A top Russian diplomat confirmed that Moscow will provide Syria
with state-of-the-art air defense missiles to prevent foreign
intervention in the country.  Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei
Ryabkov wouldn't say whether Russia has shipped any of the long-
range S-300 air defense missile systems, but added that Moscow
isn't going to abandon the deal despite strong Western and
Israeli criticism.  Ryabkov said the deal helps restrain some
"hot heads" considering a military intervention in Syria.
Russia has been the key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad's
regime, protecting it from the United Nations sanctions and
providing it with weapons despite the civil war there that has
claimed over 70,000 lives.  Ryabkov's statement comes a day
after European Union's decision to lift an arms embargo to
Syrian opposition.    France said on Tuesday it reserved the
right to send arms immediately to Syrian rebels fighting a two-
year-old insurgency but had no plans to do so, despite an
agreement by European countries to put off