Saudis offer Moscow billions to break with Tehran: report

[BunkerHill24]

Tue Jul 15, 12:35 PM ET



MOSCOW (AFP) Saudi Arabia has offered to buy Russian arms worth 2.4 billion dollars (1.5 billion euros) if Moscow stops supporting Iran, a Russian newspaper reported Tuesday, citing diplomatic sources.
"The kingdom's government advised Moscow to cut back its cooperation with Tehran, and in exchange it held out the prospect of profitable contracts with Saudi Arabia," the daily business newspaper Kommersant wrote.

A spokesman for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin denied the report.

"Any claims that military-technical cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia is in any way linked to Russian-Iranian dialogue are inappropriate and do not correspond to reality," the Interfax news agency quoted Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

The newspaper report came one day after Putin met with the general secretary of Saudi Arabia's Security Council, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.

Citing sources in Russia's defence industry, the newspaper said Saudi Arabia was ready to buy at least 100 BMP-3 combat vehicles, 150 T-90 tanks and 160 Mi-17, Mi-26 and Mi-35 helicopters.

Kommersant put the total value of the equipment at about 2.4 billion dollars.

Moscow has opposed stiffer international sanctions on Iran for its nuclear programme, which Tehran says is civilian in nature.

Relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia -- a traditional US ally -- have warmed considerably in recent years.

© 2008 Agence France-Presse

http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2008/07/15/saudis_offer_moscow_billions_to_break_with_tehran_report/afp/

[Hydra]

1. Subtle n/t

[Kolesar]

2. Ok, Saudi becomes the protector of Iraq and Putin's Gazprom gets to pump oil in the protectorate

And Halliburton and Exxon sit on the sidelines.

Ok, this is a weak projection about two of my unfavorite dictatorships.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. So, we give our dollars to the Saudis, who in turn offer those dollars

to the Russians to breach their contracts with Iran.

Almost sounds like an episode of Dallas.

[StClone]

5. All that's needed is the old theme song

Actually parts of a Three Stooges skit, a Tom Clancy novel, Beverly Hillbillies, Austin Powers, Helter Skelter and Dallas.

[leveymg]

4. "metimes" is News World, aka Moonie Times

That source also carried the disinformation about Israeli AF using bases in Iraq.

This is all part of a psyops campaign to provoke Iran, or some proxy, to overreact to the next REAL act of provocation, such as an "accidental" overflight or another naval incursion.

[BunkerHill24]

7. The article is from Agence France-Presse...n/t

[leveymg]

8. AFP carried the false IAF using Iraq airbases report

AFP is part of the problem.

[BunkerHill24]

9. AFP is A problem? loool..sorry, next time I will have you MEMRI

[Larkspur]

6. Saudis are Sunni and are trying to isolate Iran, a Shiite country