Adding to the allegations of overt Western backing for the increasingly sectarian rebel fighters in the ongoing Syrian Civil War, Russian Gen. Nikolai Makarov said that his government has “reliable information” about rebel fighters having acquired US-made Stinger missiles, a shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft weapon.
“It should be cleared up who delivered them,” Makarov added. Pentagon chief Leon Panetta insisted he “certainly doesn’t know of us providing any such missiles in that area,” while the US State Department pressed for Russia to produce the evidence.
Past videos released by rebel fighters have shown them armed primarily with SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles, older Soviet-made weapons which were likely part of the massive stockpile looted at the end of the Libyan Civil War. Stinger missiles would be a considerable upgrade.
Of course weapons exported abroad have a way of finding themselves in the hands of third parties, as Swiss officials discovered over the past year, with Syrian rebels using Swiss-made hand grenades that were sold to the United Arab Emirates, then given to Jordan for “anti-terror” operations, then somehow wound up in Syrian rebel hands.
The US has been reluctant to provide anti-aircraft weapons to Syrian rebels for fear they would use them against civilian aircraft, which they have explicitly threatened to do. Yet the US has made tens of thousands of Stinger missiles over the years, and provided them to scores of countries and even a handful of rebel factions, so it is impossible for the US to say with certainty that such weapons aren’t going to crop up in rebel hands in Syria.
america can deny all it wants they want to get rid of Assad for israel and will do anything to achieve this.
These would be the stingers the US didn't sell to Ghaddafi?
No wonder Obama & Clinton wanted the US Ambassador / Arms Merchant in Benghazi dead — dead men tell no tales.
I wonder if any of those Stingers will make their way back to the USA. Blowback. That's okay, I stopped flying a long time ago.
Off course he wouldn't know what is going on and who is who in Syrian war, he just sign the paper hoping for the best, this has been THE policy of US democratic party, hoping for the best, giving hope to people for people to hope for the best, sending all kind of junk and junkies into arena hoping for their version of democracy to flourish. Democracy needs to have a functioning core, by not having it then this is what you get.., HOPE, an empty word which in reality is made of hot air.
Paint me blue and call me babe. What a surprise!
Why is it called the Syrian "Civil War"? Most of the rebels consist of international terrorists who are invading Syria!
Those stinger missiles are THE REASON our ambassador went to Benghazi……to get the missiles back befor ethe American people learned that we had given them!!!!!! Yes indeed, says a very high ranking intelligence operative.
Stevens didn't want to go there …..he was scared shitless, but Obama insisted he go. Now it looks like Obama refused to allow our military to help Stevens despite knowing in real time what was happening.
Yes, Obama and Pannetta are SCUM………TRASH…….EVIL…….