Special to WorldTribune.com

MOSCOW — Russia has outlined the U.S. role in the Sunni revolt in
Syria.

A leading Russian official provided details of purported U.S. support of
the rebellion against Syrian President Bashar Assad. Alexei Pushkov,
chairman of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said Washington was
directing and organizing supplies of weapons and other equipment to Sunni
rebels.

“The political maneuver phase has come to an end, and the West is
starting to implement a modified Libyan scenario in Syria, which is to
ouster Assad by supporting rebels and providing them with weapons,” Pushkov said.

In remarks made on April 2, Pushkov referred to the NATO decision to
oust Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, which imposed a no-fly zone on the North African state. He said the United States was still avoiding direct intervention in the Syrian conflict, but played a role in what he termed “coordinator and organizer.”

Pushkov confirmed U.S. reports that Washington was overseeing the
training of hundreds of Syrian rebels in neighboring Jordan. He said the
U.S. training was taking place at several locations in the Hashemite
kingdom.

“It is no secret that American military instructors are training
militants at bases in Jordan,” Pushkov said.

The next step, Pushkov said, would be direct Western supplies of weapons
to the Syrian rebels. He said Britain and France could begin the arms flow
in May.

  Alexei Pushkov, Bashar Assad, Moammar Gadhafi, Russian official describes U.S. role in Syria as ‘organizer’, U.S. avoiding direct intervention in Syria