An Arms Pipeline to the Syrian Rebels
Posted on 04/03/2013 5:47:19 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
It was actually a Syrian helicopter, not a warplane, that attacked the house in Lebanon, Martin Chulov reports from Beirut.
This was the second time in the past month that a Syrian aircraft has entered Lebanese air space and fired a missile. No casualties were caused today, or last time, when the attack came from a fighter jet. And nor has there been any official reaction from the Lebanese government, whose foreign minister, Adnan Mansour is a staunch ally of the Assad regime.
The intrusion is being interpreted as being a message from Damascus that cross-border traffic of opposition fighters, or weapons, will not be tolerated. Today's attack struck near the town of Arsal, a Sunni enclave on the Syrian border, which is very close to the Hezbollah-stronghold of the northern Bekaa Valley.
While both weapons and fighters have crossed from this largely lawless territory, it is an insignificant supply line compared to Turkey, Iraq and Jordan, where gun-running has significantly stepped up since early January.
Arsal has been the scene of skirmishes between local residents who back the Syrian opposition and Lebanese soldiers and intelligence officers. Wadi Khaled, in the north of the country, is also seeing increasing spillover from the civil war.
Yesterday eight Syrian workers, all reportedly Alawites, were kidnapped in Wadi Khaled by the family members of a man detained by the regime inside Syria a year ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
New Rebel Gains Reported in Southern Syria With Seizure of Military Base
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/world/middleeast/Syria-rebels.html?_r=0
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/04/04/world/middleeast/Syria/Syria-articleLarge-v2.jpg
A member of the Free Syrian Army in Deir al-Zour, the country’s fifth-largest city, on Tuesday.
Israel issues warning to Palestine and Syria
Israeli defence minister says Israel will not tolerate any attacks on its territory and will retaliate against source.
Last Modified: 03 Apr 2013 12:26
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/04/20134364549404314.html
Perhaps it was this type of "not a warplane" helicopter? /sarc
Too much of exposed firepower.
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