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U.S. Decries Russia Weapons Sale to Syria
(Los Angeles Times) David S. Cloud, Paul Richter and Sergei L. Loiko - The Obama administration on Friday condemned Russia's delivery of advanced antiship missiles to Syria and its buildup of warships in the eastern Mediterranean. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Russia's military moves would "embolden" Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces and extend the suffering in the widening conflict. "So it's ill-timed and very unfortunate," he said. The White House also called on Russia to halt the planned delivery of sophisticated S-300 surface-to-air long-range missiles. "We have consistently called on Russia to cut off the Assad regime's supply of weapons, and in particular we point to air defense systems that are particularly destabilizing to the region," said Bernadette Meehan, spokeswoman for the National Security Council at the White House.