Saudis Seek Pakistan Arms Deal for Syria Rebels

Deal Would Include Anti-Aircraft Missiles

The Saudi government has launched talks with Pakistan this weekend in an attempt to secure a major arms deal for weapons for Syrian rebel fighters, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft rockets.

Previous reports had indicated the Saudis wanted to provide Chinese anti-aircraft missiles to the rebels, and Pakistan makes its own version of the Chinese shoulder-mounted missiles.

The plan is for Saudi Arabia to buy the missiles, have them shipped to Jordan, where the US is carrying out “training” for rebels, and smuggle them into Syria through there.

The US has claimed it is opposed to the shipments, since the rebels are openly talking about shooting down civilian airplanes with them. Past US opposition kept the shipments out, however, and there is no indication that the nominal US criticism right now is even slowing the process down.

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.