British Special Forces Training Syrian Rebels?
05.01.2012
As government forces continue a brutal crackdown on popular uprisings throughout Syria, there has been growing chatter indicating that British Special Forces are in some way assiting forces aligned against the Syrian regime.
Reports from late November last year state that British Special forces have met up with members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the armed wing of the Syrian National Council. The apparent goal of this initial contact was to establish the rebel forces' strength and to pave the way for any future training operations.
More recent reports have stated that British and French Special Forces have been actively training members of the FSA, from a base in Turkey. Some reports indicate that training is also taking place in locations in Libya and Northern Lebanon. British MI6 operatives and UKSF (SAS/SBS) personnel have reportedly been training the rebels in urban warfare as well as supplying them with arms and equipment. US CIA operatives and special forces are believed to be providing communications assistance to the rebels.
more info, further reading:
- French U.N. envoy rules out military action in Syria
(reuters africa)
- The shadow war in Syria
(asia times)
- NATO vs. Syria
(the american conservative)
- Syria will be bloodiest yet
(the daily star)
