Syrian rebels acquire surface-to-air missiles: report

[cqo_000]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - 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.

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 Assad's departure with increasing vehemence.


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.

Many U.S. 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.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/31/us-usa-syria-missiles-idUSBRE86U1T920120731

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Yikes! That's all this situation needs, more sophisticated weaponry...

The carnage has already been beyond belief.

[PavePusher]

8. Yeah, people fighting for freedom should be kept unarmed.

, indeed.

[crimson77]

2. Gee, I wonder who gave them to the rebel's?

I was on Obama and Europe's side on Libya, even when we didn't really know who we were dealing with. This Syrian problem is a whole diffrent ballgame. These rebels are most certainley not our friends, and should be treated as such.

[ButterflyBlood]

5. It was obviously Turkey, which would do it with or without the US's permission

Turkey is understandably furious at Assad after Syria shot down one of their jets and killed two of their pilots, and I've expected them to ramp up everything to get rid of him. They probably have covert special forces in Syria too.

[Igel]

9. They won't be traceable to Turkey.

No NATO stock unless Turkey immediately reports them stolen.

Probably Libyan, supplied with Turkey's tacit permission. "Ah, looks like anti-aircraft weapons in this crate."

"They're zucchini. And tomato stakes. We want to make ratatouilli."

"Right. I stand corrected. Nice stock of ... zucchini. Good luck with the tomatoes and bon appetite. Carry on."

[may3rd]

14. If that's the case, you can say NATO supplied the weapons when the US first bombed

Libyan radar stations that cleared the way for special forces operations on the ground.

oh

It's not like nobody knew where the G man kept his shoulder fired weapons. Now they are everywhere looking for a cause to be used against

&


Article one, section eight

[hack89]

6. Any Sunni Arab country that sees Iran as an enemy. nt

[may3rd]

11. Now where would they get stuff like that in a pinch ?

karma town mall ?

[hack89]

13. Every country in the region has them.

they certainly don't need the US to supply them.

[azurnoir]

3. Just peachy add to that Assad is said to have chemical weapons

[DeSwiss]

4. Now that's what I call.....

...some serious reconnoitering.

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. Uh, which rebels? Giving missiles to Al Qaeda would seem to be self-defeating.

Or the jihadi minor leaguers.

[riderinthestorm]

10. Yup, another really misleading story. WHO got these missiles?

If its AQ, then they may have come from the Saudis even. The story isn't clear at all.

[may3rd]

12. They are giving to those that have been trained and know how to use it and

cough CIA cough


oh
lets not pretend they are not neck deep after all these under the radar years.