Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Syria: why lifting arms embargo to supply rebels could be game-changing

Anti-Assad groups call for heat-seeking missiles, but supplying them strays too close to a repeat of Afghanistan for US comfort


guardian.co.uk,
For the past year, rebel groups that took their war to Syria's main cities have been unable to finish what they started. Pinned down by air power and shelling that can hit them wherever they are, opposition fighters have barely advanced in Aleppo and Damascus; their gains in some areas have been offset by losses in others.
With grinding stalemate now the undeniable reality, the rebels have pleaded for weapons that could give them a tactical edge. While they have enough Kalashnikovs and ammunition to keep the battle going, they don't have the firepower they need to win it.
Top of their wish list has been anti-aircraft weapons, particularly missiles such as the shoulder launched heat seekers that they have managed to steal from regime military bases and used to down an estimated 15 Mig fighters and attack helicopters. No more than a handful of such weapons have been smuggled into Syria – many more have been confiscated by Jordanian and Turkish intelligence officers, much to the chagrin of myriad gunrunners........"

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