Russia Plans to Sell 10 Mig Fighters to Syria
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SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013 RAJAB 22, 1434 AH No: 15826 Lebanon MPs put US woman facing FIFA announce off election as drug charge tougher sanctions Syria war9 rages freed14 in Mexico for47 racism Russia plans to sell 10 MiG fighters to Syria Max 43º 150 Fils US, Germany to Moscow: Don’t send Assad missiles Min 25º MOSCOW: Russia’s MiG aircraft maker said yesterday it plans to sign a new agreement to ship at least 10 fighter jets to Syria, a move that comes amid international criticism of earli- er Russian weapons deals with Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. MiG’s director general, Sergei Korotkov, said a Syrian dele- gation was in Moscow to discuss the details of a new contract for the delivery of MiG-29 M/M2 fighters. In remarks carried by Russian news agencies, he said Syria wants to buy “more than 10” such fighters, but wouldn’t give the exact number. The significance of his comments was unclear. A MiG spokesman wouldn’t comment on Korotkov’s statement, and the MiG chief could be referring to a deal the company previ- ously negotiated with Syria that apparently has been put on hold amid Syria’s brutal two-year civil war. More than 70,000 people have died in the fighting and millions of Syrians have fled the country. Russia has shielded Assad from UN sanc- tions and has continued to provide his regime with weapons despite the uprising against him that began in March 2011. Russian media reports say Syria placed an order a few years ago for 12 MiG-29 M2 fighters with an option of buying another 12. The Stockholm Peace Research Institute also has reported that Russia planned to provide Syria with 24 of the aircraft. The United States and Germany yesterday warned Russia not to endanger a planned peace conference for Syria or alter the balance of power in the Middle East by providing an advanced air defense system to President Bashar Assad’s embattled regime. Secretary of State John Kerry and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the transfer of S-300 missile from Russia to Syria would prolong the country’s civil LONDON: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II meets families of serving personnel as she visits the King’s Troop Royal Horse war, imperil attempts to form a transitional government Artillery at Woolwich Barracks in south east London yesterday. Queen Elizabeth II marks the 60th anniversary of her through negotiation and hurt Israel’s strategic interests. coronation tomorrow.— AFP “It is not helpful to have the S-300 transferred to the region while we are trying to organize this peace (confer- ence) and create peace,” Kerry told reporters at a joint news Iran poll won’t Hagel: Cyber threats conference with Westerwelle after they met at the State Department. alter nuke Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council yesterday pose ‘stealthy danger added the Syrian militant group Al-Nusra Front to its global policy: Kerry sanctions list because of its links to Al-Qaeda. The group, a ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT: “quiet, stealthy, insidious, dangerous out- feared force battling President Bashar Al-Assad, is now sub- WASHINGTON: Secretary of State John Kerry Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said yester- comes,” from taking down power grids to ject to an international asset freeze and arms embargo, says he is not optimistic that Iran’s upcoming day that cyber threats posed a “quiet, destroying financial systems or neutralizing according to an announcement made by the Security election will produce any change in the coun- stealthy, insidious” danger to the United defense networks, Hagel said. try’s nuclear ambitions, which the US and oth- Council’s Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee. France and Britain States and other nations, and called for “That’s not a unique threat to the ers believe are aimed at developing atomic jointly sought Al-Nusra’s designation after blocking a “rules of the road” to guide behavior and United States, (it affects) everybody, so weapons. avoid conflict on global computer net- we’ve got to find ways here ... working with demand by the Syrian government. Kerry said yesterday that any shift in Iran’s works. the Chinese, working with everybody, (to nuclear policy will come from the country’s Hagel said he would address cyber develop) rules of the road, some interna- Michigan woman killed supreme leader and not the winner of the June security in his speech today to the Shangri- tional understandings, some responsibility Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad killed a 14 presidential election. The supreme leader La Security Dialogue in Singapore and the that governments have to take,” he said. 33-year-old Michigan woman who was a convert to Islam and has final say on all state matters. Kerry told issue was likely to come up in a brief meet- Hagel’s remarks came two days after a British man during an ambush on an opposition scouting reporters at the State Department that the US ing with Chinese delegates on the margins news reports said the Defense Science mission north of the city of Idlib, Syrian state media said yes- would continue to pursue a peaceful resolution of the conference. “Cyber threats are real, Board - a committee of civilian experts who terday. Nicole Mansfield’s aunt, Monica Mansfield Speelman, to the impasse but that time is running out. He they’re terribly dangerous,” Hagel told advise the Defense Department - had con- told Reuters on Thursday the FBI had informed her that after- said every month that goes by without Iran reporters on his plane en route to the gath- cluded that Chinese hackers have gained noon of the death of her niece, who was from Flint. Syrian proving that its nuclear program is peaceful ering. “They’re probably as insidious and access to the designs of more than two state television aired footage showing the body of the makes the world more dangerous. Iran insists its real a threat (as there is) to the United dozen major US weapons systems in recent woman, who was dressed in a full black hijab. The footage nuclear program is intended for civilian energy States, as well as China, by the way, and years. The Pentagon downplayed the report also showed her American ID.— Agencies production. — AP every nation.” Cyber conflict could lead to as outdated and overstated. — Reuters LOCAL SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013 US bases in Gulf on high alert Proposal to label Hezbollah a terrorist group to be discussed KUWAIT: American bases in the Arabian Gulf have been put on decision is unlikely to happen. high alert in anticipation of any kind of fallout to the security deteri- Bahrain’s Information Minister said Thursday that a proposal to oration in Syria and Iraq, a local daily reported yesterday quoting a label Hezbollah as a terrorist organization is going to be discussed “senior military official” familiar with the subject. The senior Kuwaiti during a meeting tomorrow for GCC foreign ministers. “The official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to dis- European Union is still unable to list Hezbollah as a terrorist group”, close the information to the press. He made these remarks to a the sources told a local daily which had first published the proposal local daily without providing any further details on the topic. on Thursday’s issue. They spoke on the condition of anonymity The same report also quoted Undersecretary of Kuwait Foreign because they did not obtain permission from authorities to speak Ministry Khalid Al-Jarallah who described a proposed security about the subject. Meanwhile, GCC sources told Al-Rai that a more agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries as ‘a ‘realistic’ solution would be listing the military wing of Hezbollah in protective wall’. “The challenges we are facing are huge, which the terror list while keeping the political wing off the list. requires the presence of an impenetrable security system or struc- On a separate note, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State ture for the GCC region”, he said at the conclusion of a training at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the United Kingdom, course for Foreign Ministry employees Thursday. The GCC agree- Alistair Burt, is set to arrive in Kuwait tomorrow to take part in the ment is still up for debate in the Kuwaiti parliament where some second UK-Kuwait Joint Steering Group meeting that takes place MPs argue that it contains articles which contradict the state’s con- for the first time in Kuwait. The first meeting took place six months stitution. Al-Qabas also reported that Al-Jarallah met Thursday with ago during a visit for HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah KUWAIT: The arrested culprits who were caught burning elec- foreign ministers of permanent and non-permanent members of in London, during which the group was founded. The meeting tric wires are seen. the United Nations Security Council to discuss the recent develop- comes after a delegation’s visit from Kuwait’s Defense Ministry to ments in the region. In other news, sources in the Kuwaiti govern- the UK during which they discussed matters of defense and securi- ment said that Kuwait will honor a Gulf Cooperation Council deci- ty that pertain with the bilateral relations with the British Ministry of Arabs caught burning sion to list Hezbollah as a terrorist group, but indicated that such Defence. — Al-Qabas, Al-Rai wires in Amghara area By Hanan Al-Saadoun Gold medal conferred on KUWAIT: A security source said that policemen guarding Kuwaiti Speaker Al-Rashed Amghara area caught some people Thursday evening YEREVAN: Yerevan State University Kuwaiti-Iraqi relations, Al-Rashed not- burning electric wires.