Iran pledged to help Syria go nuclear

[nebula]

Lieberman urges forming emergency unity gov't to face Iranian threat

By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

...the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Ashraq Al-Awsat reported Saturday that Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had pledged to help Syria conduct nuclear research during a visit to Damascus earlier this week.

In exchange, Syria agreed not to engage in peace talks with Israel, the newspaper reported. According to the report, Iran also pledged to provide Syria with $1 billion in military aid to purchase arms from Russia and North Korea.

<snip>

On Friday, Olmert called on Assad to begin direct peace negotiations, without American mediation.

<snip>

The Ashraq Al-Awsat report was filed by the newspaper's internationally respected Iranian correspondent Ali Nouri Zadeh, and is based comments made by an Iranian source who followed the talks in Damascus.

It stated that Syria would purchase 400 Russian tanks, 18 MIG-31 fighter jets, and additional up-to-date military equipment.

Ahmadinejad also promised to train Syrian air force and naval officers in Iran, and pledged to construct a factory in Syria that would produce medium-range missiles. Iran will also supply Syria's navy with missiles, and provide the Syrian army with Iranian-made tanks and armored vehicles.

Iran also pledged to continue supporting Syria's position on affairs concerning Lebanon.

During his visit to Damascus on Thursday, Ahmadinejad met with Assad, Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Hamas political chief Khaled Meshal.

<snip>

The source stressed while the two countries close relations had in the past been based on mutual animosity toward former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the relations are now based on the fact that both countries face threats by the United States and Israel.

Full article here

Report found here