Time to aid, not stigmatize, the Syrian rebels

Syrian opposition groups willing to fight both the regime and al-Qaeda are worthy of Western and Arab support

With potential American strikes against Syrian chemical weapons-related targets averted for now, attention once again turns to the Syrian opposition. This is a crucial issue because the main way the West and the Arab states can, and should, act to influence the Syrian conflict is through a robust engagement with acceptable armed opposition forces.

As long as the Damascus dictatorship continues to enjoy impunity, air supremacy and unrestrained support from Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia, the existing power structure has no incentive whatsoever to look for an agreement, nor can it be forced into a de facto stalemate that can provide a modicum of stability.
FULL ARTICLE HERE: Time to aid, not stigmatize, the Syrian rebels

McCain: Syrian rebels need heavy weapons | The Times of Israel

US Sen. John McCain visits troops at a Patriot missile site in southern Turkey, Monday, May 27, 2013 (photo credit: AP Photo/John McCain via Twitter)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Syrian rebels battling the forces of President Bashar Assad must receive ammunition and heavy weapons to counter the regime’s tanks and aircraft or it will be impossible for them to prevail, Sen. John McCain said days after he quietly slipped into Syria to meet with the opposition.

“They just can’t fight tanks with AK-47s,” McCain said Friday in a telephone interview, referring to assault rifles.

FULL ARTICLE HERE: McCain: Syrian rebels need heavy weapons | The Times of Israel