"We thank our brothers in the Free Syrian Army for the missiles that gave us the victory in countless battles." A new video, published a few hours ago, shows some commanders of the Al-Nusra front (affiliated with al-Qaeda), thanking the ESL fees for the "donated" TOW missiles. The point is that these missiles were supplied by the Americans. The video has caused particular uproar in Iran and in Russia (Moscow has a heavy armored presence in Syria).
Allied since last March, the Free Syrian Army and the Al-Nusra front have given birth to Jaish al-Fatah (conquest army), with the aim of fighting against Assad's loyalist forces. Since last March, the two factions have fought together in almost every single battle: from Aleppo to Lattakia from Hama to Idlib. Thanks to this alliance, several militant groups, such as the Al-Nusra Front and the Ahrar al-Sham (Salafi Islamist group) movement, had access to US heavy equipment, supplied by the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to the Free Syrian Army.
According to the Iranian news agency Fars, Saudi Arabia sent TUS missiles to the Al-Nusra front only last month. Despite the data obtained, the United States continues to supply so-called moderate militant groups in Syria, some of which are linked to al-Qaeda. This, according to the Pentagon, seems at the moment to be the lesser evil. We know that the TOW missiles (acronym of Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided), are provided by the United States and its allies to the Free Syrian Army and to groups fighting against the government of Bashar al-Assad. At a cost of 12 / 15 thousand dollars per specimen, it is clear how much this anti-tank equipment is part of the American standard equipment in support of the rebel troops.
The first (massive) use of TOWs dates back to the first week of last October, during the first ground offensive by government-backed Russian troops. Although the American "train and equip" program has been suspended, the supply of equipment continues. And the reference to what happened in the 80 years, when hundreds of missiles Stinger Americans arrived in Afghanistan forever changing the fortunes of the conflict against the Soviet Union, is at least pertinent. In effect, a real proxy war between Washington and Moscow is taking place in Syria.
The TOW program, supervised by the CIA, is totally separate from the miserably failed Pentagon which, according to intentions, should have influenced the outcome of the other war waged in Syria, that in the north-eastern part of the country against the Islamic State. The CIA started the TOW program in the early months of the 2014, with the aim of countering Damascus by providing training, light weapons, ammunition and anti-tank missiles: tools that would prove essential to bridge the gap with the loyal government's heavy equipment. The missiles arrive in Syria from Saudi Arabia, upon supply from the CIA. The plan, as described by the Pentagon, aimed to exert sufficient military pressure against Assad's forces and convince him to a political compromise. A sort of "invitation" to the negotiating table, perhaps avoiding the collapse that would have unleashed chaos in the country. The entry of Russia, on the other hand, has upset the whole CIA strategy.
To date, it is impossible to determine whether the guided missiles in the hands of the rebels can really change the fortunes of the war as did the Stinger in the 80 years in the hands of the mujaheddin. It should be noted, however, that in Syria the Russians are entrusting the bombing to fighters and not helicopters (although for the first time they have been sighted near Hama, but after appropriate softening). The TOW program, despite everything, continues. Saudi Arabia reiterates its support (it is none other than the specular projection of the US) to the rebels. A clause in the program is also curious: the missiles are delivered in limited quantities. To receive supplies, the rebels must prove that they are in possession of the same delivered launchers. A clause, we don't know how much this can really work, to avoid that the systems can end up on the black market.
In 2013, Saudi Arabia purchased 13.975 anti-tank missiles, a fully delivered supply. By contract, the Saudi government must inform the United States of the final destination of the missiles. United States approval is implicit.
