US undecided on Syria Scud missile transfer

REUTERS - The United States has not determined whether Syria has transferred Scud missiles to Lebanon's Hezbollah, a U.S. State Department spokesman said on Tuesday.

"We are still looking into it. We haven't (made) any particular judgment at this point as to whether any transfer has taken place but ... this is something that we have great concern about," spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters.
 
The United States summoned the senior Syrian diplomat in Washington on Monday to address what it called "provocative behavior" regarding the potential transfer of Scud missiles to Hezbollah, which it said could threaten Lebanon and Israel.
 
"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the transfer of any arms, and especially ballistic missile systems such as the SCUD, from Syria to Hezbollah," the statement, issued by State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid, said.
 
"The transfer of these arms can only have a destabilizing effect on the region and would pose an immediate threat to both the security of Israel and the sovereignty of Lebanon."
 
The U.S. statement on Monday stopped short of confirming the alleged transfer of long-range Scud missiles to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, which if true could cast doubt on U.S. President Barack Obama's diplomatic outreach to Syria.