Russia sanctions Turkey over downed jet, will buy from Israel instead
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced sanctions against Turkey over the Russian jet that was downed by Turkish forces this past week.
The decree published
on the Kremlin's website Saturday came hours after Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan had voiced regret over the incident, saying his
country was "truly saddened" by the event and wished it hadn't occurred.
It
includes a ban on some goods and forbids extensions of labor contracts
for Turks working in Russia as of Jan. 1. It doesn't specify what goods
are to be banned or give other details, but it also calls for ending
chartered flights from Russia to Turkey and for Russian tourism
companies to stop selling vacation packages that would include a stay in
Turkey.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev earlier in the week had ordered his cabinet to develop a list of goods to be sanctioned.
Putin's
decree also calls for ending visa-free travel between Russia and Turkey
and orders the tightening of control over Turkish air carriers in
Russia "for security reasons." The decree was issued "to protect Russian
citizens from crimes," a Kremlin statement said.
In terms of filling the void, Israeli tourism providers have already
begun selling the Jewish state as an alternative attraction for Russians
seeking a break in the sun, and say deals are in the works.
Israel's tourism ministry has stepped up its game as well, investing $2.6 million in efforts to woo the Russian market.
As for food imports, Russia's Minister of Agriculture Alexander
Tkachev said his country would be replacing Turkish produce with goods
from Iran, Israel and Morocco.
The minister officially sites healthy and safety concerns, but the
timing of the announcement indicates it is politically-motivated.
...
Over the past 10 months Turkey imported agricultural produce and food
worth just over $1 billion (one billion euros) to Russia, down 21.2
percent compared to the same period last year.
"Turkish vegetables account for 20 percent of the total Russian
imports of vegetables. Import of vegetables, tomatoes in the first
place, will be substituted with those from Iran, Morocco, Israel,
Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan," he told Russian media.
Turkey also accounts for a quarter of Russian citrus fruit imports,
he said, adding that the country would similarly be switching to
alternative providers.
"Turkey imports about 250,000 tons of citrus fruits, a quarter of the
total citrus imported into Russia. We can replace citrus imports by
supplies from South Africa, Morocco, China, Argentina, Israel, Abkhazia,
Georgia," Tkachev stated.
Russia also said it could redirect its Turkish exports including wheat and oil to countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Over the past 10 months, Russian exports to Turkey amounted to $1.3 billion.
As long as that doesn't mean a price rise in Israel, that's fine with me, except that there are Jewish law issues with exporting the citrus crop this winter because it is considered produce of the Shmittah (Sabbatical) year.
In the meantime, the 'Palestinians' can cry me a river!
A decree that was given in the name of the King and signed by the King cannot be withdrawn?
The title of this post is based on a verse in Esther 8 in which, after the nefarious Haman's plot to murder all the Jews is exposed, King Xerxes tells Queen Esther that he cannot withdraw the decree calling on his subjects to murder all the Jews in his kingdom because a decree that was given in the name of the King and signed by the King cannot be withdrawn. So instead, he issued a decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves.... We all know the rest of the story.
Under pressure from the 'international community' the Russian government in 2010 signed a decree that no S-300 anti-missile defense systems would be sold to Iran. That was before they figured out that the current occupant of the White House really had adopted a policy of degrading America's military capabilities. But since the decree was issued, they don't want to violate. So they are going to sell Iran a variant of the S-300 - called the Antey 2500 or S-300 VM - instead. What's the difference? Not much (Hat Tip: MFS- The Other News). This is from the first link.
"The cancellation of the decree signed by Dmitry Medvedev in 2010 [on severing the contact for S-300] is not under consideration," a Kremlin source told Kommersant. "We are considering the possibility of supplying Iran with systems not falling under the restrictions," he said.
The sources close to the military-technological cooperation system
said the matter could imply possible shipments of Antei-2500 systems to
Iran, which are a modified version of the S-300V system designed for
ground forces and which are not legally subject to the 2010 decree.
"If our Iranian partners accept our proposal, this would help
strengthen Russia's positions as a reliable partner in
military-technological cooperation. This will also be a reason for Iran
to withdraw its lawsuit from a court and put an end to this dispute,
which nobody needs," a source close to the Rosoboronexport agency said.
The newspaper said it could not obtain official comments on the matter.
A source close to the Iranian Foreign Ministry also told Kommersant that the issue could be among the key ones to be addressed at Russian President Vladimir Putin's
meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on July 1, when the
Iranian leader would be attending a summit of the Gas Exporting
Countries Forum (GECF).
"Only one month is left before the end of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's
presidential term, and if he did not have some expectations regarding
arms supplies, he would not travel only to attend the GECF summit," he
said.
According to a report in the New York Times, Russia has sent Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria in order to enable the Assad government to prevent the imposition of a no-fly zone.
Russia has previously provided a version of the missiles, called
Yakhonts, to Syria. But those delivered recently are outfitted with an
advanced radar that makes them more effective, according to American
officials who are familiar with classified intelligence reports and
would only discuss the shipment on the basis of anonymity.
Unlike Scud and other longer-range surface-to-surface missiles that the
Assad government has used against opposition forces, the Yakhont
antiship missile system provides the Syrian military a formidable weapon
to counter any effort by international forces to reinforce Syrian
opposition fighters by imposing a naval embargo, establishing a no-fly
zone or carrying out limited airstrikes.
“It enables the regime to deter foreign forces looking to supply the
opposition from the sea, or from undertaking a more active role if a
no-fly zone or shipping embargo were to be declared at some point,” said
Nick Brown, editor in chief of IHS Jane’s International Defense Review.
“It’s a real ship killer.”
Jeffrey White, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
and a former senior American intelligence official, said Syria’s
strengthened arsenal would “tend to push Western or allied naval
activity further off the coast” and was also “a signal of the Russian
commitment to the Syrian government.”
I guess that Obama 'flexibility' with Russia in his second term is really yielding results....
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Russia has sent more than a dozen warships to patrol the waters near its Syrian naval base in Tartus.
Russia has sent a dozen or more warships to patrol waters near its
naval base in Syria, a buildup that U.S. and European officials see as a
newly aggressive stance meant partly to warn the West and Israel not to
intervene in Syria's bloody civil war.
Russia's expanded presence in the
eastern Mediterranean, which began attracting U.S. officials' notice
three months ago, represents one of its largest sustained naval
deployments since the Cold War. While Western officials say they don't
fear an impending conflict with Russia's aged fleet, the presence adds a
new source of potential danger for miscalculation in an increasingly
combustible region.
"It is a show of force. It's muscle
flexing," a senior U.S. defense official said of the Russian
deployments. "It is about demonstrating their commitment to their
interests."
The buildup is seen as Moscow's way of
trying to strengthen its hand in any talks over Syria's future and
buttress its influence in the Middle East. It also provides options for
evacuating tens of thousands of Russians still in Syria.
Obama caught on open mic again, this time telling Medvedev to wait until after elections on missile defense
Remember that conversation that was supposed to be off mic back in November between President Obama and French President Sarkozy in which they had some not very nice things to say about Prime Minister Netanyahu? Well, it's happened again, but this time the matter under discussion is a lot more serious than what one world leader really thinks about another.
In what was supposed to be an off mic conversation, President Obama asked Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to be flexible on missile defenses 'until after my election' (more from Memeorandum). That ought to bump the etch-a-sketch comment out of the news.
The exchange was picked up by microphones as reporters were let into the room for remarks by the two leaders.
The exchange:
President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for [incoming Russian President Vladimir Putin] to give me space.
President Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…
President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.
President Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir.
When asked to explain what President Obama meant, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications Ben Rhodes told ABC News that there is room for the U.S. and Russia to reach an accommodation, but “there is a lot of rhetoric around this issue — there always is — in both countries.
A senior administration official tells ABC News: “this is a political year in which the Russians just had an election, we’re about to have a presidential and congressional elections — this is not the kind of year in which we’re going to resolve incredibly complicated issue like this. So there’s an advantage to pulling back and letting the technical experts work on this as the president has been saying.”
Yeah, sure.
The American people have just been given a clear message about one of the ways in which President Obama intends to sell out American security if God forbid he is given a second term. Will the American people respond appropriately? Or will this story be buried or whitewashed?
Iranian rappers sing song against Assad and Medvedev
Here's a video made by Iranian rappers singing a song against Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. It goes without saying that this is 'illegal' in 'free' Iran.
Let's go to the videotape. Warning: Graphic images.
Saudi King tells Russian President talks on Syria 'futile'
Saudi King Abdullah has told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that it is 'futile' to talk with Medvedev's good friend, Bashar al-Assad (Hat Tip: MFS - The Other News).
Saudi’s King Abdullah told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday that dialogue on Syria was “futile,” the official SPA news agency reported, hinting at the need for action to halt the bloodshed.
Russia should have “coordinated with the Arabs... before using the veto” to block a resolution on Syria in the U.N. Security Council, King Abdullah was quoted as saying.
“But now, dialogue about what is happening in Syria is futile,” the Saudi monarch told Medvedev in a telephone discussion on the escalating bloodshed.
According to the report, the king told Medvedev that Saudi Arabia “will never abandon its religious and moral obligations towards what’s happening.”
The Kremlin released a statement earlier on Wednesday saying the two leaders exchanged views about the situation in the Middle East in light of the events in Syria, but gave no further details.
Don't expect a Russian mea culpa. That won't happen. But perhaps in a few weeks it will be possible to introduce another UN resolution if the Chinese can also be brought to task.
In the meantime, the civil war in Syria will continue.
With the Middle East 'quartet' (US, Russia, UN, EU) scheduled to meet on Monday in Washington former chief 'Palestinian' negotiatorbottle washer Saeb Erekat has given the 'international community' their marching orders.
“We call on the Quartet to issue a statement urging Israel to freeze construction in the settlements and accept the 1967 lines as the borders of the Palestinian state,” said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.
He said the PA has been in contact with representatives of the Quartet to explain to them the Palestinian position and urge them to issue the appeal to Israel.
“Intensified settlement activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem is a basic pillar of the Israeli government’s policy,” Erekat said. “This proves that Israel is trying to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”
Erekat said that during his talks with US government officials in Washington last week he presented them with a document detailing all of the settlement activities since the beginning of this year.
The document reveals Israel has built thousands of housing units in various settlements in the West Bank, and in east Jerusalem, Erekat said.
He accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of “racing against time to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state” by increasing construction in the settlements, including Jerusalem’s neighborhoods of Gilo, Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan, Pisgat Ze’ev, the Mount of Olives, Givat Hamatos and Ras al-Amoud.
“These settlement activities are illegal and violate international law,” Erekat complained.
“They will also destroy any chance of implementing the two-state solution and US-led international efforts to revive the peace process.”
Erekat’s document is largely based on a report by Peace Now on settlement activities in the West Bank and Jewish housing in east Jerusalem.
“We hope that the Quartet meeting will come out with a serious statement that focuses on the two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders and calls for an immediate cessation of settlement construction,” he said.
Erekat called on the US and EU to recognize a Palestinian state that would become the 194th UN member, after South Sudan.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is reported to be concerned about a surprise of the type President Obama threw at him in his May 19 speech.
A source in Jerusalem said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet colleagues have concerns that the Quartet announcement could provide a surprise for Israel similar to Obama's May speech, the contents of which were revised less than 24 hours before it was delivered.
And what type of surprise might Netanyahu fear?
Monday's meeting of Quartet foreign ministers and the UN secretary general comes after the European Union exerted intense pressure for the presentation of an international peace plan on the conflict. The EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, has argued such a peace proposal would constitute an alternative to the Palestinian push for recognition of an independent Palestinian state at the UN in September, and that it might convince the Palestinians to refrain from going forward with their plans.
In the past two weeks, France has put heavy pressure on Ashton and the other Quartet members for the group's statement to include an invitation to Israel and the Palestinians to resume negotiations based on Obama's remarks on the 1967 borders and on recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
The U.S. is proposing a Quartet statement that mentions the Obama address in relatively general terms and announces that a Quartet delegation would visit the region for additional talks.
On the other hand, many Israelis would be surprised to hear the points to which Prime Minister Netanyahu has agreed.
Israeli sources have said Netanyahu has been somewhat more flexible in his stance regarding the principles expressed in Obama's address, saying that he would agree to base talks on the 1967 borders with land swaps. In exchange, he is seeking Obama administration ratification of President George W. Bush's letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon regarding Jewish West Bank settlement blocs coming under Israeli sovereignty and for Palestinian refugees to be resettled in a future Palestinian state.
So Obama has the chance to re-sell the same concession Bush sold to us seven years ago. What could go wrong?
Medvedev would veto Security Council resolution on Syria, but supports Obama re-election
Well, it wasn't because he bought him an expensive lunch, but it's likely that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev supports Barack Hussein Obama's re-election (see below) because he figures he will never find a more submissive American President.
Let's go to the videotape. An interview with Medvedev follows.
Medvedev told the Financial Times of London on Sunday that he would not allow a resolution to pass the Security Council condemning Syria, and that he was unhappy with where the resolution regarding Libya has gone - but nevertheless he supports Obama's re-election.
[Mevedev] said the broad way in which the western allies interpreted March’s resolution 1973 had turned it into “a scrap of paper to cover up a pointless military operation” and practically ruled out supporting any resolution on Syria, no matter how vague.
Okay, it's difficult to argue with Medvedev's assessment of what's happened in Libya.
Speaking of the worsening situation facing Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian leader, Mr Medvedev said: “I would not like a Syrian resolution to be pulled off in a similar manner [to Libya].”
The Russian president’s attitude should come as welcome news to Mr Assad, who is due to address the nation on Monday on “current circumstances”, the state news agency said. It will be Mr Assad’s first national speech since April 16 and the third since the protests began the month before that.
...
Mr Medvedev said he would not even support a watered-down UN resolution, such as the one circulated by Britain and France 10 days ago, which condemned Mr Assad’s regime without supporting sanctions or military measures.
Both countries have since stepped back from pressing for a vote because of the fear that Russia and China would veto it. Brazil and India have also given lukewarm support to the idea.
“If we push for a UN vote and get a veto, it will poison the atmosphere in the Council over Syria for some time,” a British diplomat said last week. “It is best to wait and see how events develop on the ground.”
But don't worry. Medvedev still supports Obama's re-election. He's thrilled with an American President who is willing to give away the United States' missile advantage.
Despite his irritation over western action in Libya, however, Mr Medvedev had exceptionally warm words about his US counterpart, Barack Obama – openly supporting Mr Obama’s re-election to the office.
He noted he was “friends” with the US president and “it is easy for me to work with him”.
“I believe I have been lucky in this respect at least, because my counterpart has been a modern man wanting change, not only for America, but for the whole world order as well.”
Mr Medvedev warned of the possibility of the election of a new US president “from the conservative wing” who might stoke tensions with Russia for “political ends”.
“You have kept asking me about my presidency and whether I will stand for president again . . . Let me tell you that no one wishes [for] the re-election of Barack Obama as US president as [much as] I do.”
This post requires setting the mood, so before we start, let's go to the videotape.
Once again, Israel let money take precedence over wise policy on Tuesday. On the same day that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was in Jericho declaring Russian support for a 'Palestinian' reichlet (for which 'Israeli officials' declared a Pyrrhic victory because Medvedev 'only' supported "the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to create its own state, which is independent, territorially integral and with a capital in east Jerusalem” and not a return to the June 4, 1967 'borders' in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 242), the money-deprived (ha!) Israeli government delivered 12 more unmanned aerial vehicles to the Russians at a cost of $400 million.
Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) has delivered a dozen unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia under a $400 million contract, as part of an Israeli effort to encourage the Russians not to provide Iran and Syria with advanced weapons systems that could threaten the Jewish state. [Encourage? How about at least an explicit commitment even though it would likely not be honored in the breach? CiJ].
“It is reasonable… to argue that Israel viewed UAV sales and joint military technology activity as a means of bringing influence to bear on Moscow,” Jane’s Defense Weekly observed.
The delivery stemmed from an April 2009 contract that marked Russia’s first purchase of a foreign weapons system. As part of the deal, IAI trained some 50 Russian pilots at its main facility near Tel Aviv.
“Israel is the world’s leading exporter of drones, with more than 1,000 sold in 42 countries,” said Jacques Chemia, chief engineer of IAI’s UAV division.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met with 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud AbbasAbu Mazen in Jericho on Tuesday and said that Russia would not change its stance on a 'Palestinian state.'
But what Medvedev said is that Russia recognized a 'Palestinian state' in 1988.
Earlier, Israel's Channel 10 reported that Medvedev would announce Russian recognition for a 'Palestinian state' in Jericho on Tuesday.
Let's go to the videotape (sorry, Hebrew only, but it's short).
The source for the Channel 10 story (link in Hebrew) was an interview in the pan-Arabic daily al-Hayat with a 'senior Palestinian official.'
So what happened here? I think this has to be chalked up as a disappointment for the 'Palestinians.' By saying 'we recognized the 'Palestinian state' in 1988, the Russians sidestepped the question.
And for those of you wondering whether Medvedev came to Israel on Tuesday, the answer is that he did not due to a strike at Israel's Foreign Ministry.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
