US says it will not supply Syrian opposition with man-portable air-defense systems
The USA will not supply man-portable air-defense systems or “MANPADS” to Syria to combat terrorists, Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said. “Our position regarding MANPADS has not changed,” he stressed while speaking with journalists, RIA Novosti reported.
American authorities are closely monitoring all actions that provide assistance to the opposition, Toner added. “Of course, I will never be able to say on any given battlefield—and we talked about this before—that equipment and assistance can’t change hands,” he explained.
At the same time, on Friday, outgoing President Barack Obama eased restrictions on the supply of weapons to Syria “in the interests of Washington.” The new weapons are intended for foreign forces, irregular forces, groups or individuals who support or participate in the US operation against militants in the Middle East country.
An administration official suggested that the document signed by Obama is necessary to prepare for the attack against Raqqa, which is considered the Syrian capital of the so-called Islamic State.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed concerns regarding Washington’s decision. According to him, “the worst result of such decision would be the fact that various weapons, including MAPADS, will fall into the terrorists’ hands.” Peskov fears that such an outcome may threaten Russian servicemen. He further stated that despite certain protection measures and precautions being followed by Russian pilots, the danger to them is still great.