Will Stewart: Russia Admits Supplying Cruise Missiles to Syria

Russia admitted it had defied the West and supplied Syrian president Bashar al-Assad with cruise missiles. Despite warnings that the country was in civil war, and ongoing concerns over terror tactics used against civilians, Moscow will go-ahead with training the dictator's troops to use the state-of-the-art weapons. 'Supersonic anti-ship Yakhont cruise missiles have been delivered to Syria,' said an informed Russian source. A total of 72 missiles were ordered by Damascus, but Moscow did not make clear how many had been delivered in the recent past. 'These arms will make it possible to defend Syria's entire coastline against a potential attack from the sea,' said another source. Israel fears the cruise missiles could fall in the hands of Hezbollah militants in neighboring Lebanon. The US also sought to halt arms sales to the Syrian ruler after his bloody crackdowns on street protests. Moscow insists that the deal on the missiles and radar equipment, signed in 2007, is legal under international law. With instability growing in the region, Moscow may have calculated that by arming the dictator, it reduces the chances of Western intervention in the country. The revelation came as the UN's top human rights official warned that Syria has entered a state of civil war, with more than 4,000 people dead, and an increasing number of soldiers defecting from the army to take up arms against the president.