WORLD_ Gunship diplomacy_ Telegraph View

Gunship diplomacy

Vladimir Putin’s determination to furnish the Syrian dictator with attack helicopters betrays the moral bankruptcy of Russia Putin is determined to bolster the military might of President Bashar al-Assad’s bloodstained regime Photo: Getty Images


By Telegraph View
8:57PM BST 21 Jun 2012
14 Comments

So now we know. The Russian cargo ship that performed an about-turn in the North Sea after losing its British insurance cover was indeed carrying weapons bound for Syria. Three newly serviced Mi-25 helicopter gunships, ideally suited to combating insurgents, were on board the MV Alaed, along with an advanced air defence system. As such, the vessel would have bolstered the military might of President Bashar al-Assad’s bloodstained regime. So our Government was right to stop its passage by withdrawing its British insurance policy.

But Russia’s swift response speaks volumes about its true policy towards Syria. Yesterday, the Kremlin made clear that when the MV Alaed docks in Murmansk, the ship will be reflagged under the Russian tricolour and sent back to complete the delivery of a lethal cargo. Previously, the vessel had been sailing under the colours of the Dutch Antilles – a classic flag of convenience – meaning that Britain could have executed a legal boarding operation simply by securing the permission of the Dutch government. Now, any such manoeuvre would amount to direct, and perilous, defiance of Russia.

 The Kremlin’s decision shows, once again, that Russia is in no mood to reappraise its support for Mr Assad’s regime. Barack Obama spent two hours at the G20 summit in Los Cabos trying to persuade Vladimir Putin of the moral bankruptcy of Russia’s position, yet Moscow’s evident determination to furnish a dictator with attack helicopters betrays the harsh reality.

It would be tempting to waylay the MV Alaed if it comes again within striking distance of our shores. Sadly, any such action would be imprudent and probably illegal. The real significance of this episode is the light it casts on Russia’s true intentions towards Syria.


Related Articles
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 _ Russia confirms cargo ship was carrying weapons to Syria - 21 Jun 2012
 _ Syria: PM considered ordering forces to seize Russian ship - 20 Jun 2012
 _ Russia denies cargo ship was transporting weapons to Syria - 20 Jun 2012

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Showing 15 comments

MrPugg 50 seconds ago
I remember the Russians using attack helicopters in Afghanistan and the Americans supplying the rebels hand held missiles to shoot them down. Now these rebels are using those very same weapons to shoot down the helicopters belonging to very people who supplied them in the first place. Suggestion ; stay at home and don't get involved.



Lela2 21 minutes ago
Ship bound for Syria was carrying 3 old helicopters repaired in Russia - Lavrov http://www.rt.com/news/lavrov-... Revealed: CIA secretly operates on Syrian border, supplies arms to rebels http://www.rt.com/news/cia-off...



______ The_Spanish_Inquisition 5 minutes ago
Don't forget the Russian MiG's flying in Syria (see photo at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new... ) and the Polish attack helicopters http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multi...



512 22 minutes ago
For once can the muppets that rule us keep their warmongering noses out of it? *** bigjake 23 minutes ago What a load of crap:why should the syrians have to put up with an islamic regime in the name of 'freedom.?



sick2 24 minutes ago
So it's still the Russians who are the bad guys and anyone who opposes them are the good guys. It's all been said before, same old media twaddle



The_Spanish_Inquisition 32 minutes ago
Just in case anyone was getting confused - Good Guys "Stop the Hamas rocket assault on Israel" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new... "In the meantime, he suggested that the West was likely to step up arms supplies to the rebels. "The British and the Americans are talking and indeed engaging with countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar that are helping the rebels," the correspondent said. "There are now more arms getting into Syria with American help and I think there will be a gradual increment, month-by-month, of that." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new... "Britain's clever intervention" http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/n... "While Russia tries to arm Mr Assad, the CIA is understood to have taken a more hands-on role in the rebel campaign against the Syrian regime. CIA operatives in southern Turkey are helping to coordinate the delivery of automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons, paid for by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Turkey has begun to loosen restrictions on the quality and quantity of weapons being sent to the rebels through its territory. "The Turks are gradually allowing more powerful weapons into Syria," said a Middle Eastern official." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new... Bad Guys "Arab League calls on Russia to stop supplying arms to Syria" "the moral bankruptcy of Russia ..... Moscow’s evident determination to furnish a dictator with attack helicopters" "Russian arguments against direct involvement could now be strongly questioned by the British and Americans: "Who is intervening in the crisis here? Who is pouring fuel on the flames? If you are providing attack helicopters to the Syrians how can you possibly say you are not intervening in the crisis?"" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new... "the Russian navy is no match for the mighty U.S. fleet." Huzzah!!! By Jingo!!!" http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/n...



WoodieUK 53 minutes ago
I take it you realise the hypocrisy of your own propaganda...



prof37day 54 minutes ago
It is so good that our media is free to write honest papers: - no b.s., - no lies, - no censorship, - no old creeps who order what to write,



randal 59 minutes ago
"the moral bankruptcy of Russia’s position" Russia wants to fulfill a contract it entered into with the Syrian government. The "west" sees such contracts as only binding when it feels good to follow them. Russia believes in leaving the Syrian government to deal with Syrian internal disorder. The "west" thinks it is entitled to pick sides and intervene when it decides it feels right to do so. Russia believes in national sovereignty and the UN not interfering in internal affairs of sovereign countries. The "west" believes that national sovereignty only apples to countries when the "west" feels like it ought to. Russia believes the rules agreed when the UN was set up ought to be obeyed. The "west" feels they can be ignored whenever it feels like a lawful veto is "unreasonable". Remind me, who is morally bankrupt?



zhanglan Today 09:38 PM "9:00PM BST 21 Jun 2012
Members of Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle are secretly making plans to defect to the opposition should the Syrian regime become critically threatened by the rebellion, US officials have told The Daily Telegraph." and there we have it - the Telegraph as a mouthpiece for US propaganda. If the plans are "secret", how come the Telegraph gets to publish them? Coverage of the Syrian insurrection has now shed all pretence of factual objectivity and is stripped down to the bare bones of Us vs Them, in which we are to cheer those who supply the Rebels and boo anyone returning 20 year old kit to the sovereign government. At times like this I am ashamed to be British



adamsson66 Today 09:28 PM
In the Late 1980's the USSR was bankrupted it simply could no longer afford to keep up the military spending the Eastern Bloc collapsed soon after. The thing you have to ask your self is - who is bankrupt now? US national debt $15.8 Trillion (15,800 Billion) Russian national debt $36 Billion Money talks bullshit walks



ryeatley Today 09:09 PM
"Putin’s determination to furnish the Syrian dictator with attack helicopters" You could write "Russia's return of Syrian military equipment after servicing". Perhaps the "Telegraph View" can tell us who is pouring weapons and other equipment into Syria, leading to a huge escalation of the troubles? I feel that it would cast light on our true intentions towards Syria.



_______ Lela2 17 minutes ago
All three helicopters. "[Helicopters] are still to be assembled after delivery. The entire process will take no less than three months,' – Lavrov."



____________ The_Spanish_Inquisition 10 minutes ago
Oh come on now Lela2 - it's not going to take 3 months to remove those Polish airforce markings in the photos, or those red Russian stars on the Mig-29's and Su-27's the Syrians have dodgilly dressed up their 1960's MiG-21's to look like. This is an Evil Dictatorship, after all - don't they have secret bases inside volcanoes, white cats and deep facial scars?

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