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Arabia

Saudi Arabia Wants Missiles for Syrian Rebels

2013-06-17

[An Nahar] Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
plans to supply the Syrian opposition with anti-aircraft missiles to counter

Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Horror of Homs...
's air force, German news weekly Der Spiegel reported Sunday.

The article, citing a classified report received by the German foreign intelligence service and the German government last week, said Riyadh was looking at sending European-made Mistral-class MANPADS, or man-portable air-defense systems.

Der Spiegel noted the shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles can target low-flying aircraft including helicopters and had given mujahideen fighters in Afghanistan a decisive edge against Soviet troops in the 1980s.

Posted by:Fred

#5 How much longer will this war go on?

Will the "rebels" go guerilla? That would seem to be the surest way to keep it going, especially if they target the Iranians.

IMHO Assad has to stay in power to insure that they self-annihilate. If the rebels win then Israel becomes the real focus and all hell could/would break loose. I'd like to see just enough internal pressure on Assad to keep him concentrating on internal issues.

Posted by: AlanC 2013-06-17 19:52

#4 To me this suggests that the rebels are indeed Al Queda and Saudi Arabia doesn't really care if we know which side they are on anymore.

Posted by: rjschwarz 2013-06-17 15:09

#3 Soddies playing with fire are likely to get their fingers burned. Then they'll expect the US to save their bacon. Oooops! Did I say that? Yeah, I did. But this time I'd let 'em fry. Sorry, Abdul. I just don't give a rat's ass anymore.

Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-06-17 12:04

#2 Shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles can target low-flying aircraft including helicopters and they can also target Western passenger planes.

I suspect if they are given to the rebels they will end out doing both.

Posted by: BernardZ 2013-06-17 12:00

#1 I'm once again interpreting this as another sign that the Bammer is acting "too little, too late" in Syria, as requests for AAMS/MANPADS were similarly demanded back in the day for both the Contras + the anti-Soviet insurgent groups in the 1980's whom had to be based mostly outside of Sandinista-controlled Nicaragua + Soviet-controlled Afghanistan.

IMO THE US-ALLIES ARE UNOFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE ANTI-ASSAD SYRIAN REBELS HAVE INDEED LOST OR FAILED TO OVERTHROW BABY ASSAD, + ARE THUS PREPARING TO REORG + REVITALIZE THEM TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT AGZ ASSAD FROM OUTSIDE SYRIA PROPER [Iraq? Jordan? Turkey? KSA?].

This will not end well.

Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-06-17 01:35

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