Thursday, 25 October 2012
english.alarabiya.net
U.S. challenges Russia to provide proof over claims that
it supplied Syrian rebels of shoulder-launched missile systems including
the U.S.-made Stingers. (AFP)
By AFP
Moscow
Syrian rebels battling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad
have shoulder-launched missile systems, including U.S.-made Stingers,
Russia’s top general claimed Wednesday, prompting a strong denial from
Washington.
Russian chief of staff General Nikolai Makarov, whose country is the Damascus regime’s top arms supplier and has refused to back the opposition, said it was not clear who had delivered the weapons.
“We have information that the rebels fighting the Syrian army have shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles of several states, including Stingers made in the United States,” he said quoted by the Interfax news agency.
“We need to still find out who has delivered them,” he said.
The United States vehemently disputed the allegation, challenging Moscow to provide proof.
Russian chief of staff General Nikolai Makarov, whose country is the Damascus regime’s top arms supplier and has refused to back the opposition, said it was not clear who had delivered the weapons.
“We have information that the rebels fighting the Syrian army have shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles of several states, including Stingers made in the United States,” he said quoted by the Interfax news agency.
“We need to still find out who has delivered them,” he said.
The United States vehemently disputed the allegation, challenging Moscow to provide proof.
“We have provided no Stingers of
any kind to Syria, nor will we,” said State Department spokeswoman
Victoria Nuland. “If the Russian Federation has evidence of Stingers in
the hands of the opposition, we’d like to see it”.
Makarov said it was possible that these and other weapons could have been delivered to the rebels from abroad on several means of transport, including passenger planes.
“For this, all kinds of transport could be activated, including civil aviation. This is a serious matter,” Makarov said.
U.S. broadcaster NBC News reported in July that the rebel Free Syrian Army had obtained two dozen surface-to-air missiles (man-portable air-defence systems known as MANPADS), delivered via Turkey.
Makarov said it was possible that these and other weapons could have been delivered to the rebels from abroad on several means of transport, including passenger planes.
“For this, all kinds of transport could be activated, including civil aviation. This is a serious matter,” Makarov said.
U.S. broadcaster NBC News reported in July that the rebel Free Syrian Army had obtained two dozen surface-to-air missiles (man-portable air-defence systems known as MANPADS), delivered via Turkey.
“The Americans say that they have not delivered anything to the rebels,” said Makarov.
“But we have reliable information that the Syrian rebels have foreign-made MANPADS, including American ones.”
Nuland, meanwhile, noted that of all the images Washington has seen of MANPADS and MANPAD-like equipment in Syria “has been exclusively of a Soviet Warsaw Pact vintage - the SA-7 type vintage.”
“We have not seen evidence of Stingers,” she said.
Makarov’s comments come as Russia is under sustained pressure from the West, Turkey and Assad’s foes in the Arab world to cut its military cooperation with the Syrian regime.
Turkey earlier this month forced a Syrian Air passenger plane en route from Moscow to Damascus to land in Ankara on the grounds it was carrying an illegal Russian cargo for Syria.
“But we have reliable information that the Syrian rebels have foreign-made MANPADS, including American ones.”
Nuland, meanwhile, noted that of all the images Washington has seen of MANPADS and MANPAD-like equipment in Syria “has been exclusively of a Soviet Warsaw Pact vintage - the SA-7 type vintage.”
“We have not seen evidence of Stingers,” she said.
Makarov’s comments come as Russia is under sustained pressure from the West, Turkey and Assad’s foes in the Arab world to cut its military cooperation with the Syrian regime.
Turkey earlier this month forced a Syrian Air passenger plane en route from Moscow to Damascus to land in Ankara on the grounds it was carrying an illegal Russian cargo for Syria.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan has said the cargo confiscated by Ankara before the plane
was allowed to leave was “war equipment”. Russia has insisted the cargo
was perfectly legal radar technology.
President Vladimir Putin last week defended Russia’s right to trade weapons with whomever it wanted, so long as sales did not break any sanctions from the U.N. Security Council where Moscow has a permanent, veto-wielding seat.
“In all other cases, no one can on any pretext dictate to Russia or any other state with whom and how it should trade,” Putin said.
Moscow has refused to take sides against Assad, condemning the West and Turkey for making clear their support for the rebels battling his regime.
-------------------------------------------
US says not supplying Stinger missiles to Syrian rebels
WASHINGTON (Reuters): The United States said on Wednesday it has not
supplied Stinger missiles to Syrian rebel forces and appeared to
question Russian assertions that the US-made surface-to-air missiles had
made their way into the opposition’s hands.
Stinger missiles could be used against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s warplanes and helicopters, which have bombed residential areas where rebels are hiding. More than 32,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
But in contrast to the Libyan crisis last year, the West has shown little appetite to arm the Syrian rebels, worried that weapons would fall into the hands of Islamic militants.
Russia’s top military officer, Nikolai Makarov, said Russia’s military had learned that rebel forces “have portable missile launchers of various states, including American-made Stingers.”
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters at the Pentagon that “I certainly don’t know of us providing any such missiles in that area.”
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States had provided no lethal assistance to rebel forces whatsoever, including Stingers.
“Nor will we,” Nuland said, ruling out future transfers of Stingers.
Asked about the possibility that Stingers reached the rebels through a third party, she said: “If the Russian Federation has evidence of Stingers in the hands of the opposition, we’d like to see it.”
Lessons Learned
After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the CIA, with Saudi backing, provided sophisticated shoulder-fired Stinger missiles to Islamic militants seeking to oust Soviet troops.
The missiles played a significant role in the Soviets’ ultimate defeat in Afghanistan. But they also became a major headache for US and other Western counterterrorism agencies
when anti-Soviet militants morphed into anti-Western militant factions including al Qaeda.
Aram Nerguizian, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said US efforts to reclaim loose Stingers after that conflict appear to have helped keep them off the black market.
Stingers are among the types of shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles commonly referred to as Manpads.
“While there’s emerging evidence that you have Manpads in Syria, there’s far more evidence pointing to an aging mix of Soviet-era systems,” Nerguizian said, casting doubt on the Russian claims.
One potential source of non-US manufactured Manpads is Libya. Intelligence experts believe that hundreds, if not thousands, of Manpads were looted from arsenals accumulated by late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and are available on the Middle East black market.
Opposition activist footage has shown rebels carrying surface-to-air missiles made by the former Soviet Union, but footage of Stingers has yet to appear.
“All of the images that we have seen of Manpads and Manpad-like equipment in Syria has been exclusively of a Soviet/Warsaw Pact vintage. The SA-7-type vintage,” Nuland told reporters.
“We have not seen evidence of Stingers.”
Russia, which has supported Assad throughout the conflict, sold his government $1 billion worth of weapons last year and has made clear it would oppose an arms embargo in the UN Security Council.
The question of whether to arm the rebels has become an issue in the US presidential election, with Republican candidate Mitt Romney accusing President Barack Obama of failing to show leadership in this area.
In their debate on Monday, Romney said the United States should work with partners to organize the Syrian opposition and “make sure they have the arms necessary to defend themselves.”
Obama said Romney was wrong to suggest that giving rebels heavy weapons “is a simple proposition that would lead us to be safer over the long term.”
President Vladimir Putin last week defended Russia’s right to trade weapons with whomever it wanted, so long as sales did not break any sanctions from the U.N. Security Council where Moscow has a permanent, veto-wielding seat.
“In all other cases, no one can on any pretext dictate to Russia or any other state with whom and how it should trade,” Putin said.
Moscow has refused to take sides against Assad, condemning the West and Turkey for making clear their support for the rebels battling his regime.
-------------------------------------------
US says not supplying Stinger missiles to Syrian rebels
US
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters at the Pentagon that “I
certainly don’t know of us providing any such missiles in that area.” —
Photo Reuters
Stinger missiles could be used against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s warplanes and helicopters, which have bombed residential areas where rebels are hiding. More than 32,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
But in contrast to the Libyan crisis last year, the West has shown little appetite to arm the Syrian rebels, worried that weapons would fall into the hands of Islamic militants.
Russia’s top military officer, Nikolai Makarov, said Russia’s military had learned that rebel forces “have portable missile launchers of various states, including American-made Stingers.”
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters at the Pentagon that “I certainly don’t know of us providing any such missiles in that area.”
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States had provided no lethal assistance to rebel forces whatsoever, including Stingers.
“Nor will we,” Nuland said, ruling out future transfers of Stingers.
Asked about the possibility that Stingers reached the rebels through a third party, she said: “If the Russian Federation has evidence of Stingers in the hands of the opposition, we’d like to see it.”
Lessons Learned
After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the CIA, with Saudi backing, provided sophisticated shoulder-fired Stinger missiles to Islamic militants seeking to oust Soviet troops.
The missiles played a significant role in the Soviets’ ultimate defeat in Afghanistan. But they also became a major headache for US and other Western counterterrorism agencies
when anti-Soviet militants morphed into anti-Western militant factions including al Qaeda.
Aram Nerguizian, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said US efforts to reclaim loose Stingers after that conflict appear to have helped keep them off the black market.
Stingers are among the types of shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles commonly referred to as Manpads.
“While there’s emerging evidence that you have Manpads in Syria, there’s far more evidence pointing to an aging mix of Soviet-era systems,” Nerguizian said, casting doubt on the Russian claims.
One potential source of non-US manufactured Manpads is Libya. Intelligence experts believe that hundreds, if not thousands, of Manpads were looted from arsenals accumulated by late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and are available on the Middle East black market.
Opposition activist footage has shown rebels carrying surface-to-air missiles made by the former Soviet Union, but footage of Stingers has yet to appear.
“All of the images that we have seen of Manpads and Manpad-like equipment in Syria has been exclusively of a Soviet/Warsaw Pact vintage. The SA-7-type vintage,” Nuland told reporters.
“We have not seen evidence of Stingers.”
Russia, which has supported Assad throughout the conflict, sold his government $1 billion worth of weapons last year and has made clear it would oppose an arms embargo in the UN Security Council.
The question of whether to arm the rebels has become an issue in the US presidential election, with Republican candidate Mitt Romney accusing President Barack Obama of failing to show leadership in this area.
In their debate on Monday, Romney said the United States should work with partners to organize the Syrian opposition and “make sure they have the arms necessary to defend themselves.”
Obama said Romney was wrong to suggest that giving rebels heavy weapons “is a simple proposition that would lead us to be safer over the long term.”
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