REPORT: The US Is Openly Sending Heavy Weapons From Libya To Syrian Rebels

by Geoffrey Ingersoll and Michael Kelley | Dec. 9, 2012, 4:20 PM | 7,161

The Obama administration has decided to launch a covert operation to send heavy weapons to Syrian rebels, Christina Lamb of The Sunday Times of London reports.

Diplomatic sources told the Sunday Times that the U.S. "bought weapons from the stockpiles of Libya's former dictator Muammar Gaddafi."

The heavy arms include mortars, rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank missiles and the controversial anti-aircraft heat-seeking SA-7 missiles, which are integral to countering Bashar Al-Assad's bombing campaign.

Many have suspected that the US was already involved in sending heavy arms.

The administration has said that the previously hidden CIA operation in Benghazi involved finding, repurchasing and destroying heavy weaponry looted from Libyan government arsenals, but in October we reported evidence indicating that U.S. agents — particularly murdered ambassador Chris Stevens — were at least aware of heavy weapons moving from Libya to jihadist Syrian rebels.

There have been several possible SA-7 spottings in Syria dating as far back as early summer 2012, and there are indications that at least some of Gaddafi's 20,000 portable heat-seeking missiles were shipped before now.

On Sept. 6 a Libyan ship carrying 400 tons of weapons for Syrian rebels docked in southern Turkey. The ship's captain was "a Libyan from Benghazi" who worked for the new Libyan government. The man who organized that shipment, Tripoli Military Council head Abdelhakim Belhadj, worked directly with Stevens during the Libyan revolution.

Stevens' last meeting on Sept. 11 was with Turkish Consul General Ali Sait Akin, and a source told Fox News that Stevens was in Benghazi "to negotiate a weapons transfer in an effort to get SA-7 missiles out of the hands of Libya-based extremists."

Last month The Wall Street Journal reported that the State Department presence in Benghazi "provided diplomatic cover" for the now-exposed CIA annex. It follows that the "weapons transfer" that Stevens negotiated may have involved sending heavy weapons recovered by the CIA to the revolutionaries in Syria.

The newest report comes days before the U.S. is expected to recognize the newest Syrian coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The State Department has also indicated it will soon name the opposition's highly effective al-Nusra Front a "terrorist organization" for its ties to Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

Both of these stipulations — recognition of a unified opposition and creation of distance from extremists — are pivotal in order for the Obama administration to openly acknowledge supporting Syrian rebels with heavy weapons.

Not very covert if you and all of the UK know about it now is it

Dems threw a tissy when Ollie n Ronnie did this....

Don't you go talking about RR wanted to dig him up a month ago just so I could vote for a good candidate

I think that had more to do with North illegally funding the Sandinistas than the covert sale of arms to Iran.

I'm sure the Democrats would have been fine with it and even encouraged it otherwise.

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My take on all this is that Hussein's rule is over. It's just a matter of how long it will take. The longer it goes on, however, the greater the chance it will spill over into Turkey, Lebanon and Israel. It may be the rebels lobbing stuff over the borders or it may be Hussian. Either way, that's not a good thing.

And, while I don't like the idea of giving anyone in Syria any U.S. money without getting something worthwhile and definitive in return, I think "hedging our bet" just a bit by assisting the rebels some, could (but highly likely won't) accomplish something for the U.S., particularly if non-Islamist factions (yeah, right!) ultimately take Syria's control.

As to the independent concept of paying to getting arms out of Libya, I have no problem with that.

F dat!


Nuke them all...Let God sort them out.

That concept is "a given"...

I want ROI for my taxpaying dollars!

And it was all worth killing an American ambassador and 3 others to maintain the cover!

We're #1!!!

Fricking Sand People.

Do da hustle.. :-"

ZRX...PLEASE CHANGE THAT AVATAR!!! Isn't it bad enough to make poor unsuspecting NOOBs look at that!