War on terror
Al-Qaeda faction in Syria
claims to have U.S.-supplied anti-tank weapon
As extremist rebels
in Syria lay claim to fresh weapons, a new video circulating online
purports to show an al-Qaeda-linked group fielding U.S.-supplied anti-tank
weapons that may have been intended for more moderate factions in the conflict.
In early
November, the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra ousted two U.S.-supplied moderate
factions, Harak Hazam and the Syrian Revolutionary Front, from their
strongholds in northern Idlib province. Although al-Nusra was thought to have
seized significant caches of equipment during the fighting, the exact nature of
those arms has been unclear.
On Monday, however, a
Twitter account associated with Jabhat al-Nusra posted a photo of a TOW
anti-tank guided missile system, a formidable weapon used against armored
targets.
In conjunction with
the tweet, al-Nusra released a propaganda video showing fighters setting up
what appears to be the TOW system, although there is no footage of them
actually firing the weapon.
It’s unclear if the
weapons system was seized in the raid by al-Nusra last month. But Eliot
Higgins, a prominent blogger who goes by the name Brown Moses online and who
tracks open-source videos showing the fighting in Syria, claimed on his
Web site that the model number on the missile tube, 71E-1B, is consistent
with same type supplied to moderate rebels. He noted it remained possible that
the fighters shown in the picture were not actually with al-Nusra, but
concluded it was “likely” the TOW shown was captured from a vetted opposition
group.
In the past, moderate
factions have voiced skepticism of such claims and have insisted that all
weapons provided by the United States and other allied forces are subject to a
rigid accountability process to ensure that they do not fall into extremist
hands.
Oubai Shahbandar, a
spokesman for the Syrian Opposition Council, said in an e-mail Monday there is
“no compelling evidence that TOWs are being used for terrorist attacks
targeting U.S. or allied personnel.” He also stressed the importance of not
being influenced by what he called al-Nusra’s “psyops.”
The BGM-71 TOW –
short for a tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile system — has
been in service in some capacity since the 1970s. While its long range and
lethality makes it ideal for targeting tanks, its large size and heavy weight
means it would be cumbersome to use for highly mobile ground forces such
al-Nusra and other rebel groups. At the same time, the TOW system is relatively
easy to use.
“All you have to do
is put it together properly, which is not that hard, and put the missile in,”
said Nicolas Ruggieri, a former TOW operator in Marine Corps.
The fielding of a TOW
system would not necessarily provide al-Nusra with a capability it didn’t
already have. Similar weapons systems such as the Chinese HJ-8, French Milan
and the Russian Spigot have all been seen in operation in Syria.
“This weapon is not a
game-changer for them,” said David Maxwell, associate director for Georgetown
University’s security studies program.
“The big thing is the
political aspect of American equipment falling into enemy hands and what that
bodes for providing support to moderate rebels,” he added. “When you supply
weapons to an indigenous force you have to be prepared for the fact it can be
compromised and that has to be a fact of life.”
Weapons experts say
some arms have rapidly changed hands between various groups in Iraq and Syria.
In September, a small-arms research organization cited evidence that “Osa”
anti-tank rocket launchers originally intended for moderate Syrian rebels had
been captured by fighters with the Islamic State.
“It’s something we’ve
seen already in this conflict,” Damien Spleeters, a researcher with the group,
Conflict Armament Research, said referring to the September report. “It’s
something that’s consistent with what happens when weapons and ammunition are
supplied to a third party and that party loses ground or is defeated.”
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