US Backtracks on Claims Russia Is Arming Syrian Regime

Syria Already Owned Copters, But US Still Concerned They Were Fixed

Earlier this week the US accused Russia of shipping Syria a number of new attack helicopters to facilitate “massacres” across the nation. Russia insisted that they only new arms they sent to Syria were air defense, which Syria is stocking up on because of all the NATO calls to start bombing the nation.

It turns out Russia was telling the truth, and the US State Department today admitted that the helicopters they were railing about were actually already owned by Syria and that they had just been sent to Russia for repairs.

Not that the US is actually apologizing for their false accusations. Instead they’re now complaining about the repairs, saying they are “concerned” that the helicopters will start killing civilians now that they’re in working order.

Russia has criticized the US over the matter, pointing out that they have continued to send weaponry to the Bahraini regime throughout their own bloody crackdown on protesters. They have also accused the US of playing a role in the GCC member nations’ arming of the rebels in Syria.

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.