Australia on Monday expanded its list of sanctions against Syria, announced the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd. Quoted Monday by ABC television channel, the Australian foreign minister said the new measures include ban on all commercial transactions between Australia and Syria in the petroleum, petroleum products, financial services, telecommunications and precious metals.
This is in addition to an arms embargo, sanctions against 75 persons linked to the Syrian regime and 27 Syrian companies operating in Australia declared earlier.
Meanwhile, Western sources have suggested an indirect involvement of Russia in the shooting down of a Turkish F4 warplane over the territorial waters of Syria.
The sources said the aircraft was shot down by an ultra-sophisticated air defense system called Buk-M2 and made in Russia. This system is known as the SA-11 and is able to shoot down warplanes flying at an altitude of 14 km. It is believed this advanced system was delivered a few weeks ago to Syria and be activated by the Russians themselves.
Now, NATO got involved in this incident and said it wants to investigate it. The "Sunday Daily Star" reported that British jet fighters are on alert with the possible participation in an anti-Syrian response, if it is decided by Turkey.
