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Exclusive: Obama authorizes secret U.S. support for Syrian rebels
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing U.S. support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, U.S. sources familiar with the matter said.
Obama's order, approved earlier this year and known as an intelligence "finding," broadly permits the CIA and other U.S. agencies to provide support that could help the rebels oust Assad.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/01/us-usa-syria-obama-order-idUSBRE8701OK20120801
Today:
US declaring Syrian rebel group as terrorist body
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is declaring a Syrian rebel group with alleged ties to al-Qaida as a terrorist organization. It's an effort to blunt the influence of extremists as the U.S. steps up cooperation with the Syrian opposition.
The State Department's action blocks Jabhat al-Nusra's assets in the U.S. and bars Americans from doing business with the group.
The move hasn't been announced officially but was included in the Federal Register on Monday. The department said the group was part of al-Qaida in Iraq.
Jabhat al-Nusra has claimed responsibility for suicide bombings on Syrian government targets, raising fears of growing Islamic extremism among the opposition.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is traveling to North Africa this week to try to bolster moderates hoping to end Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/10/3135841/us-declaring-syrian-rebel-group.html#storylink=cpy
Also today:
Sources: U.S. helping underwrite Syrian rebel training on securing chemical weapons
By Elise Labott
The United States and some European allies are using defense contractors to train Syrian rebels on how to secure chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria, a senior U.S. official and several senior diplomats told CNN Sunday.
The training, which is taking place in Jordan and Turkey, involves how to monitor and secure stockpiles and handle weapons sites and materials, according to the sources. Some of the contractors are on the ground in Syria working with the rebels to monitor some of the sites, according to one of the officials.
The nationality of the trainers was not disclosed, though the officials cautioned against assuming all are American.
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/...-syrian-rebels-in-chemical-weapons/?hpt=hp_t3
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