Britannia Radio

Russian nuclear missile cruiser to dock at Syrian port on Yom Kippur eve DEBKAfile Exclusive Report October 1, 2008, 9:21 PM (GMT+02:00) Peter the Great is armed with nuclear missiles Russian Navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo disclosed Wednesday, Oct. 1, that a four-ship squadron led by the Peter the Great nuclear missile cruiser will call in at the Libyan port of Tripoli and “other Middle East ports” before heading out to the Caribbean for joint maneuvers with Venezuela. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that one of those ports is Tartus, Syria, where preparations are afoot to receive the visiting Russian flotilla. It means that prime minister Ehud Olmert will be wasting his time if he intends using his talks in Moscow next week with president Dmitry Medvedev and prime minister Vladimir Putin to ask them to drop their plan for a permanent base at a Syrian port.  More...

Somali FM: International community may use force against hijacked ships DEBKAfile Special Report October 1, 2008, 5:30 PM (GMT+02:00) The Ukrainian Faina commandeered by Somali pirates This announcement Wednesday, Oct. 1, may signal the end of the standoff surrounding the pirates holding the UkrainianFaina , crew and its arms freight. The US warship Howard of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet and European vessels have surrounded the distressed freighter since Sunday, Sept. 28. DEBKAfile’s sources reported they were determined to prevent the Somali pirates aboard from unloading its weapons cargo and allowing it to reach al Qaeda networks in Sudan or Kenya.  More... US approves 25 F-35 "stealth" fighter aircraft sale to Israel DEBKAfile Special Report September 30, 2008, 8:21 PM (GMT+02:00) US F-35 can strike air and ground targets The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency has approved the $15.2 billion sale of 25 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Israel with an option for another 50. DEBKAfile’s military sources report the stealth aircraft will enhance Israel's air-to-air and air-to-ground defenses: It is armed with advanced radar for striking ground or air targets long distance while destroying any threat in its immediate environment. President George W, Bush, in mid-financial crisis, fully discharged his promise of a defense package for Israel before he left office.  More...