Syria to Buy Latest Russian Anti-Missile System, Says Assad

W460

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Damascus is negotiating with regime ally Moscow to buy the latest Russian anti-missile system to repel Israeli and American attacks. 

"It's natural that we should have such systems," he said, quoted by Syria's official SANA agency on Thursday, the same day as Damascus accused Israel of firing several missiles at a military position near its international airport.

"Israel has been committing aggressions on the Arab states surrounding it since its creation in 1948," Assad said in the interview with Venezuelan channel Telesur.

"It is natural for us to negotiate with the Russians now with a view to strengthening (our) systems, whether to face any Israeli threats from the air or the threats of American missiles."

"That has become a real possibility after the recent American aggression on Al-Shayrat air base in Syria," he added.

The U.S. military fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at the base overnight on April 6-7 following a suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town in Idlib province that left 87 dead, including many children.

Washington said the regime base was the launchpad for the attack, a charge Damascus denies.

Russia's military said a day after the attack that Syria's air defenses would be boosted.

"To protect Syria's most sensitive infrastructure, a complex of measures will be implemented in the near future to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the Syrian armed forces' air defense system," said spokesman Igor Konashenkov

For its part, Israel has carried out multiple air strikes in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, most of which it has said targeted arms convoys or warehouses of its Lebanese arch-foe Hizbullah, a key supporter of Assad's regime.

Assad also said that no country which had aided the Syrian opposition should be allowed to take part in Syria's post-war reconstruction.

"All the states which stood against the Syrian people and took part in the destruction and sabotage will never take part in rebuilding Syria. That is final," he said.

International organizations estimate that reconstructing Syria, devastated by a six-year war that has left over 320,000 dead, will cost upwards of $300 billion (275 billion euros).

Comments 12
Thumb i.report 28 April 2017, 00:09

mdr!

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 28 April 2017, 06:24

I heard the Giraffe but cannot figure out: did he say blah blah blah or blah blah blah blah

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 28 April 2017, 06:24

I heard the Giraffe but cannot figure out: did he say blah blah blah or blah blah blah blah

Thumb Southern...... 28 April 2017, 10:27

now the terrorists of fsa and ISIS are almost vanished, the zionists, their supporters have to be dealt with.

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 28 April 2017, 15:36

Slizern, slizern .... Juxtaposition to make an assanine comment is typical of you

Thumb enterprise 28 April 2017, 03:58

ah i see; the reason this lowlife has not responded to israel's 500th air strike is because he is waiting to purchase missile defense systems.

Default-user-icon Salim (Guest) 29 April 2017, 01:29

You're Wright hahahahaha.

Thumb thepatriot 28 April 2017, 05:39

Reconstruction in Syria... it will be much worse than reconstruction in Lebanon... we never got back on our feet since the war... they won't either... and their reconstruction will cost 10 times ours...but...they can count on Iran and Russia... two coutries with problematic economies...

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 28 April 2017, 06:26

Do you have few billions stashed somewhere?

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 28 April 2017, 06:26

Where will the Giraffe get the money from?

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 28 April 2017, 06:26

Where will the Giraffe get the money from?

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 28 April 2017, 06:27

For $$$ which he does not have