Civilian Airliners Now Under Threat by Jihadists Using US-Supplied Anti-Aircraft MissilesBy Jay Syrmopoulos Taking a page straight out of the 1980s Afghanistan playbook, these strategic weapons were provided to extremist groups in an effort to assist in toppling the Assad government. The truth was laid bare by Saudi Foreign Minister Abdel al-Jubeir, in an interview with German publication Der Speigel, when he said, We believe that introducing surface-to-air missiles in Syria is going to change the balance of power on the ground just like surface-to-air missiles in Afghanistan were able to change the balance of power there. Confirming these reports, the U.S. and Turkish-backed Al Hamza brigade reportedly posted pictures showing off their new missile acquisition, while Ahrar al-Sham downed a Syrian Su-22 ground-attack plane with a MANPAD in southern Aleppo. According to a report in the Asia Times: On April 2, fighting broke out between western-backed al-Qaeda affiliates and the Syrian army, ending the Syrian ceasefire. The groups that broke the ceasefire included al-Qaeda in Syria (al-Nusra), the Chinese Uyghur Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), The Levant Brigade, the Freemen of Syria (Ahrar al-Sham), Division 13 and other jihadi groups. According to AP, the US-trained and armed Division 13 is now fighting alongside al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham. The latter two are part of the Turkey/Saudi/Qatar-backed Army of Conquest. In addition to the missile threat, the resumption of the fighting is exacerbating the Syrian refugee crisis plaguing the EU. Its also prolonging the suffering of civilians inside Syria and diverting Syrian military resources away from battling ISIS. The official U.S. position is that supplying anti-aircraft missiles to Islamist extremist groups is a red line that cannot be crossed, as there is fear that they could be used against allied military aircraft or civilian airliners. Just such an event took place in Afghanistan in 2007, when the Taliban shot down a U.S. helicopter with a Stinger missile in Helmand Province. Additionally, military records reveal that in 2012, Taliban fighters in Kunar province shot down a US Army Ch-47 helicopter with new generation Stinger missiles, with Ken Timmerman of the New York Post revealing that the serial number for the missiles used were traced back to a lot recently signed out by the CIA to the Qataris for anti-Qaddafi forces, with between 50 to 60 Stingers believed to have been diverted to the Taliban in early 2012. Despite the official red line rhetoric, these examples highlight the difficulty in controlling the proliferation of strategic lethal technology to Islamist extremist groups once these arms have been transferred to allied states such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia. In 2005, RAND Corp commissioned a study which concluded that an attack on a civilian airliner would cause a global freeze on air travel that would amount to over $15 billion in losses. Now, over a decade later the numbers would be substantially higher. With al-Qaedas affiliates in Syria now having advanced U.S. surface-to-air missiles, it presents a strategic threat that former CIA director David Petraeus labeled, our worst nightmare. Jay Syrmopoulos writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared. MG. Oh my God! OH MY GOD!! Perhaps they can stop those braindead Spiegel idiots, too. Send Chelsea HUBBELL/Clinton, the Bush and Romney children ALL terrorism is done y the evil governments to promote the police state ahead of Planet X! You are talking out of your arse.and think u know it all. Your totally wrong. All you have to do is look at what and how our country goes.in a certain book, that tells everything that is going to happen in the future. I sure as heck dont know what YOU are talking about, but I sure dont even want to understand it! What a load of horse manure you have written! Planet X will end the war when it rips the earth apart, is probably the most stupidest, ignorant thing you wrote Does anyone actually know what the height limit is for these stingers? The US is now going to reap what it has sowed and it only has itself to blame! Everyone who flies now runs that risk. Thank you USA. the irresponsible bastards. They think it will stop Russia it wont work, but it puts the world at even greater risk than before. Arming jihadist Muslims is a mistake Obama is an idiot, or a muslim. 