Monday, September 16, 2013

U.S. weapons reaching Syrian rebels

Video: The CIA has started delivering weapons to rebels in Syria, making good on a pledge made months ago. Rep. Adam Schiff (R-Calif.) tells On Background that doing so pulls the U.S. further into the conflict and diverts focus from national security interests.

By Ernesto Londoño and Greg Miller, Published: September 11

E-mail the writers

The CIA has begun delivering weapons to rebels in Syria, ending months of delay in lethal aid that had been promised by the Obama administration, according to U.S. officials and Syrian figures. The shipments began streaming into the country over the past two weeks, along with separate deliveries by the State Department of vehicles and other gear — a flow of material that marks a major escalation of the U.S. role in Syria’s civil war.

The arms shipments, which are limited to light weapons and other munitions that can be tracked, began arriving in Syria at a moment of heightened tensions over threats by President Obama to order missile strikes to punish the regime of Bashar al-Assad for his alleged use of chemical weapons in a deadly attack near Damascus last month.
The arms are being delivered as the United States is also shipping new types of nonlethal gear to rebels. That aid includes vehicles, sophisticated communications equipment and advanced combat medical kits.
U.S. officials hope that, taken together, the weapons and gear will boost the profile and prowess of rebel fighters in a conflict that started about 2¹ / ₂years ago.
Although the Obama administration signaled months ago that it would increase aid to Syrian rebels, the efforts have lagged because of the logistical challenges involved in delivering equipment in a war zone and officials’ fears that any assistance could wind up in the hands of jihadists. Secretary of State John F. Kerry had promised in April that the nonlethal aid would start flowing “in a matter of weeks.”
The delays prompted several senior U.S. lawmakers to chide the Obama administration for not moving more quickly to aid the Syrian opposition after promising lethal assistance in June. The criticism has grown louder amid the debate over whether Washington should use military force against the Syrian regime, with some lawmakers withholding support until the administration committed to providing the rebels with more assistance.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who has pressed the Obama administration to do more to help the rebels, said he felt embarrassed when he met with Syrians along the Turkish border three weeks ago.
“It was humiliating,” he said in an interview Wednesday night. “The president had announced that we would be providing lethal aid, and not a drop of it had begun. They were very short on ammunition, and the weapons had not begun to flow.”
The latest effort to provide aid is aimed at supporting rebel fighters who are under the command of Gen. Salim Idriss, according to officials, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because part of the initiative is covert. Idriss is the commander of the Supreme Military Council, a faction of the disjointed armed opposition.
U.S. officials, speaking about the provision of nonlethal aid, said they are determined to increase the cohesion and structure of the rebel fighting units.

Read More and Watch Video Here

Timeline: Unrest in Syria

Two years after the first anti-government protests, conflict in Syria rages on. See the major events in the country's tumultuous uprising.

Syrian rebels say U.S.-Russia agreement emboldens Assad

Loveday Morris 5:08 PM ET

Commander says Syria and its ally Russia are “playing games” to bide time.

What lies behind Putin’s anti-American streak

Kathy Lally and Will Englund 2:40 PM ET

The Russian president once aligned himself with the U.S., but politics and pride have made him a vocal critic.

Hundreds of fleeing Syrian refugees reach Italian coast

2:16 PM ET

More than 2 million refugees have now fled Syria’s civil war. The number reaching Italy is increasing.

U.S., Russia reach deal on Syrian chemical weapons

Anne Gearan and Loveday Morris 11:44 AM ET

The accord will be backed by a U.N. Security Council resolution specifying consequences if Syria fails to comply.

*******************************************************

CIA starts arming Syrian rebels overtly

Published time: September 12, 2013 11:37
Edited time: September 13, 2013 12:43

Get short URL

A Free Syrian Army fighter (Reuters/Yazan Homsy)

In the past two weeks the US has reportedly begun delivering arms to militants fighting the Syrian government. Washington expects the CIA to monitor the delivery so that the aid does not end up in the hands of Al-Qaeda associates.
According to the Washington Post report, after months of promises to provide aid to Syrian rebels in an ‘official’ manner, Washington has finally sanctioned open delivery of arms and munitions to anti-Assad forces - despite fears that some of the weapons could end up in the hands of Islamic fundamentalists.
Already back in April the US Secretary of State John Kerry promised that official ‘nonlethal’ aid would start flowing “in a matter of weeks.”
In May the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations had passed a bill that would allow, if signed, the Obama administration to supply arms to Syrian opposition. However, in reality it took months before the Obama administration made up its mind.
The biggest hindrance for Washington to aid Syrian rebels has always been the ever growing presence of Al-Qaeda jihadists among rebel ranks.
In the end the decision was made at a time when President Barack Obama was considering missile strikes on sovereign Syrian state pursuing the aim of ousting President Bashar Assad.
So far there has been no official comment from the CIA.

Read More Here

*******************************************************