Syrian war prey to cross-border escalation

[bemildred]

First time I've seen it called the "Syrian War".

Warning, registration rquired.

Last Friday’s downing of a Turkish jet-fighter by Syrian anti-aircraft fire is probably the closest Syria’s 15-month conflict has come to sucking in the shadow warriors behind the rebels battling the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

The measured response of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister, belies his tempestuous reputation and means it is unlikely that Turkey, much less its Nato allies, will become open participants in the conflict – at least for now. Turkish officials have made it clear Turkey will not intervene in Syria except under an international umbrella. That would have to be provided by the United Nations Security Council and Nato, with Arab League backing – which looks unlikely despite UN special envoy Kofi Annan’s convening of an embryonic contact group to discuss a transition plan for Syria in Geneva this weekend.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fbbc54f8-c132-11e1-8179-00144feabdc0.html