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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syrian rebels acquire surface-to-air missiles
2012-08-01
WASHINGTON: Rebels fighting to depose Syrian president Bashar al Assad have for the first time acquired a small supply of surface-to-air missiles, according to a news report that a Western official did not dispute.
Worrisome if true, since at least some factions in the 'rebellion' would be just as happy to use the MANPADs against the evil Americans and Zionists...
NBC News reported Tuesday night that the rebel Free Syrian Army had obtained nearly two dozen of the weapons, which were delivered to them via neighboring Turkey, whose moderate Islamist government has been demanding AssadÂ’s departure with increasing vehemence. Indications are that the US government, which has said it opposes arming the rebels, is not responsible for the delivery of the missiles.

But some US government sources have been saying for weeks that Arab governments seeking to oust Assad have been pressing for such missiles, also known as MANPADs, for man-portable air-defense systems, to be supplied to the rebels.

In recent days, air operations against the rebels by Syrian government forces appear to have been stepped up, particularly around the contested city of Aleppo, making the rebelsÂ’ need for MANPADs more urgent.

Precisely what kind of MANPADs have been delivered to Syrian rebels is unclear and NBC News did not provide details. Such weapons range from the primitive to highly sophisticated. And even if the rebels do have the weapons, it is unclear whether they have the training to operate them effectively against AssadÂ’s air forces in the immediate future.

The White House, at least until now, has taken a considerably more cautious approach. As of last month, US officials warned that if any Middle Eastern nation was “even considering giving arms to the Syrian opposition,” it ought to “take a measured approach and think twice about providing arms that could have unintended consequences.”

Nonetheless, even at that time, US and allied officials acknowledged that there were ongoing discussions on whether surface-to-air missiles might help Syrian rebels bring down Russian-made helicopters and other aircraft the Syrian army was using to move troops between trouble spots.

Following the fall of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, some intelligence experts estimated that as many as 10,000-15,000 MANPADs sets were looted from Libyan government stockpiles. The whereabouts of most of these are unknown.
Not all of them are in Syria...
Many US officials have been wary of the notion of arming Syrian rebels with MANPADs, noting that they could be easily turned on targets other than the Syrian government, including civilian airliners.
Posted by:Steve White

#1  "Via neighboring Turkey" > not what Iran wants to hear ...

* BHARAT RAKSHAK > FEAR OF SYRIA'S CHEMICAL WEAPONS MAY TRIGGER [Regional] WAR.

* WAFF > IRAN WARNS TURKEY AGZ SYRIAN ATTACK [intervention], as such will meet a "harsh response" from Iran.

Iran-Syria Mutual Defense Agreement to be activated iff intervention occurs.

* SAME > US + TURKEY TO "ACCELERATE" SYRIA TRANSITION: WHITE HOUSE.

* SAME > DAVUTOGLU: TURKEY WILL NOT ALLOW SYRIA TO BECOME ANOTHER [1970'S-80'S style]"LEBANON".

Turkey wants Syria to stay a unified country AMAP ALAP.

versus

* TOPIX > DEBT CRISES MAY TURN EUROZONE INTO "CYPRUS" [or Lebanon].

Lines of [Ethno-Religious]Demarcation???

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > INSIDE FRANCE: THE FIRST ISLAMIC CITY IN [JudeoChristian] EUROPE. Marseilles.

Proposed Muslim "Grand Mosque of Marseilles" intended to tower over City icons.

ARTIC = quotes individual Marseilles Muslims as refusing to obey French or City laws, only Islamic.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-08-01 03:15  

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