A Russian arms ship forced to turn back to port by the Britain last week
is to make a second attempt to deliver its cargo to Syria - this time
under escort.

The Russian ship Alaed which is moored outside Murmansk and was carrying
Russian helicopters to Syria

By Adrian Blomfield

6:50PM BST 24 Jun 2012
The Telegraph UK

The MV Alaed, which is carrying helicopter gunships and air defence
systems on board, will put to sea within days, military officials in
Moscow were quoted as saying.

The vessel, sailing under the flag of the Caribbean island of Curacao,
returned to Murmansk after its insurance cover was withdrawn at the
behest of the Government. Russia said it feared that British forces
would attempt to storm the ship, a step David Cameron is said to have
contemplated.

Throwing down an unmistakable challenge to the Prime Minister, Moscow
said the Alaed would sail again, this time under a Russian flag -
meaning that any attempt to board it could trigger an international
incident. It will also be accompanied by at least one other vessel,
although not a military one.

Russia says the combat helicopters on board were ones that it had
repaired and insists that it is only supplying Syria with weapons that
can be used to defend itself from foreign aggression.

The efficiency of Russian-made air defence systems was potently
displayed on Friday, when Syria shot down a Turkish fighter jet. The
example could serve to deter the West from risking its own aircraft in a
military intervention, analysts said.

Calls for international action have grown as the violence in Syria has
worsened. Nearly 700 people were killed last week, according to
pro-opposition human rights groups in Syria, making it one of the
bloodiest since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 15
months ago. More than 60 are said to have died on Sunday.

More than 150 government soldiers are thought to be among the dead. In a
sign that morale in the armed forces is suffering, the Syrian opposition
reported the defection of more than 30 soldiers after a rebel attack on
an artillery battalion near the city of Aleppo. The defectors took their
weapons with them, they said.

Last week, a pilot in the Syrian Air Force -- considered the wing of the
armed forces most loyal to Mr Assad -- defected after flying his fighter
jet to Jordan.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9352852/Ru...

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