Saudi source has announced on Sunday that Saudi Arabia is in the middle of negotiations with Pakistan regarding the purchase of anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets in order to support Syrian rebels. For Saudi Arabia it is a way of helping Syria to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
Initially the US position on proving arms to the rebels was negative due to the fear of those weapons easily falling into the hands of extremists. However, due to the failure of Geneva peace talks, it seems that Washington is ready to reconsider their position.
According to the source, which requested anonymity, Pakistan is known for manufacturing their own anti-tank rockets, Riyadh, and anti-aircraft rockets Anza, which is the Chinese version of shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles.
The same source confirmed that earlier this month army chief General Raheel Sharif, who met Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz paid a visit to Riyadh.
Prince Salman in return brought a delegation with him to Pakistan last week, a short while after Saudi's chief diplomat Prince Saud al-Faisal visited their allies.
The source confirmed that Jordan would store the weapons until they are shipped to the rebels in Syria.
Meanwhile, the head of the Syrian opposition, Ahmad Jarba, has already stated that “powerful arms will be arriving soon".
According to the head of the Gulf Research Centre, Abdel Aziz al-Sager "The United States could allow their allies to provide the rebels with anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons following the failure of Geneva talks and the renewed tension with Russia."
Simon Henderson, director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Programme at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Providing contradicts this statement saying that those weapons "relieves pressure on the US in the short-term."
"But the long-term political worry is that Manpads (Man-portable air-defence systems) will leak and be used to bring down a civilian airliner somewhere in the world."
Rebels themselves claim that those anti-aircraft rockets would help them in defending themselves since Syrian planes tend to bomb the areas where rebels hide.
While the three year conflict in Syria remains the same, with thousands of people killed and even more injured, Saudi Arabia has a strong influence on Syria on the southern front and their efforts help to coordinate the fighters in that area while Qatar and Turkey are known for doing the same thing on the northern front, stated the same source.
Russia troubled by reports Saudi Arabia to buy MPADS for Syria opposition – Foreign Ministry
Russia is troubled by the reports that Saudi Arabia is willing to provide the Syrian opposition with man-portable air-defense systems (MPADS) and anti-tank systems, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
"We are seriously concerned about the mass media reports citing gulfnews.com and saying that Saudi Arabia is willing to provide the Syrian opposition with MPADS and anti-tank systems made in Pakistan. This deal will change the balance of power in favor of Syrian opposition militants who began their attacks on Damascus last spring from the southern territories,” the Russian Foreign Ministry reports.
According to Ministry, if this weapon falls into the hands of terrorists, who have flooded the country, it might be used outside Syria.
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