What is the Story on Rosoboronexport?

Today, I got this e-mail message from Tom Andrews of United to End Genocide:

Yesterday, three U.S. Senators strongly questioned Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta about U.S. contracts with the Russian arms dealer Rosoboronexport — the same company selling billions in arms to Syria. Panetta didn't have an answer. Keep the pressure on and tell Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to cease all contracts with Rosoboronexport now. Together we will make a difference. —Tom
		Stop U.S. Support for Syrian Weapons Dear gary, The death toll in Syria is now frequently exceeding 100 civilians a day. Men, women and children are being targeted by the Syrian government — and the United States is doing business with the same company supplying weapons to this brutal regime. The U.S government has signed a contract for nearly $1 billion in business with Rosoboronexport — the Russian arms dealer that supplies the Syrian government with weapons capable of targeting homes and streets and murdering thousands of innocent Syrian civilians. Tell Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to cease all contracts with Rosoboronexport now. The situation in Syria is intensifying. The Syrian regime is slaughtering innocent civilians every day. And 25,000 Syrian citizens have registered as refugees, almost 200,000 people are now displaced within Syria, and the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating. While the United States calls on the world to sanction Syria's government, our own Department of Defense is signing contracts with a company that has provided $4 billion dollars' worth of weapons to the Syrian regime. This is unconscionable. Condemning Syria's regime is not enough. We must also condemn those who are engaging in business with the regime — and especially those that provide the means to enable the continued slaughter. But the United States is entering into contracts with the same company that is responsible for supplying weapons to the Syrian government and providing their military with the means to perpetrate widespread and systematic attacks on civilians. Demand that Secretary Panetta stop doing business with Rosoboronexport — the company responsible for supplying weapons to Syria's murderous government. Thank you for your support. Together we will make a difference in the lives of people facing mass atrocities in Syria. Sincerely, Tom Andrews President United to End Genocide
		ABOUT UNITED TO END GENOCIDEWe are United to End Genocide, the largest activist organization in America dedicated to preventing and ending genocide and mass atrocities worldwide. We are faith leaders, students, artists, investors and genocide survivors, and all those who believe we must fulfill the promise the world made following the Holocaust — "Never Again!"

Here is the web site for Rosoboronexport, a Russian arms dealer:

http://roe.ru/#

Here is a blurb from the Russian Navy about a Rosoboronexport shipment to Syria:

http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=14051

The below link is from Coup D'oeil. It describes the Russian arms sales to Syria using Rosoboronexport.

http://lecoupdoeil.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/russias-obstructionism-in-syria-and-the-conflict-between-open-markets-and-interventionism/


Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was specifically asked this week during his testimony before Congress if the US Government is doing business with Rosoboronexport. (Human Rights First)

http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/2012/03/07/senate-hearing-probes-u-s-arms-purchases-from-rosoboronexport/

Now I'm just a simple guy, but I'm thinking to myself exactly why Russia vetoed the UN resolution against Syria.

Let's hope that Congress holds Panetta's feet to the fire on this one. Is this administration doing business with the same arms dealer that is arming Syria to kill its own people, and if so, why should it not stop?.