It’s still Europe, stupid …. W. Euro countries have quietly upgraded Syria’s military

Excuse me, but am I chopped liver? Isn’t removal of a Syrian Iran ally a GOOD IDEA? Even if a Muslim Brotherhood takeover ensues? In this case? This remind anyone of France and Germany working with Saddam in the 70’s and 80’s on nuclear reactors and weapons?

Gertz:

LONDON — Certain West European and other nations are quietly arming the Syrian military despite its alliance with Iran.

Amnesty International has identified a range of NATO and other suppliers to the military of President Bashar Assad. In a report, the London-based human rights organization asserted that the Assad regime has received heavy weapons and upgrades from such Western countries as Austria, France and Italy.”Obtaining arms data for Syria is difficult as few governments officially report on their arms trade with the Syrian government,” stated the report, “Arms Transfers To The Middle East And North Africa: Lessons For An Effective Arms Trade Treaty.”

Authored by arms trade researcher Helen Hughes, the report said Austria and India have supplied millions of dollars’ worth of armored vehicles to the Syrian Army. France is said to have allowed the sale of more than $1.2-million worth of unidentified munitions.

“Italy permitted for fire control systems — probably as part of the Italian upgrade 122 T-72 main battle tanks with the Tank Universal Reconfiguration Modular System T-series tank fire-control system,” the report said.

In 1998, Italy’s Galileo Avionica signed an estimated $200-million contract to modernize 122 T-72 MBTs for the Syrian Army. A decade later, Italy approved the export of 2.8 million euro worth of fire control systems for the T-72 project.

“It appears that only Austria and Italy licensed the sale of weaponry, munitions and related equipment to Syria during the period of 2005 to 2009, according to national and EU data, under the broad categories of small arms, ammunition, riot control agents and armored vehicles,” the report said.

The report said the Assad regime has used some of the Western military equipment to battle its opposition. Damascus has used its Russian-origin MBT fleet, including the T-72, in operations to quell the growing revolt.

Amnesty identified Russia as the biggest arms supplier to Assad. The report said Syria was procuring 10 percent of Moscow’s defense exports, including anti-tank missiles and MiG fighter-jets.

“Russia also allowed the supply to Syria, but does not publish an annual report on its arms exports so it is impossible to know what weaponry, munitions and other equipment the government has allowed sold or supplied,” the report said.

Egypt was also identified as a military supplier to Syria. Amnesty said Egypt supplied nearly $1 million worth of firearms and munitions from 2005 through 2009.