(CNN) -- A series of U.S. diplomatic cables from early this year directly accused Syria of supplying advanced weaponry, including SCUD ballistic missiles, to the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon. U.S. protests to Damascus met with persistent denials, according to the cables, which were published by the WikiLeaks website. At a meeting in February, according to one cable, a senior U.S. diplomat stressed Washington's concerns directly with Syrian President Bashar Asad, "who bluntly stated that he knew of no new weapons systems going to Hezbollah." But just a week later, an urgent note from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the U.S. Embassy in Damascus said the United States had learned of Syrian plans to supply Hezbollah with SCUD-D ballistic missiles, which would magnify its threat to Israel.
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SCUD ballistic missiles would increase Hezbollah's threat to Israel
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U.S. cables accuse Syria of supply weaponry including SCUDs to the Shiite militia
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U.S. protests to Damascus were met with persistent denials, according to the cables
In April this year, @placeholder officials alleged that the transfer of SCUD-D missiles had gone ahead.