Turkey and United States are exploring the possibility of no-fly zone in Syria 1208121

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Defense News - United States / Turkey
 
 
Sunday, August 12, 2012, 09:01 AM
 
Turkey and United States are exploring the possibility of no-fly zone in Syria.
The United States and Turkey indicated they were studying a range of possible measures over Syria, including a no-fly zone, as battles between rebels and President Bashar al-Assad's forces shook Aleppo and the heart of Damascus.
     
The United States and Turkey indicated they were studying a range of possible measures over Syria, including a no-fly zone, as battles between rebels and President Bashar al-Assad's forces shook Aleppo and the heart of Damascus.
Large part of the city of Aleppo was completely destroyed by fighting between Syrian government forces and the Free Syrian army soldiers.
     

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after meeting her Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul on Saturday, August 12, 2012, that Washington and Ankara should develop detailed operational planning on ways to assist the rebels fighting to topple Assad.

No-fly zones imposed by NATO and Arab allies helped Libyan rebels overthrow Muammar Gaddafi last year. Until recently, the West had shunned the idea of repeating any Libya-style action.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar are believed to be arming Syrian rebels, while the United States and Britain have pledged to step up non-lethal assistance to Assad's opponents.

The former Pentagon chief and Maine senator, now chairman and chief executive officer of the Cohen Group consulting firm in Washington, said any US military action would depend on participation and support from allies.

“I think that the United States is not going to go into this alone,” said Cohen, who served as defense secretary during the NATO air strikes in the Kosovo conflict during the Clinton administration. “That’s why we’ve been working with the Gulf states.”

Syrian armed forces have one of the most sophisticated Soviet-designed air defence systems outside of the former Eastern Bloc countries. Syria for the few past years has reached out to Russia to obtain modern weapons that included many modern anti-tank and anti-air missile systems that will further improve its combat capabilities. The analysis by Army Recognition team of Syrian air defence forces and threats in case of no-fly-zone in Syria at this link.

In the latest battles, tanks and troops of Syrian governement forces pummeled rebels near the shattered district of Salaheddine, a former opposition stronghold that commands the main southern approach to Aleppo.

Tank fire crashed into the adjacent Saif al-Dawla neighborhood as military jets circled over an abandoned police station held by rebels, firing missiles every few minutes.

Insurgents said they had been forced to retreat in the latest twist in relentless, see-saw battles for Salaheddine, part of a swathe of Aleppo seized by rebels last month.

Some rebels, outgunned and low on ammunition in Aleppo, have pleaded for outside military help, arguing that more weapons and a no-fly zone over areas they control near the Turkish border would give them a secure base against Assad's forces.