[h=3]By JAY SOLOMON And ADAM ENTOUS[/h]WASHINGTON—The Obama administration's accusation that Russia is supplying attack helicopters to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's security forces ups a diplomatic standoff over the worsening conflict.
The U.S. has been seeking to engage Moscow in developing a process to edge Mr. Assad out of power, secure a cease-fire and lay the groundwork for a peaceful political transition in Syria.
But President Vladimir Putin's government has offered little evidence that it is preparing to dump Mr. Assad, whose family has been a close Russian ally for decades. And in recent weeks, Russia has continued shipping munitions to Syrian security forces.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton increased the diplomatic tensions between Washington and Moscow by charging Russia with shipping the Assad government attack helicopters to use against its political opponents.
"We are concerned about the latest information we have—that there are attack helicopters on the way from Russia to Syria, which will escalate the conflict quite dramatically," Mrs. Clinton said at an appearance with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
She said Moscow has told the U.S. in the past not to worry about such shipments, asserting that the weapons aren't related to Damascus's internal battle against opposition fighters. Mrs. Clinton called such assertions "patently untrue."
The Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment on any intelligence surrounding such a shipment. Russia and Syria have a longstanding military ties and Damascus hosts Russia's only naval base on the Mediterranean in the port of Tartus.
Russian officials in Moscow and Washington couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Mrs. Clinton didn't say what type of helicopters she alleged Russia is sending. The Syrian air force operates a fleet of 190 helicopters, according to IHS Jane's, a military research group. Of those, about 35 are Russian-designed Mi-24 attack helicopters, while another 100 are Soviet-era transports. Syria also has French- and Polish-made helicopters that have combat capabilities.
The White House has held out hopes that Russia could emerge as an ally in securing a peaceful transition in Syria. U.S. officials have specifically cited a possible reprise of recent diplomacy in Yemen, where the U.S. worked with Gulf states to secure the departure of long-standing President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Last week, the State Department sent a senior envoy, Fred Hof, to Moscow to attempt to unify the U.S.-Russian position on Syria. But the Obama administration offered no signs that Mr. Hof's mission had secured a breakthrough.
Some Syria analysts said Mrs. Clinton's comments were designed to further shame Russia into distancing itself from Mr. Assad.
Opposition groups report that more than 13,000 Syrians have died in violence since an uprising against the Assad regime broke out last year. In recent weeks, Damascus has been accused of orchestrating a massacre of civilians, primarily women and children, in the central Syrian city of Houla. Mr. Assad's government has blamed the violence on terrorists and outside forces.
Moscow has consistently rejected proposals to use outside forces to end the conflict or any international plan to force regime change in Damascus. Despite withering criticism from the West, Russia insists that any arms it supplies to Syria aren't being used to quell anti-government dissent.
With diplomacy at a standstill, the alleged helicopter shipment suggests a dangerous new turn for Syria.
On Monday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland decried what she called "horrific new tactics" by Syrian forces, including the use of helicopters to fire on civilians from the air. She called the attacks a "very serious escalation" and said Syrian commanders would be held responsible for any crimes against humanity.
Capt. John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, assailed Damascus for using gunships against civilians. "That they are using helicopter gunships against their own people is intolerable, unacceptable and just further evidence of the degree to which they're willing to kill their own people for twisted ends," Capt. Kirby said.
The U.S., France, Turkey and the Arab states have discussed for months the possibility of establishing buffer zones on the Syrian border with Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon to protect civilians. But these countries have been reluctant to act without a U.N. Security Council resolution, something Russia has firmly opposed.
Washington and its European allies, though, have increasingly said they may forced to act outside the Security Council if violence continues.
—Siobhan Gorman and Nathan Hodge contributed to this article.Write to Jay Solomon at [email protected] and Adam Entous at [email protected]
The U.S. has been seeking to engage Moscow in developing a process to edge Mr. Assad out of power, secure a cease-fire and lay the groundwork for a peaceful political transition in Syria.
But President Vladimir Putin's government has offered little evidence that it is preparing to dump Mr. Assad, whose family has been a close Russian ally for decades. And in recent weeks, Russia has continued shipping munitions to Syrian security forces.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton increased the diplomatic tensions between Washington and Moscow by charging Russia with shipping the Assad government attack helicopters to use against its political opponents.
"We are concerned about the latest information we have—that there are attack helicopters on the way from Russia to Syria, which will escalate the conflict quite dramatically," Mrs. Clinton said at an appearance with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
She said Moscow has told the U.S. in the past not to worry about such shipments, asserting that the weapons aren't related to Damascus's internal battle against opposition fighters. Mrs. Clinton called such assertions "patently untrue."
The Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment on any intelligence surrounding such a shipment. Russia and Syria have a longstanding military ties and Damascus hosts Russia's only naval base on the Mediterranean in the port of Tartus.
Russian officials in Moscow and Washington couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Mrs. Clinton didn't say what type of helicopters she alleged Russia is sending. The Syrian air force operates a fleet of 190 helicopters, according to IHS Jane's, a military research group. Of those, about 35 are Russian-designed Mi-24 attack helicopters, while another 100 are Soviet-era transports. Syria also has French- and Polish-made helicopters that have combat capabilities.
The White House has held out hopes that Russia could emerge as an ally in securing a peaceful transition in Syria. U.S. officials have specifically cited a possible reprise of recent diplomacy in Yemen, where the U.S. worked with Gulf states to secure the departure of long-standing President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Last week, the State Department sent a senior envoy, Fred Hof, to Moscow to attempt to unify the U.S.-Russian position on Syria. But the Obama administration offered no signs that Mr. Hof's mission had secured a breakthrough.
Some Syria analysts said Mrs. Clinton's comments were designed to further shame Russia into distancing itself from Mr. Assad.
Opposition groups report that more than 13,000 Syrians have died in violence since an uprising against the Assad regime broke out last year. In recent weeks, Damascus has been accused of orchestrating a massacre of civilians, primarily women and children, in the central Syrian city of Houla. Mr. Assad's government has blamed the violence on terrorists and outside forces.
Moscow has consistently rejected proposals to use outside forces to end the conflict or any international plan to force regime change in Damascus. Despite withering criticism from the West, Russia insists that any arms it supplies to Syria aren't being used to quell anti-government dissent.
With diplomacy at a standstill, the alleged helicopter shipment suggests a dangerous new turn for Syria.
On Monday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland decried what she called "horrific new tactics" by Syrian forces, including the use of helicopters to fire on civilians from the air. She called the attacks a "very serious escalation" and said Syrian commanders would be held responsible for any crimes against humanity.
Capt. John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, assailed Damascus for using gunships against civilians. "That they are using helicopter gunships against their own people is intolerable, unacceptable and just further evidence of the degree to which they're willing to kill their own people for twisted ends," Capt. Kirby said.
The U.S., France, Turkey and the Arab states have discussed for months the possibility of establishing buffer zones on the Syrian border with Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon to protect civilians. But these countries have been reluctant to act without a U.N. Security Council resolution, something Russia has firmly opposed.
Washington and its European allies, though, have increasingly said they may forced to act outside the Security Council if violence continues.
—Siobhan Gorman and Nathan Hodge contributed to this article.Write to Jay Solomon at [email protected] and Adam Entous at [email protected]