Is White House Ready to Arm Syrian Rebels? - East Idaho News
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Is White House Ready to Arm Syrian Rebels?

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GETTY W 022212 SyriaTank?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1329907775403JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Over the past 11 months, the Obama administration hasn’t done much more than deliver harsh statements about the situation in Syria where thousands have died as President Bashar al-Assad attempts to hold onto his autocratic regime.

With the situation getting worse as of late, the White House seems to be softening its stance on not providing assistance to pro-reform dissidents, who’ve endured most of the casualties through the violent crackdown perpetrated by Syrian forces.

The administration had hoped international condemnation and sanctions against al-Bashar’s regime would convince him to stop the aggression, which the Syrian leader has blamed on “saboteurs.”

But with al-Assad digging in his heels and vowing to crush his enemies, the White House hinted Tuesday that it would no longer be opposed to arming rebels who’ve faced daunting odds against a much better equipped Syrian army and security force.

Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters, “We don’t want to take actions that would contribute to the further militarization of Syria because that could take the country down a dangerous path.  But we don’t rule out additional measures if the international community should wait too long and not take the kind of action that needs to be taken.”

These “additional measures” could include a military component that would be added to humanitarian and political aid that will be discussed at a major international conference this week.

The danger, critics say, is who would end up with those weapons. In Libya, al-Qeada-linked extremists boasted they had easy access to anti-aircraft missiles and other powerful weapons and gear left abandoned in the chaos after the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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