Syria rebels use new arms to down chopper

[bemildred]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by muriel_volestrangler (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: AFP

ATME, Syria — Syrian rebels downed an army helicopter for the first time on Tuesday with a newly-acquired ground-to-air missile, in what a watchdog said could be a turning point in the 20-month-old conflict.

Meanwhile, Russia, which has blocked UN resolutions critical of Bashar al-Assad's regime, said it only has a "working relationship" with the Syrian president and insisted special ties were a thing of the past.

A car bomb hit a regime security post near Damascus and clashes raged around the capital, as rebels further tightened the noose around the key northern city of Aleppo. A watchdog said 105 people were killed Tuesday across the country.

"It is the first time that the rebels have shot down a helicopter with a surface-to-air missile," Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said of the gunship, which was on a strafing run near a besieged northwestern base.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hUKEl3lFXlqnHBTHjO2zuvb3q5uw?docId=CNG.5a2bf3bd9c800553bbad0c7398698883.01

[leveymg]

1. Fresh off the ship from Libya. The cost was a few thousand dollars plus one US Ambassador.

They'll be bringing more of the things out now. There are some 15,000 or so anti-aircraft missiles looted from Libyan stockpiles after we helped overthrow Gadhaffi. Expect more blowback from the Benghazi MANPADs.

Here's the video, for those who are interested:

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Locking - duplicate thread

of http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014318856 . Please continue discussion there. Thanks.