NATO allies back keeping Patriot missiles in Turkey

Source : http://en.trend.az/regions/met/turkey/2210975.html

NATO allies backed keeping Patriot missiles in Turkey on Wednesday, agreeing that threats to the NATO member remained serious, a NATO official said, Reuters reported.Turkey earlier asked NATO to extend the deployment of Patriot missile batteries sent early this year to defend the country from a possible attack from neighboring Syria. The missile batteries had been expected to stay there for a year.NATO ambassadors concluded at a meeting on Wednesday that instability on Turkey's border "requires ... the extension of the deployment of the Patriot missiles," the NATO official said.

Jordanians Suspicious as US Expands Military Presence in Kingdom

Source : http://www.almanar.com.lb

Jordanians are suspicious as the United States is deploying troops and weapons in the Kingdom.

A US defense official has told Agence France Presse (AFP) that Washington has expanded its military presence in the country to 1,000 troops.

"Jordanians do not feel comfortable about the presence of US troops, weapons and equipment in the kingdom," analyst Oraib Rintawi, who runs the Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies, told AFP.

"For Jordanians, the US military presence is linked to plots and conspiracies against their neighbors, which would impact the country itself."

Washington claims it is worried about the security of Jordan, which is already struggling to cope with around 550,000 refugees from its war-torn northern neighbor, Syria. It has kept F-16 warplanes and Patriot missiles in the country since a joint military exercise ended on June 20.

"For the Americans, protecting that stability is key and at the core of their strategy in the Middle East,” Rintawi added. "But public opinion here does not welcome the Americans, even if they say they want to protect the country."

Earlier this week, Wall Street Journal quoted diplomats and US officials as saying that the Central Intelligence Agency has begun moving weapons to Jordan from a network of secret warehouses and plans to start arming foreign-backed militants fighting the Syrian government.

The diplomats and the US officials said that Washington plans to provide training, small arms, ammunition, and possibly certain types of antitank missiles.

Last week, Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur denied a Los Angeles Times report that the Central Intelligence Agency and US special forces have been training Syria armed groups at a new American desert base in southwest Jordan.

"There is no training in our country whatsoever of Syrian opposition forces... the only Syrians we are dealing with in our country are refugees," he told journalists.

US denied plans to send Patriot missiles to Syrian opposition

Source  :  Vesti Kavkaza

Spokesman of the White House Jay Carney denied plans to send Patriot missiles to Syrian opposition, RIA Novosti reports.

Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib said he requested the US for Patriot missile systems. Carney noted that the missile systems in Turkey serve as a means of defense.

The US official added that non-military support for Syria will continue.

Turkish FM: Patriot missiles will be returned upon the cessation of tensions on its border

Source : Trend.Az

Patriot anti-air missiles will be sent back upon the elimination of tensions on the Syrian-Turkish border, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday, Anadolu reports.

He reiterated that the Patriot air defense system is not directed against any country and is aimed at defending Turkey.

As earlier reported, the shipment of Patriot missiles, equipment, and the arrival of 400 U.S. servicemen within a NATO mission for strengthening the air defenses of Turkey against possible Syrian missile strikes is expected to be completed by late January.

Turkey requested Patriot missiles from NATO in late November 2012 to protect against a possible air attack by Syria.

The Syrian army periodically bombs border areas with Turkey. In October, as a result of another attack conducted by the Syrian Air Force, 6 Turkish citizens were killed.

Anti-government disturbances have continued in Syria for more than a year and a half. According to the UN Human Rights Commissioner, the total number of victims of the conflict in Syria exceeds 60,000. More than 230,000 have become refugees and there are around three million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Syrian authorities say they oppose the well-armed militants.

Russia Warns Against NATO Missiles on Syrian Border

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, November 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Foreign Ministry cautioned Thursday against Turkey's intention to deploy NATO Patriot missiles on its border with Syria.

"The militarization of the Turkish-Syrian border would be an alarming signal," said ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich. "It would do nothing to foster stability in the region."

"Our advice to our Turkish colleagues is to use their influence on the Syrian opposition to draw them closer to dialogue, instead of flexing their muscles and taking the situation down a dangerous path," he added.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday that Turkey's request to deploy the missiles would be considered soon. Ankara says the missile system is necessary to protect its border with conflict-torn Syria.

US Patriot surface-to-air missiles were last deployed to Turkey in 1991 and 2003, during the two Gulf Wars.

Turkey has opened fire several times in recent weeks across its border with Syria in retaliation for Syrian shelling, which killed five Turkish civilians in October. It has also provided shelter to refugees fleeing the violence in Syria and has been one of President Bashar al-Assad’s harshest critics during the almost 17-month revolt against his rule.

Tensions between Turkey and Syria flared dangerously this summer after Damascus shot down a Turkish fighter that had violated its airspace. Turkey threatened retaliation if there was any repeat of the incident, although it admitted the plane had mistakenly strayed slightly into Syria.

Lukashevich also denied Russian media reports that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was planning to meet on November 26 with the Syrian opposition.

The Syrian conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the start of an uprising against Assad in March 2011, according to various Syrian opposition groups.

Russia - along with China - has drawn heavy Western criticism for its refusal to sanction UN sanctions against Assad's regime, Moscow sole remaining ally in the Arab world. Moscow said the proposed UN resolutions betrayed a pro-rebel bias and would do nothing to bring peace.

Putin vowed earlier this year not to allow a repeat of the “Libya scenario,” which saw the ouster and murder of long-time Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi after a NATO military campaign.

But Moscow has denied it is supporting Assad in the conflict and says it will respect the will of the "Syrian people