Clinton: Russia sent attack helicopters to Syria.
The US Secretary of State stated that her country fears that Moscow's military support could lead to a dramatic escalation of the conflict. The statements were made at a time when the US is about to finalize a multi-million dollar contract with a Russian arms exporter.
247 with international agencies - The United States accuses Russia of supplying attack helicopters to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that her country "confronted the Russians to stop sending weapons to Syria."
“They said there is no cause for concern, that what they are sending is not related to internal actions. This is manifestly false. The United States is concerned about recent information that there are attack helicopters heading to Syria, which will translate into a dramatic escalation of the conflict,” said Hillary Clinton, in a debate at the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington.
The US Secretary of State's statements come at a time when the Pentagon is on the defensive over negotiating with a Russian arms exporter. The US plans to buy 21 Mi-17 helicopters from Rosoboronexport by 2016. The US contract with the Russian conglomerate totals $375 million, with an option for an additional purchase of aircraft worth $550 million. The Mi-17 is generally used in troop transport missions.