Is Syria's Assad running short of helicopters and cash?

ProPublica reports that Syria asked Iraq to allow helicopter shipment overflights from Russia, just days after other documents revealed Russia sent Syrian currency to Damascus.

By Arthur Bright,?Staff writer / November 30, 2012

Syrian Air Force helicopters used by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad are seen at a military base at Taftanaz near the northern province of Idlib November 19. Syria sought permission from Iraq last month to ship attack helicopters being refurbished by Russia through Iraqi airspace, according to a new report, but it is unclear whether the shipments ever occurred.

Courtesy of Redwan Al-Homsi/Shaam News Network/Reuters

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Europe Editor

Arthur Bright is the Europe Editor at The Christian Science Monitor.? He has worked for the Monitor in various capacities since 2004, including as the Online News Editor and a regular contributor to the Monitor's Terrorism & Security blog.? He is also a licensed Massachusetts attorney.

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According to a new report, Syria sought permission from Iraq last month to ship attack helicopters being refurbished by Russia through Iraqi airspace. But while it is unclear whether the shipments ever occurred ? unlike eight shipments of Syrian currency sent from Russia that was revealed earlier this week ? the reports, taken together, indicate an increasing level of desperation on the part of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Nonprofit investigative journalist organization ProPublica reports today that according to flight request documents, Syria has made multiple requests of Iraq for the helicopter-shipment overflights, including flights that were scheduled to leave Moscow on Nov. 21 and Nov. 28. ProPublica does not disclose how it obtained the flight request documents and writes that their authenticity could not be verified.

The organization reports that the two November flights did not appear to take place as scheduled according to a photographer on the scene at the Moscow airport, though it is not clear whether they went through at a different time. ProPublica's documents indicate two more flights are scheduled for Dec. 3 and Dec. 6.

Iraq's permission for the flights to pass through its airspace are critical for Syria, as it would allow shipments of arms from Russia to circumvent Turkey's airspace. Turkey effectively closed its airspace to Syria last month and, along with European Union sanctions, has almost completely cut off the Syrian government's access to foreign arms shipments.

ProPublica adds that the overflight-request documents "show that Baghdad has requested several times to inspect other Syrian flights that were going to pass over Iraq from Iran and Russia, something that US officials confirmed to ProPublica."

If Iraq is indeed helping the US to cut off arms to Syria, the Assad regime could be left with very few avenues to receive the weapons it needs to maintain its military superiority over the rebels. While Prime

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