The recent surge in the supply of American-built weapons to the Syrian rebels determined to topple the government of President Bashar al-Assad has sparked a heated discussion on whether this constitutes the gearing up of a “proxy war” between Washington and Moscow...
It is a known fact that the Sunni monarchies, staunch enemies of the Assad regime, have been supplying their Syrian protégées with TOW anti-tank guided missiles. According to sources from The New York Times, the CIA has a similar program of arming the Syrian opposition with TOWs, launched in 2013 and conducted through local intermediaries.
Recent reports claim that since the launch of Russia’s military operation against Islamic State (ISIS) the flow of TOWs, aimed at destroying Assad’s tanks, has increased. Dozens of video clips have been posted lately on the internet showcasing the efficiency of the American-made BGM-71 TOW with pictures of Assad’s burning tanks. This has allegedly cut short and brought to a standstill the recent offensive by the Syrian army.
This looks like a symbolic gain. But could it become a game-changer? According to Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, who spoke to Troika Report, the rebels are now attempting to regain the initiative on the ground. Moreover,
“What might turn the tables is the theoretical supply to paramilitary formations of the Syrian opposition of Stinger anti-aircraft missile launchers. If Stingers are delivered to the battlefield, it would mean a full-fledged proxy war between the United States and Russia.”
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