U.S. Officials Fear That The Gulf States Will Now Arm Syria's Rebels With Shoulder-Fired Anti-Aircraft Missiles

A rebel fighter of 'Al-Sultan Murad' brigade arranges weapons inside a warehouse in the northern Syrian rebel-controlled town of al-Rai, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria, September 26, 2016. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Reuters: Gulf may arm rebels now Syria truce is dead: U.S. officials

The collapse of the latest Syria ceasefire has heightened the possibility that Gulf states might arm Syrian rebels with shoulder-fired missiles to defend themselves against Syrian and Russian warplanes, U.S. officials said on Monday.

Still, the U.S. administration continues to maintain that negotiations are the only way to end the carnage after Russian-backed Syrian forces intensified their bombing of Aleppo, the last major urban area in rebel hands.

The latest U.S. attempt to end Syria's 5-1/2 year civil war was shattered on Sept. 19 when a humanitarian aid convoy was bombed in an attack Washington blamed on Russian aircraft. Moscow denied involvement.

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Update: Wealthy Gulf states may arm Syrian rebels to ‘get the Russians to back off’ - US officials (RT)

WNU Editor: If the Gulf states start to supply anti-aircraft missiles to Syria's rebels, there is going to be blow-back against them from Russia/Iran/etc.. This conflict is now just a step away from expanding significantly.