U.S. Poised to Vet Possible Arms for Syrian Rebels

As one diplomatic effort after another fails to end the brutal violence in Syria, the Obama administration is preparing a plan that would give U.S. approval to arms transfers from Arab nations to some Syrian opposition fighters, the Associated Press reported Thursday, May 24. The effort would vet members of the Free Syrian Army and other groups to determine whether they are suitable recipients of munitions to fight the Assad government and to ensure that weapons don’t wind up in the hands of al-Qaida-linked terrorists or other extremist groups such as Hizballah. The plan, which has not yet been finalized, reflects U.S. frustration that none of the previous efforts — including diplomatic rhetoric from the United Nations and the Friends of Syria group, and special envoy Kofi Annan’s cease-fire plan — has even begun to nudge President Bashar Assad from power.