E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSSince the Syrian crisis broke out, the price of weapons has exploded in neighboring Lebanon. ITN's John Ray meets the rebels buying the weapons and the dealers selling them.
Equipped with rifles and handguns, Syrian rebels have faced a superior enemy armed with tanks and artillery shells for months. But even as many have retreated over the border with Lebanon to train for guerrilla raids, they tell ITN's John Ray they are not considering surrender or ceasefire.
It's victory or martyrdom, they tell Ray.
"We need weapons, armor-piercing weapons," one masked rebel says.
In Beirut, there is no shortage of weapons from dealers with global connections. Since the Syrian crisis broke out, the price of weapons has exploded, a dealer tells Ray, but these weapons continue to be vital to the Syrian uprising.
And rebels are determined to obtain these weapons at all cost, even as some dealers say they're forbidden to sell to rebels.
ITN's John Ray contributed to this report.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Israel fires tear gas at Palestinians at Land Day rally
- Carnival air in Myanmar ahead of election
- Hong Kong firm loses $4.9 billion in one day
- Hermaphrodites push for human rights in Germany
- UN orders Syria cease-fire: 'The deadline is now'
- US soldier dies saving Afghan girl
- Children at Afghan massacre: Bales not alone
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
here you go the rebels saying thet do not want to stop the fighting and ANNAN telling the ASSAD army they need to stop now , what a deal i will shoot at you and you cannot shoot back because the UN said you cannot . BS if you ask me .
Sunni Saudi oil lobby (UN and its agencies, cheap politicians, oil companies) are BS as that Sunni Saudi barbaric and beastly seventh century desert mindset bigoted Saudi, Kuwait, UAE and other rulers!
A ceasefire cannot be observed by one side-unilaterally. Read English version now available http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,824875,99.html 'Foreign Fighters Join Syrian Rebels' - Jihadists Declare Holy War Against Assad Regime. US/Saudi Arabia/Qatar forgot the real people in syria- the no violence opposition and the Kurds- instead they went with the Muslim Brotherhood as prototype Syrian National Council (outsiders) and the Free Syrian Army trained by the veteran Libya Al Queda affiliates. April 1,2012 the Syrian Friends will gather in Istanbul with HRC taking the helm.
Pulse360.com - msn I'm so glad to see that come on every time
Those rebels aren't safe just because they crossed a border. Hezbollah is loyal to Assad. Poor bastards are likely to wake up dead with their throats slit. both sides want us dead so send them a lot of bullets and body bags.
You got that right, they are in the middle of the devils play ground and they do face a certain death no matter which country they are in. How would you like to be a Syrian? Even worse an Iranian! Any fool would not be in either country by choice. Give the people weapons to defend themselves and they will get the job done. Russia and China will go down in history of aiding and abetting the slaughter of the Syrian People. So Saudi, you got the money honey and you got the guns. Get the good ol boys the guns and they will get the job done. The Syrian People should know the world is with them, all except Russia and China. Please do not let the free world down Saudi Arabia, it is your duty to stop the killing of your fellow Arabs the people of Syria.
TOP GUN you might need to brush up on your info. my man THE SAUDIES are the worst human rights violaters in the world . their women cannot drive or vote or walk in public , that really shows how smart you are , the saudie slaughter their own people at home and in BAHARIN everyday but again thats something you and JOHN MECCAIN AND HILLARY over look because the hate for the people that donot agree with us blind us, and if you realy read the news our own people telling us that the rebels killing kids and touturing people but still donot get your attention . I hope ASSAD kick all THE ALQUIDA butts over there and everybody that helps them .
my turn you need to brush up on yours the king of saudi arabia said that in a few years (2014 i think) women well be allowed to vote.
Muslims have problem with their own Muslims and they all want to control the government.
Sunni Islamic militant covert fighting arms of Saudi Arabia and other Sunni ME rulers like al-Qaida, Muslim brotherhood and others are supporting Syrian rebels.
Many cheap puppets of Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists are forgetting that they are responsible for 80 percent of world Islamic radical and terrorism problems.
As Saudis want their dirty work done by others, now many in the US like John McCains are screaming: arm Syrian rebels.
They forgot Iraqi wars and their devastating consequences!
Shiites Hezbollah is supporting Assad.
My question is: why get in between Shiites and Sunni battles?
If they don't kill each other, they will kill infidels!
Why not keep miles away from them?
Send Ammo
leroy2112: Not a bad idea.
You to your al-Qaida, Muslim brotherhood and other killers.
I will cheer Shiites. No Ammo though! May be used against I after they are done killing each other.
al qaidia is @!$%#te and the koran instructs muslims to be tolarent of other religons its people with power that convience the world otherwise
Good. For a change, the global weapons market it working to HELP somebody. I wonder what Hezbellah thinks? Their own contrymen are arming themselves to the teeth to fight the Syrians, their paycheck? Hey, all this terrorism stuff is coming back to haunt them a little? But, it feels so good for a chenge.
Why with all the brilliant scientists we have why can't they manufacture a virus that attacks militant middle easterners , surly there musts be something genetic about them that makes them different , and if it worked the the republicans could fund a version that would work on registered democrats
Pulse360.com msn. How would I survive without you?
The Syrian rebels have been desrted by the other oil rich Arab countries, Saudi Arabia, Kuait and
the rest of their neighbors,most of them are Sunnis like the rebels who are slautered by Assad and
his Alawites who are supported by and supplied By Iran (the Shiaits), and the West is waiting for
the "Chips" so they will know which side to support !! in the meantime Russia ( the revived Comunist
Corps) Helps and supports Assad (Russia Loyal weapons customer. nice world isn't it!
If I was in Israel I'd be alittle worried, your next.
History is going to repeat. Only this time some spark, just like with WW I, will set off a nuclear war killing perhaps 100 million people in the Middle East. There's nothing much that can be done about it though, just like WW I was going to happen one way or another. Perhaps the best thing for America to do is give every citizen of Israel a green card to immigrate to America which they can use when they sense things are getting too hot.
Syria's rebels are being betrayed by the oil rich countries in the Gulf (Saudi Arabia,Kuait,Abu Dabi etc,)
who are Sunnis like the rebels, who are suffering from the minority Alawiets ruling Syria for years.
Assad is supported by the the shiaits Iran (close shoot of the Alawiets ) and offcourse Russia the
peraya country supplying Syria's government with weapons and ammunition !!
We should not turn our backs on the Syria people,but who's really in charge their.Who would we be arming with anti tank weapons?
Come on Dan "the man" Barnes. Nuclear war is so passe! There is so much more money in endless wars and new and exciting/expensive technologies. Eventually, terrorists or a bad actor nation will do some type of nuclear mischief......then things will get really gnarly. If there "was" a Nuclear War in the Middleast can you imagine what the price of gas would be? Maybe $50.00 a gallon if you could even find it. Canada and Venezuela would become Superpowers....Yippee!
The Palestinians are more oppressed and subject to inhuman treatment and indignity than any Syrians under Assad.
The best avenue for weapons in Lebanon is sending to them the Palestinian freedom fighters who only have rocks and home-made rockets against the israeli F-16s and Makarva tanks.
The Palestinian freedom fighters will then be in a better position to fight against occupation and oppression.
I hope Israel drives the Palestinians, Hamas and Hezbollah back into the sea where they belong. If these "poor Palestians" really wanted peace they would be irrigating their lands and growing crops like the Israeli's did and do, instead of buying rokets and anti-tank weapons from Iran.
Once we NUKE IRAN, the weapons flow to these terrorists ends and they start to become normal people again.
Those weapons in Lebanon were stashed there by Syria in preparation for war with Israel. The fact that they are there does not immediately or automatically put them in the hands of the Syrian rebels.
It all goes back to Iran, the chief supplier of weapons to terrorists all over the world. It is time to take out this country. Cut off the head of the snake that is leading to the destruction of the world.
If Iran ever develops small tactical nuclear weapons all nations will rue the day they did not take out Iran.
Islam will rule the world. The evangelical nuts in KS will then have a new God to pray to. I guess the pastors and priests who brainwash these idiots now will be preaching allegiance to Mohammed instead of Jesus. It really does not matter to them, as long as theses stupid sheep keep filling their collection pots.