The Syrian dictator Bashir al Assad announced yesterday that a shipment of Russian anti aircraft missiles had arrived in Syria. These are supposedly advanced missiles that would change the balance of power in the air. If this is true, it is big news. I doubt that Assad is telling the truth, however.
The Syrian rebels are hardly affected at all by the news. They have no aircraft, and no other power is offering them air cover of any kind.
The Israelis are perhaps the most affected by the news, but even for them it is not that big a deal. The Israeli air raids on Syrian targets have been launched from planes that stayed in Israeli or Lebanese airspace. The anti aircraft missiles that the Syrians claim to have are unlikely to be launched against targets in Israeli airspace. Assad knows that if he were to fire missiles in that way, there would be serious Israeli retaliation which just might bring down his regime. He would not chance it.
Most likely, the Assad announcement is designed to raise the stakes for any country like Turkey or Saudi Arabia or even a European power that is considering providing air support to the rebels. It is one thing to send planes if you think that they cannot be touched. It is something else to send war planes that might be shot down.
The news, if true, is also a major slap in the face for the Obama administration by the Russians. So what else is new?
The Syrian rebels are hardly affected at all by the news. They have no aircraft, and no other power is offering them air cover of any kind.
The Israelis are perhaps the most affected by the news, but even for them it is not that big a deal. The Israeli air raids on Syrian targets have been launched from planes that stayed in Israeli or Lebanese airspace. The anti aircraft missiles that the Syrians claim to have are unlikely to be launched against targets in Israeli airspace. Assad knows that if he were to fire missiles in that way, there would be serious Israeli retaliation which just might bring down his regime. He would not chance it.
Most likely, the Assad announcement is designed to raise the stakes for any country like Turkey or Saudi Arabia or even a European power that is considering providing air support to the rebels. It is one thing to send planes if you think that they cannot be touched. It is something else to send war planes that might be shot down.
The news, if true, is also a major slap in the face for the Obama administration by the Russians. So what else is new?
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