[updated:LAST EDITED ON 29-10-02 AT 04:55 PM (GMT)]JERUSALEM, Oct 29 (AFP) – 09:40 GMT – Russia has dropped plans to sell SA-18 missiles to Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in remarks published Tuesday in Israeli newspapers.
“At Israel’s request, Russia has given up its plans to sell SA-18 surface-to-air missiles to Syria,” which is still officially at war with Israel, Sharon told the parliamentary foreign affairs and defence committee Monday.
Sharon told the closed-doors session of the committee that he had made his request to Russian President Vladimir Putin last month when he visited the Kremlin, saying the missiles posed a serious threat to Israel.
He said Syria could pass them on to Hezbollah Shiite Muslim guerrillas in southern Lebanon, who are violently opposed to Israel and are backed by Damascus.
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/afp/defense/021029094044.38xpvox4.html
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October 29, 2002 at 4:54 pm