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US support for Syria opposition may lead to direct military interference

Assad has support of a considerable part, if not most, of the Syrian population, State Duma International Affairs Committee head Alexei Pushkov believes
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, June 14 (Itar-Tass) - Supplies of arms from the United States for the Syrian opposition are unlikely to lead to overthrow of Bashar Assad's regime, State Duma International Affairs Committee head Alexei Pushkov told Itar-Tass on Friday.

Assad has support of a considerable part, if not most, of the Syrian population. It is his substantial reserve. Assad's army shows a high degree of firmness. With the enlargement of supplies of arms to the rebels alone, the United State will not radically change the balance of forces, Pushkov believes.

There is a question in this connection - what further steps the United States will take. “I think the United State will go the way of escalation. Now they arm rebels, then they will come to some form of direct armed interference," he said. Air missile strikes and direct military interference are not ruled out, he noted.

Earlier Pushkov said the United States had fabricated the information about the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"The information about Assad's use of chemical weapons is fabricated ibid where the lie about mass destruction weapons of Hussein was fabricated. Obama goes the way of George Bush," the legislator wrote on his Twitter blog.

On Thursday, U.S. Deputy Presidential National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, who is in charge of strategic communications affairs, stated the U.S. administration came to the conclusion that Syrian authorities had used chemical weapons against opposition forces and thus violated the international law. In this connection, Washington decided to revise its former position and to begin to render military aid to Syrian opposition forces. According to Rhodes, President Barack Obama has decided to provide more support for the opposition, including in light of the conclusions about the use of chemical weapons by Syrian authorities. The aid will be provided directly for the so-called Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army, Rhodes said. It includes military support, he confirmed.