Rice: US Offers ‘Lethal and Non-Lethal’ Aid to Syrian Rebels

US Ramping Up Involvement in Civil War

It’s not exactly a secret, with rebels putting up videos showing themselves wielding US-made weapons, but the Obama Administration seems to finally be admitting to its arming of the Syrian rebellion.

National Security Advisor Susan Rice confirmed today on CNN that the US is “providing lethal and non-lethal support” to the “moderate vetted opposition” in Syria.

Rice insisted the she was “heartbroken” about the civil war, and that this was why the US had “ramped up” its involvement in the ongoing conflict. Recently, US weapons, particularly anti-tank rockets, have been showing up across the rebellion.

Other administration officials were still refusing to detail the extent of the US armament of rebels, so it’s not clear if Rice’s comment reflects increasingly overt involvement in the war, or simply a one-off interview while they continue on with relative secrecy.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.