troung

Chief of the Russian General Staff Yuri Baluyevsky Russian government may sign arms deal with Hamas during scheduled visit by terror group’s leaders to Moscow in March; Palestinian express their willingness to purchase two M-17 helicopters, some 50 armored vehicles

The Russian government may sign an arms deal with Hamas during a scheduled visit by the terror group’s leaders to Moscow, according to Chief of the Russian General Staff Yuri Baluyevsky.

The Hamas delegation, headed by Khaled Mashaal, is set to visit Russia sometime next month.

“The decision to sell arms to Hamas must be reached through the cooperation of both sides,” the general said.

“We will have to wait and see what the meetings in Russia will produce.”

Baluyevsky added that Russia is considering selling Hamas, among other things, of “two unarmed helicopters that would be used for transporting Palestinian leaders, in addition to armed vehicles to help preserve stability.”

The Palestinians have expressed their willingness to purchase two M-17 helicopters and some 50 armored vehicles. However, the Palestinians will not be able to receive the equipment without Israeli consent.

'We welcome the visit of a delegation of our brothers'

In a move that stirred Israeli ire, Russia extended to Hamas leaders on Thursday an official invitation to visit Moscow at the beginning of March.

On Wednesday Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the invitation to Hamas is a realistic way to foster future peacemaking after the Islamic terrorists won the Palestinian elections.

Jordan, which has moderated its stance towards Palestinian terror group Hamas since its election win, said on Wednesday it invited Hamas leaders to make their first visit since the kingdom expelled them in 1999.

The visit to the pro-U.S. country would be part of a regional tour by Hamas to garner financial and political support in the face of Western threats to cut Palestinian aid.

“We welcome the visit of a delegation of our brothers the leaders of Hamas in their capacity as Palestinians,” Prime Minister Marouf Bakheet told a parliamentary session.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...217326,00.html

Tronic

won't make a "huge" difference... just having the weapons is not enough, you have to know how to use them too...

Aryan

How do they plan on getting it through Israeli customs?

Julie

How do they plan on paying for them?

Captain Drunk

Easy. They'll have those helicopters and armoured vehicles flown in from Russia, in one of those big Antonov planes.

Tronic

hehe... money's no problem, these guys got Saudi support...

Lunatock

Russia might want to try transporting them by ship, since it'd seem doubtfull Israel would allow the shipment to reach Gaza or the West Bank. And a Shin Bet ship boarding would be less hazardous for Russians than if the IAF forced an Antonov to land earlier than expected.

gunnut

Why...with western aid money, of course.

Commando

This world seems so disturbed. Israel gives the Palestinians democracy. And democracy leads Hamas into power and now Palestine is recruiting weapons that will be aimed at the destruction of Israel in 20 years. Look at an atlas. See how small Israel is compared to the rest of the Islamic states. Israel will not let this deal go through, and they unlike russia will risk nukes to stop this deal.

dave angel

nope, Israel - assuming they have their thinking caps on - will let the deal go ahead.

two ageing Mi-17's pose no threat to anyone, least of all the state of Israel, but they - along with other projects - will help get Hamas out of its state of mind of radical opposition organisation and into the mindset of boring managers of budgets, resources and expectations.

turn the revolutionary into an accountant and kill the revolution. with no martyrs.

__________________
before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.................... then when you do criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Garry

Mi-17 is not a weapon. It is a transport helicopter for 30 passengers/troops. Good, reliable and cheap per hour of flight/maintainance.

One may put some weapons on it.... but it just like calling a truck weapon because somebody may install machine gun on it.

As for paying..... a brand new Mi-17 costs 5mln => then two may cost $10mln. Used helicopters may cost even cheaper.

Aryan

I don't think hamas aquiring 2 rusty Mi-17s will make the IDF lose any sleep, but it still is military hardware. Just because it can't be directly used to kill people, doesn't reduce its miilitary significance.

Tronic

what are u tryin to say??? Mi-17s arent some crusty choppers, they can be armed with air-to-surface missiles and all... its the palestinian pilots (they exist???) that are crusty, hand these babies to the Israelis and watch what they can do with these choppers...

Shek

Wow! When was the last time that the IAF had live target practice?

__________________
"So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

troung

This is the same deal which was discussed before the elections with the PA...