|
Trending Topics
|
Arms Airlift to Syrian Rebels Expands, with Aid from CIA
(New York Times) C.J. Chivers and Eric Schmitt - With help from the CIA, Arab governments and Turkey have sharply increased their military aid to Syria's opposition fighters in recent months, expanding a secret airlift of arms and equipment for the uprising against President Assad. The airlift includes more than 160 military cargo flights by Jordanian, Saudi and Qatari military cargo planes landing near Ankara and, to a lesser degree, at other Turkish and Jordanian airports. Most of the cargo flights have occurred since November. American intelligence officers have helped the Arab governments shop for weapons, including a large procurement from Croatia, and have vetted rebel commanders and groups to determine who should receive the weapons. The Turkish government has had oversight over much of the program.