CIA weapons for Syrian rebels stolen by Jordanian intelligence officers and sold on black market

Millions of dollars worth of weapons sent by the CIA to Jordan for Syrian rebels was stolen by Jordanian intelligence chiefs and sold on the black market, it has emerged.
Thousands of Kalashnikov assault rifles, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades - intended for US-backed opposition groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces - ended up in the hands of criminals.

The theft was reportedly carried out by officers with direct access to cargo, who “regularly siphoned truckloads” of the arms while still delivering some to designated drop-offs.

Jordanian officers who were part of the scheme "reaped a windfall" from sales, using the money to buy iPhones, SUVs and other luxury items, according to a joint investigation by the New York Times and al-Jazeera.

The scheme continued for some time and was only stopped a few months ago when the US became aware of reports arms dealers were bragging that they had large stocks of CIA weapons.

After the Americans complained, Jordanian investigators arrested several dozen “low-level” officers involved in the scheme, but later released them.

Most of the stolen weapons could not be accounted for, but experts speculate they could be in the possession of criminal networks or Islamic State sympathisers. Isil has in recent months become increasingly active in the Hashemite Kingdom, and on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a Jordanian army post on the Syrian border. ..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/27/cia-weapons-for-syrian-rebels-stolen-by-jordanian-intelligence-o/