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US Airdrop Syria: Weapons And Ammo Dropped To Kurdish Rebels

By Tara Dodrill
Published on: 03:52 PST, Oct 13, 2015

The US airdrop in Syria supplied Arab rebel forced with weapons, ammunition, and other supplies. The taxpayer-funded supplies reportedly include crates of small arms. The decision to conduct the Syrian airdrop comes just two weeks after Russia embarked upon airstrikes in the nation torn by civil war. Attempts to force President Bashar al-Assad to leave office continue.

Air Force C-17 cargo planes reportedly conducted the US airdrop in Syria on Sunday. The move was part of a recently revamped strategy to help the Syrian rebels combat ISIS by the Obama administration, MSN reports. A program to both train and equip “moderate” rebels who oppose the regime of President Assad was shut down last week. The program sparked controversy when the public learned that millions of dollars had been spent to train just a small handful of rebel fighters.

The Kurdish rebels, the YPG, are believed to be the only group with boots on the ground to help the United States-led coalition in the fight against the Islamic State. A possible alliance between the Kurds and a small group of Arab fighters has reportedly emerged.

The YPG has been accused of committing war crimes against thousands of non-Kurdish civilians by Amnesty International. The YPG has labeled the allegations that homes of non-Kurds have been demolished in regions the group control as false. U.S. military officials have confirmed the airdrops in Syria occurred but have not divulged any specific details about the amount or types of materials dropped.

Syrian Arab rebels have reportedly been informed that weapons to help them to launch a joint offensive with the Kurds against the de facto ISIS capital city in Raqqa. The Russian airstrikes and other interventions in the four-year civil war in Syria continue to raise concerns for the Obama administration, as ISIS plots the fall of the Assad regime. Europe has issued its “strongest criticism” yet in response to the Russian involvement in Syria. Vladimir Putin has reportedly been informed about the “dangerous consequences” that could evolve if actions in the region continue, the Guardian reports.

Al Nusra, an offshoot of al Qaeda, called for increased attack on Russian forces on Monday. Al Nusra urged an escalation of fighting in President Assad’s stronghold where the supporting Alawite sect is located. The al Qaeda-linked group reportedly feels that Russia has been indiscriminately killing Sunni Muslims.

An unnamed Saudi source claimed that the defense minister, who is the son of the Saudi king, said the Russian airstrikes would increase tensions and escalate the civil war while inspiring militants from around the globe to go to Syria and join the battle. The civil war has reportedly caused 250,000 deaths and sent a flood of refugees into Europe and neighboring nations.

A diplomatic team from the United States was scheduled to hold talks in Russia on Tuesday and then again in Washington, D.C. The conversations will reportedly be focused upon a plan to end the war in Syria. Armed forces from the Syrian government, along with their Hezbollah allies and coupled with backing from Iran, have reportedly launched a ground offensive in coordination with the Russians. Putin’s air support is believed to have allowed the massive offensive to continue.

Some of the most fierce fighting since the ground offensive began occurred on Monday. The battles have been found along the north-south highway, which links together the main cities in Syria.

[Image via Shutterstock.com]

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