US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta defended the Obama administration’s decision not to arm the Syrian opposition, saying the country risked being pushed into an all-out civil war if efforts to secure a smooth political transition fail.

“We made a decision not to provide lethal assistance at this point. I know others have made their own decisions,” Panetta said in an interview late Thursday.

“But I think it’s very important right now that everybody focus on a smooth and responsible political transition,” he said.

“If we don’t get this done in a responsible way, there’s a real danger that the situation there could deteriorate into a terrible civil war.”

The defense secretary also said the United States was concerned about the possibility that shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, known as MANPADs, stolen from Libya last year during the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, could make their way to Syria. He cautioned, however, that he had seen no direct intelligence yet to confirm those fears.

Panetta also expressed confidence that Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles were not at risk.

“We’re confident that these sites are being secured. And we see no evidence that any of them are in jeopardy of being violated,” Panetta said.

The outside world is deeply divided in its response to an increasingly sectarian conflict in Syria t hat threatens to become a proxy war for regional powers. The United Nations estimates more than 10,000 people have been killed in 15 months of violence and unrest. Western diplomats say that month-old estimate is obsolete and the figure is likely much higher now.

Questions about weaponry being provided to Assad’s government came into focus last week when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Russia of providing attack helicopters to Assad. Russia acknowledged Thursday it was trying to send repaired combat helicopters to Syria aboard a vessel that apparently turned back after its insurance coverage was withdrawn.

Panetta said the US hope was that “not only Russia, but other countries, don’t provide the kind of weapons and arms that result in killing more Syrians.”

On other Middle East crises, Panetta in the interview:


Said Egypt’s military leaders still appeared broadly committed to a transition to civilian rule, but acknowledged his concern about new limitations on presidential powers that opponents equate with a coup.

“At least from the conversations I’ve had with them, I’ve gotten the impression that they want to continue to make this transition work,” said Panetta, who spoke by phone last week with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, or SCAF.

Panetta said he was more troubled by the SCAF’s restrictions on presidential powers than by the decision of Egypt’s Supreme Court last week to dissolve the newly elected parliament.

“You have to respect the ruling of the court. So I understand that,” he said. “The bigger concern is the announcement with regards to restricting powers.”