FP: US Moves to Aid Syrian Oppositions, Free Syrian Army Unaccountable
Acknowledging the fact that Syrian leadership is moving towards military decisiveness against armed opposition, US decided to interfere on the ground trying to score some points in its failing bets.
According to "Foreign Policy" magazine, a group of senior US President Barak
Obama administration officials met to finalize a package of options for aiding both the internal and external Syrian opposition.
Two administration officials confirmed to the magazine that this "is to include providing direct humanitarian and communications assistance to the Syrian opposition."
This meeting of what's known as the Deputies Committee of the National Security Council set forth a new and assertive strategy for expanding US engagement with Syrian activists and providing them with the means to organize them.
"For now, riskier options, such as creating a no-fly zone in Syria, using US military force there, or engaging directly with the Free Syrian Army, are all still off the table," the officials declared pointing out that "the administration has decided not to oppose, either in public or in private, the arming of the rebels by other countries. "
"These moves are going to invest the US in a much deeper sense with the opposition," one administration official said adding that "US policy is now aligned with enabling the opposition to overthrow the Assad regime. This codifies a significant change in our Syria policy."
The administration is planning to greatly expand its interactions with the external Syrian opposition, led by the Syrian National Council, as well as with internal opposition bodies to include Syrian NGOs, the Local Coordinating Councils, and the Revolutionary Councils that are increasingly becoming the de facto representation of the Syrian opposition.
Mentioning that the "Free Syrian Army works with these councils," the magazine reported that "the US administration is not ready to engage the armed rebels directly out of concern that they are still somewhat unaccountable and may have contacts with extremist elements."
"The prevailing narrative is enabling the transition while keeping options open for reaching out to the armed opposition," the administration official said. "There is recognition that lethal assistance to the opposition may be necessary, but not at this time."
"It's more about what could be accomplished by intervening. So many questions haven't been answered," another administration official said, expressing the widespread internal uneasiness about involving the US military in yet another war in the Middle East.
"There's a chance we could get embroiled in a conflict. What does that do to our preparedness for other contingencies?"
The two officials confirmed that Russian arms deliveries to Syria are ongoing and one administration official said that the latest shipment included large amounts of advanced anti-aircraft missile systems, which are meant to help Syria repel any attempt to establish a no-fly zone.
Source: Foreign Policy, Edited by moqawama.org
