The United States and Germany on Friday warned Russia not to endanger a planned peace conference for Syria or alter the balance of power in the Middle East by providing an advanced air defence system to President Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the transfer of S-300 missiles from Russia to Syria would prolong the country's civil war, imperil attempts to form a transitional government through negotiation and hurt Israel's strategic interests.

"It is not helpful to have the S-300 transferred to the region while we are trying to organize this peace [conference] and create peace," Kerry told reporters at a joint news conference with Westerwelle after they met at the U.S. State Department.

"We ask them again not to upset the balance within the region with respect to Israel," he said. "The weaponry that is being provided to Assad, whether it is an old contract or not, has a profoundly negative impact on the balance of interests and the stability of the region and it does put Israel at risk. It is not in our judgment responsible because of the size of the weapons, the nature of the weapons and what it does to the region in terms of Israel's security, so we hope that they will refrain from that in the interests of making this peace conference work."

Westerwelle called on Russia not to "spoil" the conference, which was planned for Geneva next month but has been delayed until July at the earliest.
U.S. testing claims of chemical weapon use

Kerry and Westerwelle spoke a day after Assad suggested that his regime received a first shipment of the state-of-the-art anti-aircraft system, which would reduce pressure on it to negotiate with the opposition, make foreign intervention more difficult and alarm Israel. The United States has made Israel's qualitative military edge one of its prime strategic interests in the region.

Russian officials have said they will supply the S-300s to Syria under an existing contract. They have also said that they will try to convince the Assad regime to participate in the Geneva peace talks. But the Syrian opposition has said it will not attend the conference while massacres are continuing.

Kerry said he believed the opposition would attend the meeting once it straightens out questions about its leadership.

He also warned again that the use of chemical weapons is a "red line" for the Obama administration. At the same time, he said intelligence and evidence that such weapons have, in fact, been used, is still being vetted for 100 per cent certainty.

"We are doing our due diligence, as we should do given past experience, to make certain that the intelligence is correct, that the evidence is real and then make judgments that are appropriate," Kerry said.
Russian arms dealer plans to send Syria new jets

Russia's MiG aircraft maker, meanwhile, said it plans to sign a agreement to ship new fighter jets to Syria.

MiG's director general, Sergei Korotkov, said a Syrian delegation was in Moscow to discuss the details of a new contract for the delivery of MiG-29 M/M2 fighters.

In remarks carried by Russian news agencies on Friday, he said Syria wants to buy "more than 10" such fighters, but wouldn't give the exact number.

The significance of his comments was unclear. A MiG spokesman wouldn't comment on Korotkov's statement, and the MiG chief could be referring to a deal the company previously negotiated with Syria that apparently has been put on hold amid Syria's brutal two-year civil war.

More than 70,000 people have died in the fighting and millions of Syrians have fled the country.

Moscow has shipped billions of dollars' worth of missiles, combat jets, tanks, artillery and other military gear to Syria over more than four decades. Syria now is Russia's last remaining ally in the Middle East and hosts the only naval base Moscow has outside the former Soviet Union.

Russia has shielded Assad from UN sanctions and has continued to provide his regime with weapons despite the uprising that began in March 2011.
Kremlin might think twice about jet delivery

Russian media reports say Syria placed an order a few years ago for 12 MiG-29 M2 fighters with an option of buying another 12. The Stockholm Peace Research Institute also has reported that Russia planned to provide Syria with 24 of the aircraft.

The MiG-29 M2 is an advanced version of the MiG-29 twin-engine fighter jet, which has been a mainstay of the Soviet and Russian air force since mid-1980s. Syria had about 20 fighters of the original make among scores of other Soviet- and Russian-built aircraft.

Russia has said it's only providing Assad with weapons intended to protect Syria from a foreign invasion, such as air defence missile systems, and is not delivering weapons that could be used in the civil war.

But the delivery of MiGs would contradict that claim and expose Russia to global criticism, so the Kremlin might think twice before giving the go-ahead.

Another recent Russian jet deal with Damascus, a contract to deliver Yak-130 combat training jets that could also be used for ground attacks, apparently has been put on hold amid the civil war.

These guys must be kidding. just three days ago the EU lifted its arms embargo on Syria, meanwhile Qatar and Saudi continue to send arms to the rebels illegally yet they keep pestering russia to stop their own arms which are legally being supplied.

Besides what's all these talk about Israeli security, isn't Israel the one attacking Syria

50calibre: These guys must be kidding. just three days ago the EU lifted its arms embargo on Syria, meanwhile Qatar and Saudi continue to send arms to the rebels illegally yet they keep pestering russia to stop their own arms which are legally being supplied.

Besides what's all these talk about Israeli security, isn't Israel the one attacking Syria

[b]In wars of this 21st century, it's hard deliberating on who are the good guys and who are the bad guys since everyone has a hiden agender. Like my friend said, the good guys are the ones in black and white and the bad guys are in white and black. Very confusing isn't it.

The U.S, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are in support of the rebels over throwing the current government. Saudi Arabia and Qatar aims are to make Syria an Islamic state. The U.S reasons for supporting the rebels is that Assad is a tyrant and a dictator and should be removed from power. Another reason the U.S is giving for supporting the rebels is that Assad is recruiting a terrorist group from Iran called Hezbollah since the U.S is anti-terrorism. Israel reason for attacking Syria was that they went to destroy ammuninations being sent to the Hezbollah terrorist because they're are afraid if those arms gets into the hands of the terrorist Hezbollah, they won't be safe. Remember Israel and Iran don't see eye to eye.

Okay, here's the irony. U.S is saying no to terrorism and yet they're supporting the rebels, the same rebels who recruits militias, guerillas and terrorist groups from countries like Lebanon and Pakistan. U.S Senator Mccain recently visited Syria to meet with the leaders of the rebels. A picture was taken of him and two known international terrorists who were recently investigated as suspects in the kidnapping of 11 lebanese...Are you seeing the irony?.. The U.S are saying the Syrian government are using biological weapons and it was all over the news. In recent news, a news reporter interviewing one of the leaders of the rebels saw a gas cylinder with a powerful compound used in the manufacture of biological weapons and asked the leader what the cylinder was to be used for. The leader replied, we're making a bomb. My point being the rebels are making biological weapons and you don't see that in news because the U.S doesn't want you to.

I just think Israel is just mad that Russia is supplying Syria with S-300 missiles because they won't be able to invade/bully Syria as they wish since the S-300 is the world's most advanced defence system and any enemy aircraft can be shut down with 100% accuracy. Same with U.S and other countries supporting the overthrow of the current government, they know it would be difficult to invade Syria with their jets like they did in Libya and Egypt when Syria would soon have the ability to shoot down any enemy aircraft entering it's airspace.

This war is just a power game between the elites. It's all very confusing. Like another of my good friend says, U.S and Russia are still fighting the cold war through their proxies if you know what I mean.

This is just about opninion about the war in Syria. I might be wrong.[/b]

I think someone's about to bite more than she could chew..

Food_consumer: I think someone's about to bite more than she could chew..

And who's that in particular?.