U.S. weapons reaching Syrian rebels

[Kowalski]

The CIA has begun delivering weapons to rebels in Syria, ending months of delay in lethal aid that had been promised by the Obama administration, according to U.S. officials and Syrian figures. The shipments began streaming into the country over the past two weeks, along with separate deliveries by the State Department of vehicles and other gear — a flow of material that marks a major escalation of the U.S. role in Syria’s civil war.

The arms shipments, which are limited to light weapons and other munitions that can be tracked, began arriving in Syria at a moment of heightened tensions over threats by President Obama to order missile strikes to punish the regime of Bashar al-Assad for his alleged use of chemical weapons in a deadly attack near Damascus last month.

Link: http://www.washingto...889d_story.html

The agency has also arranged for the Syrian opposition to receive anti-tank weaponry like rocket-propelled grenades through a third party, presumably one of the Gulf countries that has been arming the rebels, a senior U.S. intelligence official and two former intelligence officials said Thursday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the classified program publicly.

The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal first reported the lethal aid.

Top rebel commander Gen. Salim Idris told NPR on Thursday that rebels had received no such aid from the U.S. The CIA declined to comment.

The officials said the aid has been arriving for more than a month, much of it delivered through a third party, which could explain why the rebel commander Idris does not believe the U.S. directly delivered the aid. The officials said the aid is delivered to commanders who have been vetted by the CIA, and the path of the weaponry is tracked through trusted parties within the country -- though eventually, once they're in the hands of fighters, the U.S. loses sight of where the weapons go.

The rebels continue to request sophisticated anti-aircraft weaponry to take out the Syrian regime's helicopters, but the officials said neither the U.S. nor Syria's neighboring countries, like Jordan or Israel, wants the rebels to have weaponry that may fall into the hands of the al-Qaida-linked rebel group al-Nusra, or captured by Hezbollah fighters who are bolstering the Syrian army's effort.

The CIA program is classified as covert, which means it would be briefed to Congress's intelligence committees but not its defense committees. That explains why some senior lawmakers on the defense committees have complained the lethal aid was not arriving, two of the officials said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.c.../#ixzz2ehGzjpRc

I wonder if they will demand background checks, and limited magazines that only hold ten rounds....LOL...

Edited September 12, 2013 by Burt Gummer

[Space Commander Travis]

So having been foiled one way, mr. Bam still has the back door approach to fall back on. Isn't the CIA a useful thing to have when you're prevented from waging War directly?

[Leonardo]

And, considering this is 'aid' and not an actual arms sale, it is taxpayer dollars funding the weapons shipments.

All American taxpayers are now complicit in supplying the rebel forces, and whoever gets them after the original disbursement, with lethal arms.

OhBomb'em gets to play war general after all.

Edited September 12, 2013 by Leonardo

[Kowalski]

So having been foiled one way, mr. Bam still has the back door approach to fall back on. Isn't the CIA a useful thing to have when you're prevented from waging War directly?

And it's all funded by us, the taxpayers.....

​Meanwhile, law abiding American citizens, can't own guns to protect ourselves, but the government doesn't mind giving weapons to Al Qaeda rebels....What a bizzarro world we live in....

[Kowalski]

And, considering this is 'aid' and not an actual arms sale, it is taxpayer dollars funding the weapons shipments.

All American taxpayers are now complicit in supplying the rebel forces, and whoever gets them after the original disbursement, with lethal arms.

OhBomb'em gets to play war general after all.

Spot on!

[Jeremiah65]

Gee....why am I not surprised. I wonder where those 400 or so missing SAMs went? Hmm....I can't venture to guess. So...when will Al Qaeda turn those on civilian passenger jets?

They want this war one way or another. They want us to believe Assad is worse than the alternative...and I find that really hard to believe from a national defense perspective. They were never a threat...they were once an ally (more or less)...but we turned coat on them in a New York minute...all because of the elitist mega corporations...not too mention Israel wants that corridor open to fight Iran....hard to say which one pays the most to our despicable corrupt officials...the Israeli war machine or the Saudi UAE pipeline...

"Pipeline"....

[Kowalski]

Gee....why am I not surprised. I wonder where those 400 or so missing SAMs went? Hmm....I can't venture to guess. So...when will Al Qaeda turn those on civilian passenger jets?

They want this war one way or another. They want us to believe Assad is worse than the alternative...and I find that really hard to believe from a national defense perspective. They were never a threat...they were once an ally (more or less)...but we turned coat on them in a New York minute...all because of the elitist mega corporations...not too mention Israel wants that corridor open to fight Iran....hard to say which one pays the most to our despicable corrupt officials...the Israeli war machine or the Saudi UAE pipeline...

"Pipeline"....

Yep. Follow the money.....

I'm sorry, your son/daughter sent to fight and was killed in Syria, because of a natural gas pipeline....But don't worry, with Obamacare you get free Prozac and Valium...

Edited September 12, 2013 by Burt Gummer

[Kaa-Tzik]

So having been foiled one way, mr. Bam still has the back door approach to fall back on. Isn't the CIA a useful thing to have when you're prevented from waging War directly?

This is trivial, but everytime I see you write " Mr Bam" I automatically read it as "Mr Bean"...

[A rather obscure Bassoon]

So Al Queada,is now on the same side as the US.Will Obama call for intervention when the Al Queada start slaughtering Syrian Christians.

[Kaa-Tzik]

I wonder who America may arm in this war, then find that in the future then turn round and bite them. Perhaps those Al Qaeda guys, surely if we arm them they won't turn against us in the future? Oh, er, ooops

[Kowalski]

This is trivial, but everytime I see you write " Mr Bam" I automatically read it as "Mr Bean"...

I knew there was a resemblance!

[Kaa-Tzik]

Gee....why am I not surprised. I wonder where those 400 or so missing SAMs went? Hmm....I can't venture to guess. So...when will Al Qaeda turn those on civilian passenger jets?

They want this war one way or another. They want us to believe Assad is worse than the alternative...and I find that really hard to believe from a national defense perspective. They were never a threat...they were once an ally (more or less)...but we turned coat on them in a New York minute...all because of the elitist mega corporations...not too mention Israel wants that corridor open to fight Iran....hard to say which one pays the most to our despicable corrupt officials...the Israeli war machine or the Saudi UAE pipeline...

"Pipeline"....

Certainly didn't hear any complaints about Syrian troops when they came out of their landing craft during the first Gulf War, maybe some muffled laughter about their "funny" goosestep, but no complaints.

[Space Commander Travis]

I wonder who America may arm in this war, then find that in the future then turn round and bite them. Perhaps those Al Qaeda guys, surely if we arm them they won't turn against us in the future? Oh, er, ooops

Well, that's never happened before. It wasn't like that happened in Afghanistan or anything ....

Edited September 12, 2013 by Colonel Rhuairidh

[Raptor Witness]

Those who set a table in hell, beg for an obvious enemy to appear.

As far as I can tell, the U.S. is not supplying the Syrian rebels with weapons. It's possible that this is happening, without our knowledge, but my guess would be no, because it's easy for the media to find out about it.

This policy would seem to represent a fundamental shift in the behavior of my government, from what I've seen in the past.

There could be several reasons for this, but my sense is that President Obama is firmly against doing it.

If true, then I give the Obama Administration high praise, because no matter what happens there, we can say that we took the high road.

The high road has rewards, and provides protection from enemies who are easily seen from above.

[Space Commander Travis]

then I give the Obama Administration high praise, because no matter what happens there, we can say that we took the high road.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Colonel Rhuairidh

[Arbenol]

So Al Queada,is now on the same side as the US.

Yes. It's only taken 30 years to go full circle. The bin Ladens will cosying up to the Oil barons again soon.

[lightly]

.. and yet the current administration still clings to the story that the U.S. has no interest in 'Regime' change in Syria? .. then why arm those who are attempting to bring Assad down? How many sides of your mouth can you talk out of at the same time?

[Leonardo]

.. and yet the current administration still clings to the story that the U.S. has no interest in 'Regime' change in Syria? .. then why arm those who are attempting to bring Assad down? How many sides of your mouth can you talk out of at the same time?

Arming the rebels may not be due to a goal of regime change. After all, if the rebels have sufficient arms to resist the govt forces without prevailing against them the war will go on and on - meaning 'aid' can be provided just about indefinitely. All that 'aid' being bought from the arms manufacturers using your money.

[+and-then]

And, considering this is 'aid' and not an actual arms sale, it is taxpayer dollars funding the weapons shipments.

All American taxpayers are now complicit in supplying the rebel forces, and whoever gets them after the original disbursement, with lethal arms.

OhBomb'em gets to play war general after all.

While Putin is the calming voice of reason, eh?

[Kaa-Tzik]

While Putin is the calming voice of reason, eh?

Yes

[Space Commander Travis]

While Putin is the calming voice of reason, eh?

Now, we know you don't trust Oby, and you've made it clear you fear and hate Pooty, so is there anyone you do trust? Bibi?

[Kaa-Tzik]

I prefer leaders who are blunt and to the point and not afraid to speak their minds. Putin does this, and so does Netenyahu. I don't have to agree with anything either of them says, but I have reasonable trust that they mean what they say. Some years back Netenyahu said this "There are those who say that if the Holocaust had not occurred, the State of Israel would never have been established. But I say that if the State of Israel would have been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occurred." This is clear and, to me, an obvious truth. Compare them to the likes of Obama, Cameron, Burlesque-oni and many others, and they make them all seem like the reptiles they are.

[lightly]

Arming the rebels may not be due to a goal of regime change. After all, if the rebels have sufficient arms to resist the govt forces without prevailing against them the war will go on and on - meaning 'aid' can be provided just about indefinitely. All that 'aid' being bought from the arms manufacturers using your money.

hm, point taken, but that seems like an awfully precarious situation to attempt 'maintain'? Insanely reckless in my view.

[acidhead]

I prefer leaders who are blunt and to the point and not afraid to speak their minds. Putin does this, and so does Netenyahu. I don't have to agree with anything either of them says, but I have reasonable trust that they mean what they say. Some years back Netenyahu said this "There are those who say that if the Holocaust had not occurred, the State of Israel would never have been established. But I say that if the State of Israel would have been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occurred." This is clear and, to me, an obvious truth. Compare them to the likes of Obama, Cameron, Burlesque-oni and many others, and they make them all seem like the reptiles they are.

The result of WW2 was the establishment of Israel.

Even had germany been successful in taking over Europe it would have been impossible to maintain it.

Besides, it was the Soviet Union who ultimately won WW2. Its dumb to think Russia doesnt have a stake in Israels existence.

Were all being duped............ especially the religious folks.... they eat and breath this stuff.

[+and-then]

Now, we know you don't trust Oby, and you've made it clear you fear and hate Pooty, so is there anyone you do trust? Bibi?

Trust? I can't honestly say I trust any of them to consistently do what is right. I do respect Bibi. His life is on the line just like his countrymen so I expect a bit more integrity from him. My point is that Putin is no better than Obama and neither can be trusted.