Syrian Rebels Demand ‘Heavy Weapons’ and No-Fly Zone

Insists They Need Western-Imposed Safe Zones

The “Friends of Syria” meetings have become a regular ritual across the nations in favor of regime change in Syria, with officials from a number of nations getting together every week or two to make new pledges of aid for rebel factions, while rebels insist that whatever they are promised is insufficient.

This week’s meeting in Doha was no different, with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) using it as an opportunity to demand massive influxes of “heavy weapons” as well as an internationally-imposed no-fly zone and designated safe zones from which to launch attacks.

FSA spokesman Louay Meqdad insisted that the rebels vitally need shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft weapons, anti-tank missiles, mortars and other arms, while saying they needed to ensure that Syria’s military wasn’t going to “use Scud missiles with unconventional warheads” against them.

Though there seems to be more momentum to send arms unquestioningly to the FSA, their past promises to attack civilian aircraft if given the opportunity likely casts a wide shadow over giving them anything too advanced.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.