Responding to Russian criticism of the reported Saudi plan to provide MANPADs to Syrian rebels, the Foreign Ministry blamed Russian support of the Assad regime for the prolongation of the Syrian conflict. King Abdullah recently decreed that any citizen who fights abroad faces three to 20 years in prison, and anyone who incites others to fight abroad can get five to 30 years. While official estimates say no more than 3,000 Saudis are fighting in Syria, the actual number may be as high as 15,000.
