| Report: Russia sends troops to Syria |
Free Syria Army representative reportedly meets with high ranking officials in Washington D.C., provides list of weapons that the resistance requires to defeat the regime • U.S. agrees to coordinate support for the resistance.
Photo credit: AP
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Russian Mi-24 gunship, one of the many weapon systems that Russia provides to the Syrian regime. (Illustrative)
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Photo credit: AP
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The U.N. may have thrown its hands up in defeat but Russia is putting its feet down with determination. U.S. military officials told NBC on Friday that a ship loaded with arms and Russian troops was on its way to the Russian port in Tartus, Syria. Tartus represents a vital strategic asset for Russia, serving as its corridor to the Middle East and its only port on the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, the Sunday Telegraph reported over the weekend that the U.S. had asked that Britain prevent the Russian transfer of attack helicopters to Syria. The U.S. also called for a halt of the transfer of the Mi-25 gunship, known as „the flying tank,” as part of the current sanctions leveled by the European Union against the Syrian regime.
The British newspaper Daily Telegraph also reported over the weekend that a member of the Syrian opposition met with U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford and special Middle East coordinator Frederick Hoff to discuss weapons transfers to the rebels. The Syrian opposition member reportedly laid out the rebel’s platform and their objectives.
According to the report, the Free Syrian Army representative presented a list of weapons, including heavy machine guns and anti-tank missiles, that the rebels required for their armed struggle. The U.S. also agreed to be part of the group of nations that would coordinate support for the resistance.
