Halt in aid is blow to U.S. effort to help Syrian rebels
Source: USA Today
Halt in aid is blow to U.S. effort to help Syrian rebels
Jim Michaels, USA TODAY 4:36 p.m. EST December 11, 2013
Halt in aid comes as Syrian rebel groups are split by infighting.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. decision to cut off the delivery of nonlethal aid to rebels in northern Syria is another blow to American efforts to strengthen and unify insurgents fighting Bashar al-Assad, analysts say.
The State Department said Wednesday it made the decision after Islamist groups within the opposition captured a warehouse and headquarters of the mainstream opposition alliance backed United States.
The decision reflects the challenge the United States has in supporting a fractured opposition where extremist groups are gaining an edge over moderates.
"It's an example of U.S. policy catching up with reality on the ground," said Michael Rubin, an analyst at the American Enterprise Institute.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/12/11/assad-syria-rebels/3989909/
