Thursday that, "In view of the escalation of the crisis between Russia and the United States and NATO members, the chances of Russia's supporting the new initiative for sanctions against Iran are almost non-existent."

The Madrid Quartet, which includes Russia, was also scheduled to meet next month in New York to review recent developments in talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but that may now be on ice as well.