Syrian Rebels Want US Patriot Missiles to Protect Opposition Forces From Airstrikes

NATO has said it will not participate in a military intervention in Syria

A Syrian opposition leader said Tuesday that he had asked the United States to defend rebel-held areas with Patriot missiles. 

NATO already has Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries in NATO-member Turkey to help defend the country from potential airstrikes by President Bashar Assad's regime.

Syrian opposition leader Mouaz al-Khatib -- who appeared Tuesday as the representative of Syria at an Arab League summit meeting following the Assad regime's suspension -- said that he had asked Secretary of State John Kerry "to extend the umbrella of the Patriot missiles to cover the Syrian north and he promised to study the subject," Reuters reported.