25 June 2013

Multinational arms pipeline supplies Syrian opposition

The New York Times reported last Friday on an extensive unregistered multinational arms transport network, fueled my multiple actors including Qatar and Turkey, that supplies the Syrian opposition with weapons from Libyan stockpiles. The spread of uncontrolled weapons has been a significant problem facing Libya since the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011.

Evidence gathered in Syria, backed by interviews and flight-control data, confirm that weapons from Libya are being shipped on Qatari aircraft to Turkey and then distributed to opposition groups in Syria by the staff of the Supreme Military Council. Although the SMC reportedly does not distribute weapons to extremist groups, these groups can easily buy weapons from groups supported by the SMC. A Western decision to arm the opposition would feed the same distribution network, the NYT writes.

Source: The New York Times | In Turnabout, Syria Rebels Get Libyan Weapons
Source: Al Jazeera | Libya's escalating gun problem