(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Andrew J. Tabler and Jeffrey White - The Assad regime's use of Scud missiles over the past several days represents a dramatic escalation in its war against the rebels. Assad's longer-range Scuds, the C and D types, can reach most of Syria from the Damascus area, where the major Scud garrisons are located. At the same time, Scuds are not particularly effective against the types of targets the rebels represent - dispersed light-infantry forces. The use of Scuds reflects the regime's increasingly dire straits. Using long-range missiles against a widely distributed insurgency, with no critical military targets to strike, represents desperation rather than sound military strategy.
2012-12-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive