During last year’s civil war in Libya, the Muammar Qadhafi regime’s weapon stockpiles were looted, and highly destructive arms quickly spread throughout Libya and the region. Twenty-one months into the revolution in Syria, the country is witnessing a similar experience. Though the United States officially opposes the provision of weapons …
President Obama reportedly has signed an intelligence finding that authorizes U.S. support for Syrian rebels seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship. It remains unclear what is included in this “covert” aid, publicized in what looks like another leak, or when the finding was signed. But the United States must …
Rebel forces reportedly took control of Muammar Qadhafi’s fortified Bab al-Aziziya command base in Tripoli today as they further consolidated control of the capital. Confusion reigned amid reports that Qadhafi’s son Seif al-Islam, whom the opposition Transitional National Council had claimed to detain, apparently roamed free inside Tripoli rallying support …
According to the U.S. State Department, since 2003 over 32,000 illicitly held and loosely secured shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles have been destroyed. More commonly known as MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems), these weapons can shoot down civilian and military aircraft. It is estimated that since the 1970s over 40 aircraft have …
