According to Debka, the Israeli intelligence news media, both British and Qatari Special forces have been dispatched to Syria.
According to the report, the special forces units –operating in tandem with rebel forces in Homs– “are not engaged in direct combat” against Syrian government forces. They are described by Debka as “tactical advisers”, involved in supporting rebel communications systems as well organizing the supply and delivery of weapons, ammunition, mostly from Turkey. The dispatch of foreign “fighters” was also mentioned in the report. DEBKAfile, First Foreign Troops in Syria, February 8, 2012
Debka also reports that “two foreign contingencies have set up four centers of operation – in the northern Homs district of Khaldiya, Bab Amro in the east, and Bab Derib and Rastan in the north. … ” (Ibid)
“The presence of the British and Qatari troops was seized on by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan for the new plan he unveiled to parliament in Ankara Tuesday, Feb. 7. Treating the British-Qatari contingents as the first foreign foot wedged through the Syrian door, his plan hinges on consigning a new Turkish-Arab force to Homs through that door and under the protection of those contingents. Later, they would go to additional flashpoint cities.
The British-Qatari troop presence in Homs was at the center of Assad’s talks in Damascus Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian SVR intelligence chief Mikhail Fradkov. Senior Syrian intelligence officers laid their updates from the field before the Russian visitors and received SVR data and evaluations in return.” (Ibid)
The presence of foreign troops on the ground inside Syria is in violation of International Law.
Support to armed groups –integrated by mercenaries and funded by foreign powers– constitutes a violation of Syria’s sovereignty as a nation state.
There is ample evidence that this armed insurgency is directly supported by the US and NATO. There is also evidence that these armed groups are responsible for killing civilians and carrying out terrorist acts.
Michel Chossudovsky contributed to this report
