Israel Matzav

Saudi Arabia arming Syrian rebels?

Several reports in Israel indicate that Saudi Arabia is arming the Syrian rebels, and probably shipping those arms via Jordan. At the same time, it is reported that Iraq has told Iran that it will not allow arms to the Syrian government to pass over or through its territory.

Saudi Arabia is arming Syrian rebels locked in a year-long rebellion against Syrian President Bashar Assad, a senior Arab diplomat told AFP Saturday.

Calling the shipments an effort to stop the bloodshed in Syria, the diplomat clarified that "Saudi military equipment is on its way to Jordan to arm the the Free Syrian Army," according to the report.

...

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the Iranian ambassador was told "Iraq will not permit the use of its air space or its territory for the transit of any arms cargo to Syria," according to the report.

The United States on Friday said it was in contact with Iraq and encouraging it to ensure no military cargo headed for Syria is transported through Iraqi airspace.

27 people were killed and 97 were wounded in two explosions near offices of Syrian security personnel in Damascus on Saturday.

Israel Radio reports that Jordan cannot be happy that it was reported that Saudi arms are reaching Syrian rebels through its territory - they fear that Assad will attack them to distract attention from what is going on in his own country (a fear that has been mentioned here in Israel as well). And by the way, did the Saudis get their American suppliers' consent to supply those arms to the Syrian rebels?

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syrian uprising

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:40 AM