Moscow: Russia has received information that Nato members and some Gulf countries are preparing military intervention in Syria, the head of the Russian Security Council said.
Turkey, a Nato member, may play a key role, Nikolai Patrushev, who is also a former director of the Federal Security Service, told Interfax in comments confirmed by his office. The US and Turkey are working on the possibility of creating a no-fly zone to protect Syrian rebels, Patrushev said.
"We are receiving information that Nato members and some Gulf states, working under the ‘Libyan scenario', intend to move from indirect intervention in Syria to direct military intervention," the Russian security chief said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that the Arab League monitoring mission in Syria, which has Soviet-era ties with Russia, argues that the UN-sanctioned bombing of Libya by the Nato was used to bring about regime change and that Western governments are trying to repeat that scenario.
The West is putting pressure on Syria because the country refuses to break off its alliance with Iran rather than for repressing the opposition, said Patrushev.
"This time, it won't be France, the UK and Italy that will provide the main strike forces, but perhaps neighbouring Turkey, which was until recently on good terms with Syria and is a rival of Iran with immense ambitions," Patrushev said.
