US facilitating arms flow to Syrian rebels
Gulf states are sending more weapons to Syrian rebels battling President Bashar Assad's regime with coordinated assistance from the United States, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. Obama administration officials denied the claims accusing the United States of supplying or funding lethal material, which includes antitank weapons, the report said. (Reuters, Al-Akhbar) - Instead, they claimed that the administration had expanded contacts with armed rebels to provide the Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure, the Post said. "We are increasing our non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition, and we continue to coordinate our efforts with friends and allies in the region and beyond in order to have the biggest impact on what we are collectively doing," said a senior State Department official. Material is being stockpiled in Damascus, in Idlib near the Turkish border and in Zabadani on the Lebanese border, according to the Post. Opposition activists who two months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition reported this week that the flow of weapons — most still bought on the black market — has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other autocratic Gulf states to provide monthly funding amounting to millions of dollars. Syria's Muslim Brotherhood – based in Turkey – also said it has opened a supply channel to the rebels, using resources from wealthy individuals and money from Gulf states, primarily Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
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