Russia: West Arming Syrian Rebels
Warns of 'Drastic Measures' Over Meddling
In comments today to Russian media, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has accused unnamed Western states of secretly sending arms and advising the Syrian rebel factions, warning the move was fueling a crisis.
Ryabkov also condemned NATO and the Arab League for attempting to use the UN Security Council to facilitate a regime change in Syria, saying the council was “not a tool for intervention in internal affairs” and threatening “drastic measures” if the policy continues.
Though there is as of yet no solid proof of any nation arming any rebel factions, the Turkish government has openly backed the Free Syrian Army (FSA), and is providing media access to its leadership through the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
The FSA is made up of defectors from the Syrian military, led by Col. Riad al-Assad. Many of the defectors have made their way out of Syria with weapons taken from barracks, so it is unclear if they even need arms.
Still, while we can’t prove that arms are flowing yet, officials have given us reason to believe such aid may be forthcoming. Rep. Steve Chabot (R – OH), the head of the House subcommittee on the Middle East, is openly calling for armament of the rebels.
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Walter Cole
February 10th, 2012 at 11:16 pm
So, Russia has moved in to take over the vacuum for a "moral highground". Good for you Russia, somebody has to do it.
John V. Walsh
February 11th, 2012 at 3:50 am
It is unclear that the FSA is made up to any substantial degree by Syrian "deserters.". That seems like an all too obvious propaganda ploy. It should not be repeated without solid evidence.
If the CIA is not deeply involved and has not been for a long while in arming an insurrection in Syria, then the CIA is not doing its job, that job being bringing down all regimes not submitting to the US or at the least laying waste the defiant countries. Behold Iraq and Libya.
@bretep7
February 11th, 2012 at 5:39 am
"Unmarked NATO warplanes are arriving at Turkish military bases close to Iskenderum on the Syrian border, delivering weapons from the late Muammar Gaddafi’s arsenals as well as volunteers from the Libyan Transitional National Council who are experienced in pitting local volunteers against trained soldiers, a skill they acquired confronting Gaddafi’s army. Iskenderum is also the seat of the Free Syrian Army, the armed wing of the Syrian National Council. French and British special forces trainers are on the ground, assisting the Syrian rebels while the CIA and U.S. Spec Ops are providing communications equipment and intelligence to assist the rebel cause, enabling the fighters to avoid concentrations of Syrian soldiers."
– Antiwar.com's own Phil Giraldi (January 19, AmCon)
these aren't just baseless russian claims, you have had corroboration from multiple sources, please stop playing the fool
jan burton
February 11th, 2012 at 5:58 am
Advisors yes, but its unclear if the west gives the FSA weapons.
chris
February 11th, 2012 at 8:07 am
Can i recommend this site of Dr Gene Sharp's It is an educational tool for a world awash in violence ..It has FREE Downloads in many Languages.. http://www.aeinstein.org/organizationsde07.html 198 methods of non Violent Action/ from Dictatorship To Democracy / My heart goes out to the Syrian People who are fighting for freedom. This Link Here goes Straight to the From Dictatorship To Democracy PDF http://www.aeinstein.org/organizations/org/FDTD.p…
Mojo
February 11th, 2012 at 9:36 am
All that weapon is imported to Syria via Turkey and by Turkey, France, England and other EU countries. Don't count out the Turkish opportunistic government yet, they do look for an “especial" place in NATO where they could become a EU member, if that means to sale their sole to Israelis apartheid regime. After all they are as religious government as Saudis and UAE are, and look what they have done to another Arab nations. This is simply a neo-fascism with a face of a religion and Hitlerism in prospect.
Sam
February 11th, 2012 at 10:11 am
Arms fueling a civil war in Syria. Torture following the civil war in Libya. All the classic post-ww2 signs that the USA was here.
Occupy
February 11th, 2012 at 10:14 am
Its the 'made up' part that is probably rather misleading. If its more than a few people in the FSA, then there's a decent enough chance that you might find a disserter or two in the bunch. I tend to read stuff like that and equate it to my real-world experience of seeing US vets in the Occupy movement. They are there, but there are others as well.
Nathan
February 11th, 2012 at 11:02 am
CIA , MI6, and Mossad must be very busy these days blowing up things in Syria and Iraq. Lucky for Syria not having nuclear scientists to be assasinated.
Nathan
February 11th, 2012 at 11:07 am
jan burton, where have you been? The entire operation is done by the west, and it includes weapons.
marty
February 11th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
I am not a weapons expert. But take a good look at the photographs of the weapons the FSA are carrying. There are a lot of AK47's like everywhere else in the mideast. But look at the shotguns. They are all the same, pumps with folding stocks and tactical sights. By watching a video where one is being fired, it looks like a 12 gauge short. Syrian military does not use them. They are made in Turkey. The only militaries I know that use them are Mexico, Turkey and maybe Israel.
drapetomaniac
February 11th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Jeebers effin krispies.
They're not fighting for freedom, they're fighting to install a different government. You have to work on your ant colony mindset.
Check out how that freedom is working in Egypt?
Paul
February 11th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Russia has a naval base in Syria and has made billions selling them weapons. The Kremlin's actions aren't any more based on morality than the White House.
Mojo
February 11th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
This is what the US and EU militarism regimes wants, read the following news from Lebanon. If they succeed the plan is that Israel would start another war entering Lebanon.
In Lebanon, two people died and 24 were wounded in fierce clashes between Sunnis hostile to Syria’s regime and Alawites who support it, a security official said.
“A Sunni and an Alawite were killed and 24 people were wounded in clashes that continued since Friday between people from the neighbourhoods of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tebbaneh” in the northern city of Tripoli, he told AFP.
Ten of the wounded were Lebanese soldiers, including a sergeant in critical condition.
The two sides fired guns and rocket-propelled grenades at each other in the bloodiest clashes since June, when six people died in the wake of demonstrations against Syria’s government.
Sunni-majority Tripoli has in the past few years been the scene of intense clashes between Sunni supporters of the anti-Syrian opposition and Alawites loyal to a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Iran and Syria.
Andor
February 11th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
http://chechencenter.info/n/breaking-news/34-brea…
"The protestor picks up the phone showing Chechen Republic of Ichkeria flag and says: "We will reply to the Russians like Chechen rebels do. We will destroy Russia and free our brothers from Chechnya. Look at this! People are dying in here and the bloody Russian representatives came here to support bloody Assad. No wonder! This is why we will support our brothers in arms in Russia and they will see!" Then he shows the picture of Khattab, a person who is considered among the most dangerous in Russia."
May I remind you that hated Khattab was a Saudi Arabia national who was educated in the US, went to Afghanistan to fight Soviet Forces, later joined the Chechen rebels declaring Jihad against the entire Russian population, including women and children.
When Russia is trying to resolve the situation in Syria,they are doing so since Russian leaders realize that the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood would mean fomenting the entire caucasion Region again, bringing more bloodshed to the Russian territories.
ML3
February 12th, 2012 at 9:18 am
Or Libya