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U.S. Considers Expanding Support for Syrian Rebels by Supplying Guns Obama Considers Expanding Support for Syrian Rebels
(about 1 hour later)
WASHINGTON — The White House is now considering supplying weapons to Syria’s armed opposition, senior officials said Tuesday. Such a decision would be a policy shift for the Obama administration, which has stepped up its nonlethal aid but stopped short of lethal weaponry and has expressed reluctance about greater military entanglements in the Syrian civil war.WASHINGTON — The White House is now considering supplying weapons to Syria’s armed opposition, senior officials said Tuesday. Such a decision would be a policy shift for the Obama administration, which has stepped up its nonlethal aid but stopped short of lethal weaponry and has expressed reluctance about greater military entanglements in the Syrian civil war.
President Obama has not decided whether to provide arms, these officials said, and it is still unclear what kinds of weapons the United States would supply to the insurgency.President Obama has not decided whether to provide arms, these officials said, and it is still unclear what kinds of weapons the United States would supply to the insurgency.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, the spokeswoman for the National Security Council, Caitlin M. Hayden, said, “Our assistance to the Syrian opposition has been on an upward trajectory.” The president, she said, “has directed his national security team to identify additional measures so that we can continue to increase our assistance.”In a statement on Tuesday evening, the spokeswoman for the National Security Council, Caitlin M. Hayden, said, “Our assistance to the Syrian opposition has been on an upward trajectory.” The president, she said, “has directed his national security team to identify additional measures so that we can continue to increase our assistance.”
Such a move would bring the United States in line with Persian Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which are funneling arms to the rebels, and with Britain and France, which favor the lifting of a European Union arms embargo to Syria to assist the insurgents seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad.Such a move would bring the United States in line with Persian Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which are funneling arms to the rebels, and with Britain and France, which favor the lifting of a European Union arms embargo to Syria to assist the insurgents seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad.
The possible shift, first reported by The Washington Post, came days after the United States disclosed its preliminary intelligence assessment that chemical munitions, which Mr. Assad’s military has been known to stockpile, had been used on a small scale in Syria. Mr. Obama, who has said the use of these weapons would be a “game changer,” has also said that before responding, he needs more conclusive proof that Mr. Assad had deployed these weapons — a point he re emphasized at a wide-ranging news conference in Washington earlier Tuesday. The possible shift, first reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday, came days after the United States disclosed its preliminary intelligence assessment that chemical munitions, which Mr. Assad’s military has been known to stockpile, had been used on a small scale in Syria. Mr. Obama, who has said the use of these weapons would be a “game changer,” has also said that before responding, he needs more conclusive proof that Mr. Assad had deployed these weapons — a point he re-emphasized at a wide-ranging news conference in Washington earlier Tuesday.
“What we now have is evidence that chemical weapons have been used inside of Syria, but we don’t know how they were used, when they were used, who used them; we don’t have chain of custody that establishes what exactly happened,” Mr. Obama said. “And when I am making decisions about America’s national security and the potential for taking additional action in response to chemical weapon use, I’ve got to make sure I’ve got the facts.”“What we now have is evidence that chemical weapons have been used inside of Syria, but we don’t know how they were used, when they were used, who used them; we don’t have chain of custody that establishes what exactly happened,” Mr. Obama said. “And when I am making decisions about America’s national security and the potential for taking additional action in response to chemical weapon use, I’ve got to make sure I’ve got the facts.”
Mr. Obama also said that “if we end up rushing to judgment without hard, effective evidence, then we can find ourselves in the position where we can’t mobilize the international community to support what we do.”Mr. Obama also said that “if we end up rushing to judgment without hard, effective evidence, then we can find ourselves in the position where we can’t mobilize the international community to support what we do.”
But even without conclusive proof of chemical weapons use, officials said, the Pentagon has prepared a menu of options for Mr. Obama that range from airstrikes and commando raids to the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Syria. Officials said the administration is also looking for ways to increase its aid to the rebels. But even without conclusive proof of chemical weapons use, officials said, the Pentagon has prepared a menu of options for Mr. Obama that range from airstrikes and commando raids to the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Syria. Officials said the administration was also looking for ways to increase its aid to the rebels.
Mr. Obama had long resisted calls to arm the rebels, including from David H. Petraeus, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. A proposal by Mr. Petraeus to provide arms to carefully vetted members of the opposition was shelved last fall, though several officials said they expected it to be revisited.Mr. Obama had long resisted calls to arm the rebels, including from David H. Petraeus, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. A proposal by Mr. Petraeus to provide arms to carefully vetted members of the opposition was shelved last fall, though several officials said they expected it to be revisited.
The White House had stressed that providing weapons would “further militarize the conflict,” and that those weapons could fall into the hands of radical groups. Officials spoke about American shoulder-fired missiles being used against civilian aircraft.The White House had stressed that providing weapons would “further militarize the conflict,” and that those weapons could fall into the hands of radical groups. Officials spoke about American shoulder-fired missiles being used against civilian aircraft.
But as the administration has gotten to know members of the Syrian opposition, particularly its military council, a senior official said, it has become more confident of its ability to direct weapons to responsible groups.But as the administration has gotten to know members of the Syrian opposition, particularly its military council, a senior official said, it has become more confident of its ability to direct weapons to responsible groups.
The developments in Washington came as a new wave of insurgency-related violence hit central Damascus and a northern Syria border crossing into Turkey on Tuesday and as new frictions rose at the United Nations regarding efforts to investigate instances of possible chemical weapons use in the conflict.The developments in Washington came as a new wave of insurgency-related violence hit central Damascus and a northern Syria border crossing into Turkey on Tuesday and as new frictions rose at the United Nations regarding efforts to investigate instances of possible chemical weapons use in the conflict.
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The United Nations has authorized a 15-member panel of experts to travel to Syria to investigate the suspected use of chemical munitions. The trip has been stalled over a dispute with the Syrian government, which wants to limit the scope of the experts’ inquiry.The United Nations has authorized a 15-member panel of experts to travel to Syria to investigate the suspected use of chemical munitions. The trip has been stalled over a dispute with the Syrian government, which wants to limit the scope of the experts’ inquiry.
The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, told a news conference that his government had been “cooperating intensively” on an investigation that would examine whether chemical weapons had been used in Khan al-Asal, near the northern city of Aleppo, on March 19.The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, told a news conference that his government had been “cooperating intensively” on an investigation that would examine whether chemical weapons had been used in Khan al-Asal, near the northern city of Aleppo, on March 19.
But he said that the United Nations had failed to provide sufficient evidence on suspected use in Homs and outside Damascus for the Syrian government to judge whether an inquiry into those episodes was merited. Britain and France have asserted that such evidence exists.But he said that the United Nations had failed to provide sufficient evidence on suspected use in Homs and outside Damascus for the Syrian government to judge whether an inquiry into those episodes was merited. Britain and France have asserted that such evidence exists.
The Syrian government has contended that rebels used a form of chlorine gas from a factory they had captured in Khan al-Asal, while the Syrian government is accused by its enemies of using sarin gas, a nerve agent. known to have been stockpiled by Mr. Assad’s military. The Syrian government has contended that rebels used a form of chlorine gas from a factory they had captured in Khan al-Asal, while the Syrian government is accused by its enemies of using sarin gas, a nerve agent known to have been stockpiled by Mr. Assad’s military.
Martin Nesirky, the spokesman for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations, said that requests to investigate had come from Syria, Britain and France and that they would be done in the order received.Martin Nesirky, the spokesman for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations, said that requests to investigate had come from Syria, Britain and France and that they would be done in the order received.
“There cannot be a partial investigation,” Mr. Nesirky said, adding that the United Nations investigators “need to be able to enter without conditions and without exceptions.”“There cannot be a partial investigation,” Mr. Nesirky said, adding that the United Nations investigators “need to be able to enter without conditions and without exceptions.”
Mr. Jaafari said Syria had sought to rid the Middle East region of weapons of mass destruction and would not use chemical weapons against its own people. Such promises have been met with increasing skepticism given that the death toll has exceeded 70,000 since the once peaceful anti-government uprising first started in March 2011. Mr. Jaafari said Syria had sought to rid the Middle East region of weapons of mass destruction and would not use chemical weapons against its own people. Such promises have been met with increasing skepticism given that the death toll has exceeded 70,000 since the once peaceful antigovernment uprising first started in March 2011.
The news conference came amid new allegations and counter-allegations about the suspected use of chemical weapons in the northwestern town of Saraqib, near Idlib, on Monday. Mr. Jaafari said rebels had spread white powder from plastic bags, “most probably” chemical materials. Opposition groups said military aircraft had dropped balloons containing an unspecified chemical on Saraqib, a city in northwestern Syria, causing severe respiratory problems for at least 10 people in the town. The news conference came amid new allegations and counterallegations about the suspected use of chemical weapons in the northwestern town of Saraqib, near Idlib, on Monday. Mr. Jaafari said rebels had spread white powder from plastic bags, “most probably” chemical materials. Opposition groups said military aircraft had dropped balloons containing an unspecified chemical on Saraqib, a city in northwestern Syria, causing severe respiratory problems for at least 10 people in the town.
The violence in Syria on Tuesday at first centered around a booby-trapped car in Damascus that activist groups said had exploded near the former headquarters of the Interior Ministry, leaving at least 13 people dead. State television said the dead were all civilians.The violence in Syria on Tuesday at first centered around a booby-trapped car in Damascus that activist groups said had exploded near the former headquarters of the Interior Ministry, leaving at least 13 people dead. State television said the dead were all civilians.
Later at the Bab al-Hawa crossing into Turkey, which is controlled by Syrian insurgents, anti-Assad activists and residents on the Turkish side said Syrian warplanes bombed refugee encampments on the Syrian side.Later at the Bab al-Hawa crossing into Turkey, which is controlled by Syrian insurgents, anti-Assad activists and residents on the Turkish side said Syrian warplanes bombed refugee encampments on the Syrian side.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group with a reporting network in Syria, uploaded video on the Internet to corroborate the assertion, showing the aftermath of an explosion. In the Turkish town of Reyhanli, near the crossing, residents said they believed at least five people on the Syrian side had been killed and that a flock of sheep destroyed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group with a reporting network in Syria, uploaded video on the Internet to corroborate the assertion, showing the aftermath of an explosion. In the Turkish town of Reyhanli, near the crossing, residents said they believed that at least five people on the Syrian side had been killed and a flock of sheep destroyed.

Mark Landler reported from Washington, and Rick Gladstone from New York. Reporting was contributed by Hania Mourtada and Anne Barnard from Beirut, Lebanon, Neil MacFarquhar from the United Nations and Sebnem Arsu from Istanbul.

Mark Landler reported from Washington, and Rick Gladstone from New York. Reporting was contributed by Hania Mourtada and Anne Barnard from Beirut, Lebanon; Neil MacFarquhar from the United Nations; and Sebnem Arsu from Istanbul.