Saudis want go give the moderates anti aircraft missiles...

news.yahoo.com...

Anti-aircraft weapons could tip the scales on the battlefield as they did in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan in the 1980s, Adel al-Jubeir is quoted as saying in an interview with Der Spiegel.

"We believe that introducing surface-to-air missiles in Syria is going to change the balance of power on the ground," he said, stressing this would have to be decided by a coalition of partner states.



This is another escalation that has dangerous overtones.....though I think its a bit late.....they should have armed their proxies with MANPADS way back in September.....
Its a measure of how desperate the Saudi/Turkish alliance is to keep their war going against Assad.....
The missiles would be a game changer though....just like the TOW missiles helped against the armour.....and to break up attacks......

edit on 21-2-2016 by bandersnatch because: (no reason given)

a reply to: bandersnatch

Saudi seems to be starting to flex its muscles with all that weaponry they have amassed.

But a lesson it needs to learn is that if you get involved you might get your fat little hands burned. They are not as popular even in the ME as they might think they are.

They have oil fields which basically are sitting ducks, even if they can defend with whatever missile weaponry they employ, it wouldn't take much for someone to blow up part or most even and they would become insignificant overnight and utterly polluted whether they chose to chuck some weaponry around or not.

Personally the sooner their oil runs out and they melt back into the sand the better for the world, idle minds make mischief and overtly religious ones are damn dangerous.

a reply to: bandersnatch

Saudis want go give the moderates anti aircraft missiles.

Funny, we never hear of these moderates by name.

Does this mean the term Moderates is used so they don't have to state a name a particular group?

Might it be the case that by not having to name a group the 'moderates' can be anyone they want it to be. Does this in turn make it easy to support ISIS without massess ever knowing that that is what is happening.

In what way are these people labeled moderates, moderates?

Are they moderates because they fight fair?

Are they moderates because they don't torture civilians or the enemy?

Are they moderates because they don't use tanks and planes?

Are they moderates because they don't want Syria to be partitioned?

Are they moderates because they want to see Assad stay on as leader post war?

Are they moderates simply because they suit the US and the western agenda for Syria??

a reply to: Azureblue

Just think of it like this, one mans freedom fighter is another mans terrorist. It just depends on if he is doing what you want or not. Later, you can flip the script on them when they move on to doing something you don't like. Hypocrisy knows no ends!

a reply to: bandersnatch

This is an obvious attempt to drive the Soviets out.

Given the way that US armaments were then eagerly handed to ISIS insurgents by so called moderates, there is little guarantee that they won't be used to target US coalition planes too.

Here's the interview in question: Saudi Foreign Minister: 'I Don't Think World War III Is Going To Happen in Syria'

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir at the Westin Grand Hotel during the Munich Security Conference: "ISIS is as much an Islamic organization as the KKK in America is a Christian organization."

In an interview, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir expresses his continued support for regime change in Syria and his desire for rebels to be supplied with anti-aircraft missiles that could shift the balance of power in the war.

. . .

SPIEGEL: Is Saudi Arabia in favor of supplying anti-aircraft missiles to the rebels?

Al-Jubeir: Yes. We believe that introducing surface-to-air missiles in Syria is going to change the balance of power on the ground. It will allow the moderate opposition to be able to neutralize the helicopters and aircraft that are dropping chemicals and have been carpet-bombing them, just like surface-to-air missiles in Afghanistan were able to change the balance of power there. This has to be studied very carefully, however, because you don't want such weapons to fall into the wrong hands.

SPIEGEL: Into the hands of Islamic State.

Al-Jubeir: This is a decision that the international coalition will have to make. This is not Saudi Arabia's decision.

a reply to: JAK

It will allow the moderate opposition to be able to neutralize the helicopters and aircraft that are dropping chemicals and have been carpet-bombing them, just like surface-to-air missiles in Afghanistan were able to change the balance of power there. So says Al Jubeir from Saudi but does he have any proof that chemical weapons are not being used by the rebels he wants to arm? No he doesn't because in the past it has been reported that both sides used these weapons.

Perhaps if Saudi put its ugly head back in the sand it would be better all round, because their input in Yemen is a disgrace without any islamic concerns about bombing kiddies in school or hospitals there - they are hypocrites.

Since Saudi Arabia is Wahabbi would not "moderate" mean everyone that is Sunni and Wahabbi including ISIS?

Look, folks I don't know who the moderates are any more than you do....without a program....
I just think this is a ploy to save the mercenary army they have deployed to Syria.....
The implications , however are very serious.....
If Russia starts loosing aircraft....who knows where the situation may end up....ww3 is a possibility...
Now the Saudis say they have nukes too......Katy bar the door........