The Resurgent Bear

I’ve ranted before about Putin and his brutal, authoritarian, murderous, corrupt, gangster-like regime. As previously mentioned here, and here on the Cantankerous Camel, Russia sells advanced weapons all over the middle East to the most nefarious regimes, represses democracy at home, bullies its former imperial vassals and sides with genocidal states such as Sudan and the genocide-wannabes in Iran in the U.N., blocking international action on these and other crucial issues, all to show to the U.S. and Europe that Russia is still a world power. And builds nuclear reactors for Iran.

As detailed in this recent article in FrontPage magazine, one of its primary tools for spreading its influence and foreign policy agenda is through its arms sales which continue to have a negative impact for Israel’s security. Russia has sold Iran one of the most advanced anti-aircraft air defence systems in the world and also sold Iran advanced anti-tank weapons which were passed through Syria and used by Hizballah in their guerrilla war against Israel this summer. It has also provided Syria with medium range ballistic missiles capable of hitting any target inside Israel, and sold warplanes to the genocidal regime in Khartoum.

Sadly, this trend seems to set to continue as Russia continues to seek export revenues and more importantly assert its influence around the globe. Even when Putin is gone after his second Presidential term finishes in 2008 his influence will be huge due to his overwhelming public popularity. He will effectively appoint a successor and said recently in a “live TV phone-in” that “even after I no longer have presidential powers I think that ... I will be able to preserve the most important thing that is dear to any politician: your trust...Using this, we can together influence life in our country and guarantee that it develops in a continuous manner”.