The CIA Air Lift to Arm the “Rebels”

In the “covert war” in Syria, they now reveal their hands. After mortar projectiles and missiles struck the centre of Damascus that killed several civilians, Abu Omar, the “rebel” commander claimed responsibility for the action and declared yesterday (26 March 2013) to the New York Times that “Rebel groups around Damascus have been given a boost by new supplies of arms through Jordan with US help”. [1]. An inquiry by the same newspaper confirms what we have been writing for some months in the Manifesto: that the CIA has organized an international network, through which an increasing flow of weapons reaches the Syrian “rebels” [2].

From the relevant operational centres, CIA agents provide funding for purchasing arms (in the order of billions of dollars). Much of this funding comes from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf Monarchies. Then they organize for weapons to be transported to Turkey and Jordan by an air lift; then they ensure their passage across the border into the hands of groups in Syria, already trained in camps set up for this purpose on Turkish and Jordanian territories.

From the time the operation was initiated in January 2012, at least 3,500 tonnes of arms have been transported by the airlift, according to an estimate by default. The first flights were made with C-130 military airplanes for transport, from Qatar to Turkey. From April 2012, the following have been used: the gigantic C-17 air cargos, supplied by the USA to Qatar, that shuttle between the base at Al-Udeid and the Turkish base at Esenboga. A detail that cannot be disregarded: the Qatar airbase of Al Udeid hosts the advanced headquarters of the US Central Command, staffed by more than 10,000 soldiers and functioning as a hub for all Middle-Eastern operations. Its warehouses store all types of arms, including of course those not made in the USA, more suitable for “covert” operations. Since October 2012, Jordanian C-130 airplanes have been grounded at the Turkish base in Esenboga, to load arms to be transported to Amman for the Syrian “rebels.”

At the same time, Jordan cargo airplanes have begun to shuttle between Zagabria, transporting to Amman weapons of the Croatian arsenal purchased with Saudi funding. For these operations, gigantic Ilyushin airplanes of Jordanian International Air Cargo are used. From February 2013, in addition to the flights of Qatari and Jordanian cargo airplanes, Saudi C-130 airplanes are flying that land in the Turkish airbase of Esenboga.

Despite denials from Zagabria, the inquiry has comprehensively reported on Croatia’s involvement in this international arms trafficking, directed by the CIA. A meritorious act for Croatia that, for its role in the disintegration of Yugoslavia, was conferred the honour of being admitted to Nato in 2009. Now, Washington considers Croatia deserves further honours on account of its participation in the operation to break up Syria. And this on the eve of its admission to the EU when in July 2013, it will become the EU’s 28th member state. Thus Croatia will be able to sing in unison with the European Union which, while stepping up the arms embargo on the Syrian government, expresses its desire “to reach a political solution that bring to an end the massacre and that authorizes the supply of humanitarian aid quickly and effectively, paying particular attention to children”.