Advanced U.S. Weapons Flow to Syrian Rebels

[n2doc]

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, MARIA ABI-HABIB and ADAM ENTOUS

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have supplied Syrian rebel groups with a small number of advanced American antitank missiles for the first time in a pilot program that could lead to larger flows of sophisticated weaponry, people briefed on the effort said.

The new willingness to arm these rebels comes after the failure of U.S.-backed peace talks in January and recent regime gains on the battlefield. It also follows a reorganization of Western-backed fighters aimed at creating a more effective military force and increasing protection for Christian and other religious minorities—something of particular importance to Washington.

This shift is seen as a test of whether the U.S. can find a trustworthy rebel partner able to keep sophisticated weapons out of the hands of extremists, Saudi and Syrian opposition figures said. The U.S. has long feared that if it does supply advanced arms, the weapons will wind up with radical groups—some tied to al Qaeda—which have set up bases in opposition-held territory.

The White House would neither confirm nor deny it had provided the TOW armor-piercing antitank systems, the first significant supply of sophisticated U.S. weapons systems to rebels. But U.S. officials did say they are working to bolster the rebels' ability to fight the regime.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304626304579509401865454762

[JayhawkSD]

1. And President Obama castigates Putin

for "providing material assistance to armed militias within the borders of a sovreign nation in violation of international law."

Seriously?

[Igel]

2. Sure.

Then again, there are those who castigate some for being "fascists" if they oppose Russian hegemony, but find it okay to arm groups who manage to start treating Xians, Druse, and other minorities tolerably okay only when the threat of defeat looms large and the promise of better weapons is dangled in front of them.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

3. *raises hand in question*

Would considering sections of the coup government in Kiev to be neo-nazi fall under your statement?

[Union Scribe]

4. If there's one thing we've learned from U.S. history

it's that channeling weapons to people never, ever comes back to haunt us.

[DirkGently]

5. I assume this is part of the "discussion" b/t the WH & Putin right now.

What Putin is doing is more blatant, perhaps, what with the Russian regulars zipping around taking over government facilities in their de-badged uniforms.

But it's not as though we're completely SHOCKED at the notion of backing the opponents of a less-friendly-to-us regime with training, weapons, propaganda, et al.

What is a little baffling is the theory that something good will ever come of it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. But..but...they're to be used only for peaceful purposes and to spread democracy.