The United States has agreed to send more non-lethal aid to Syrian rebels — provided the group pledges to be inclusive, protect minorities, and abide by the rule of law.
The news comes from a senior administration official, who stated that the plan was agreed to by President Obama. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to meet with Syrian opposition leaders in Istanbul on Saturday, along with foreign ministers that support them.
The group will be discussing both what the United States plans to do to help and what it expects from the Syrian rebels in return. The senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated:
“It’s not a quid pro quo, but we want the opposition to do more. Secretary Kerry will be discussing what steps we want them to take.”
News that the United States plans to send more aid to Syria came as the regime’s President Bashar al Assad warned that the West, including the US, will pay for helping the rebels, which he called terrorists. Assad is also facing a new threat from European nations that could determine if a stronger international intervention is required in the country.
Syria has been locked in a bloody civil war for two years as rebels have tried to oust President Assad. In response, the embattled leader has been defiant, saying the only way he will leave his post is if the elections, expected next year, vote him out. on Thursday,
Secretary Kerry explained that the upcoming conference is designed to get the Syrian opposition and all prospective donors “on the same page” with how the country will be governed if and when the country’s leader is toppled. He told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “The hope is that that will then create a confidence level about who is getting what kind of aid from whom.”
So far, the United States has provided rebels with about $117 million in non-lethal aid, including medical equipment and food. But the news agreement is expected to send about $100 million more.
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