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President Obama has directed his national security team to identify ways to significantly ramp up U.S. support of the opposition forces battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Among the options under consideration is supplying arms to rebel forces, although no decision on that has been made.
The first step will likely be a dramatic expansion of nonlethal aid to opposition fighters.
“The items to be supplied will be decided after consultations with the Supreme Military Command,” National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said. ”Additional communications equipment, armor, night-vision goggles and vehicles are among the items being discussed.”
Hayden also suggested aid to the rebels could go beyond such nonlethal assistance.
“We continue to consider all other possible options that would accomplish our objective of hastening a political transition,” she said.
The aid is intended to tilt the balance in favor of the rebels and hasten the fall of the Assad regime. It is not a direct response to chemical weapons evidence, but a recognition that the situation in Syria has gotten worse and the only real solution is for Assad to go.
Secretary of State John Kerry announced last week that the United States would be doubling aid to the opposition, bringing the total U.S. aid to $250 million, including nonlethal supplies to the opposition’s military wing.
Beyond that, senior administration sources say, the White House is actively considering supplying the rebels with arms. This is a move Obama has resisted for fears that the weapons could fall into the wrong hands.
They don’t know who is who among the opposition forces. You might be giving support to al-quaeda as we did in Libya. What is wrong with you guys? Don’t you ever learn?
Posted by: Perplexed | May 1, 2013, 10:21 am 10:21 am
“Obama Ramps Up Support for Syrian Opposition” – ABC News
So President Anti-Lincoln is now going to support AL Qaeda?
What for?
Is this the game change we want?
Posted by: Noz | May 1, 2013, 10:53 am 10:53 am
Hey Obama, if you really want something done right, like the removal of Assad, do it yourself. It worked in Libya, and now that we are targeting headds of state, this is a great opportunity right? Remember when there were only 5000 dead in Syria? We are now at 75000 and counting.
Posted by: Commonsenseparty | May 1, 2013, 11:14 am 11:14 am
POSTED BY: PERPLEXED | MAY 1, 2013, 10:21 AM 10:21 AM this administration did the same thing in Egypt and is still providing support for the Muslim Brotherhood. Makes one wonder if the administration wants to support democracy or tyranny.
Posted by: Lizzie43 | May 1, 2013, 11:27 am 11:27 am
“Makes one wonder if the administration wants to support democracy or tyranny.” – Lizzie43
The NoBo administration’s actions show they want to support a theocracy.
Posted by: Noz | May 1, 2013, 11:57 am 11:57 am
he should have never opened his mouth and draw a line in the sand. to our enemies anything short of bombing syria demonstartes that obama cannot be taken seriously. you cant talk like clint eastwood and act like jane fonda…..all hat no cattle.
Posted by: catman | May 1, 2013, 1:19 pm 1:19 pm
Why do the republicans have their hair on fire about Syria?
I don’t see NATO countries, Israel or the Arab league doing anything and they have a much larger stake in Syria than we do.
Posted by: tmferretti | May 1, 2013, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
He will get as much support for this as he did with his failed gun support push. He is a lame duck with people just waiting him out to get rid of him.
Posted by: LaTunna | May 1, 2013, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
LATUNNA
The President has a likability rating that rivals Bill Clintons. Your wishful thinking is just that , wishful thinking
Posted by: tmferretti | May 1, 2013, 2:51 pm 2:51 pm
First arms. Then advisors. Then troops. Sort of reminds me of how we got into Vietnam. Are we sure that we want to go there?
Posted by: Buck | May 1, 2013, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm
The only stake we have in Syria is to keep those chemical weapons out of the hands of terrorists.
We don’t need a full scale incursion to do that. There are already teams of operatives training in Jordan to secure those weapons.
As I said earlier, NATO, Israel amd the Arab league, who have a much greater stake, aren’t running around with their hair on fire like these right wing republicans. Thankfully the President of the United States isn’t either.
Posted by: tmferretti | May 1, 2013, 4:03 pm 4:03 pm
The obvious problem here is Obama drew a line in the sand and called it a gamechanger if it is crossed. Now, we know it has been crossed, so what do we do? Either secure or take out the weapons.
Posted by: Commonsenseparty | May 1, 2013, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
COMMONSENSE
Do we really know? We know they were used but by who? A lot of military bases have been taken over by the rebels. Some could have acquired a small amount and used it to force us to move against Assad.
The Israelis don’t seem too concerned and they are in the line of fire. They wait until they see these chemical agents moved then take them out as they did several weeks ago near Lebanon.
I think the President envisioned a chemical attack as Sadamn Hussein launched against the Kurds, where thousands were killed and Sadamn admitted doing it.
We have to be careful; Syria is a quagmire and better left to its own devices.
Posted by: tmferretti | May 1, 2013, 4:47 pm 4:47 pm
If the “Opposition” also used WMD’s who is the bigger evil?
Posted by: Common _ Sense | May 1, 2013, 5:06 pm 5:06 pm
The problems in the Middle East stem from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that’s been going on 68 years.
The conflict was started by Arab countries, not the Palestinians, who were invited fromthe time Israel was formed to become Israeli citizens, To this day the Saudis and Arab Emirates fund Hamas and Hezbollah to keep the conflict going. Instead of using their influence to come to a peaceful solution, they inflame the situation.
The sad part about it, is we do not hold the Saudis and Arab Emirate’s feet to the fire. We continue to countenance their involvement and ignore how they radicalize their citizens. The 911 hijackers were Saudis, radicalized in Saudi and trained in camps in Afghanistan paid for by the Saudis.
We don’t want to antagonize both parties because we are dependent on them for cheap oil and the oil industry has close ties in those countries. If we really want to have peace in the Middle East it’s time we get our heads out of the sand and see reality.
Posted by: tmferretti | May 1, 2013, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm