US steps up military aid to Syrian rebels
Rebel group says weapons will soon be in hands of rebels and it would boost their morale.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama s decision to authorize lethal aid to Syrian rebels marks a deepening of U.S. involvement in the two-year civil war.
But U.S. officials are still grappling with what type and how much weaponry to send the opposition forces and how to ensure it stays out of the hands of extremists battling for control of Syria.
U.S. officials confirmed Obama s authorization Thursday after the White House announced it had conclusive evidence that Syrian President Bashar Assad s regime used chemical weapons against opposition forces. Obama has said the use of chemical weapons would cross a "red line," suggesting greater American intervention.
While a small percentage of the 93,000 people reportedly killed in Syria are said to have died from chemical weapons.
U.S. intelligence puts the number at 100 to 150 the White House views the deployment of the deadly agents as a flouting of international norms. Ben Rhodes, Obama s deputy national security adviser, said the multiple chemical weapons attacks gave greater urgency to the situation.
"Suffice it to say this is going to be different in both scope and scale in terms of what we are providing," Rhodes said of the ramped-up U.S. response. But he added the U.S. would make specific determinations "on our own timeline."
The Obama administration could give the rebels a range of weapons, including small arms, assault rifles, shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenades and other anti-tank missiles. The opposition forces could operate most of that equipment without significant training.
Meanwhile, the commander of the main Western-backed rebel group fighting in Syria said Friday he hoped that U.S. weapons will be in the hands of rebels in the near future, saying it will boost the morale of the fighters on the ground.
The comments by Gen. Salim Idris to Al-Arabiya TV followed a decision by President Barack Obama to authorize sending weapons to Syrian rebels, marking a deepening of U.S. involvement in Syria s two-year civil war.
U.S. officials said the administration could provide the fighters with a range of weapons, including small arms, ammunition, assault rifles and a variety of anti-tank weaponry such as shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenades and other missiles.
However, no final decisions have been made on the type of weaponry or when it would reach the rebels, according to the officials, who insisted on anonymity in order to discuss internal administration discussions with reporters.
The decision came a day after the United Nations said nearly 93,000 people have been confirmed dead in Syria s civil war, but the actual number is believed to be much higher.
In addition to the increased military aid, the U.S. also announced Thursday it had conclusive evidence that President Bashar Assad s regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against opposition forces.
The White House said multiple chemical attacks last year killed up to 150 people.
Obama has said the use of chemical weapons cross a "red line" triggering greater U.S involvement in the crisis.
"We hope to have the weapons and ammunition that we need in the near future," Idris told Al-Arabiya.
