Report: Russian Arms Shipment Headed to Syria

US Pushes Arms Embargo as UN Warns Against Arming Either Side

Reports are emerging that a Russian cargo ship loaded with weapons is heading to Syria, expected to arrive at some point this weekend with weaponry to support the Assad regime. The ship left Russia nearly three weeks ago and is headed for Tartus.

The US responded by urging the UN Security Council to impose a full arms embargo on Syria, though they have had no problem in helping to smuggle weaponry to the rebels, and are looking for ways to pick and choose which rebels actually get the arms.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned against arming either side, saying that the shipments were damaging UN efforts to sustain a brokered ceasefire. Indeed, both sides seem to be increasingly aggressive, bolstered by the influx of armament.

The ceasefire seems to be all but dead at this point, with both sides launching major attacks. What remains, however, is a civil war that is increasingly being used as a proxy war, with the US and the Sunni monarchs arming rebels while Russia and Iran prop up the Assad faction. The civilians, as always, are caught in the middle.

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.