SyriaU.S. troops arrive in Turkey to man missile defense batteries
Turkey, a NATO member, has asked the organization for missile defense battaeries to protect it against a possible attack by Syria; the United States, Germany, and the Netherland deployed Patriot missile batteries along the Syrian-Turkish border, with their nationals manning the weapons; U.S. troops arrived in Turkey on Friday to supervise the U.S.-supplied missiles
U.S. troops deploy to Turkey to operate Patriot anti-missile systems // Source: aksalser.com
U.S. troops hit the ground in Turkey last Friday to man Patriot missile defense batteries near the Syrian border, according to Turkish state media.
Twenty-seven U.S. troops landed in Gaziantep, Turkey and will survey the Patriot deployment, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu. CNN reports that the action was in response to Syria launching Scud missiles at cities near the Turkish border. Germany and the Netherlands have also deployed missile defense units in the border region to intercept any Syrian ballistic missiles.
The missiles and troops are under the control of NATO, but the missiles will be operated by U.S. forces. U.S. officials said last month that they would deploy troops to Turkey, but did not specify when.
“We’ve made very clear to them that we’re going to protect countries in this region,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said last month. “We have to act to do what we have to do to make sure that we defend ourselves and make sure that Turkey can defend itself.”
On the same day those units arrived, Free Syrian Army fighters engaged in combat for the third consecutive day as they tried to take control of a helicopter base from Syrian government forces.
If the Free Syrian fighters take Taftanaz Air Base in North Syria from Syrian government troops, it would diminish President Bashar al-Assad’s ability to launch air strikes in the region. Government sources reported that the extremist Jihadi group Nursa Front, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization, took part in the battle.
The war between rebels and government forces has taken its toll as at least 129 people were killed across the country last Friday according to the Local Coordination Committees, an opposition activist network. According to the United Nations, the overall death toll is more than 60,000 people.
