U.S. Aid to Syria
On Saturday, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously approved a resolution ordering both Syrian authorities and rebel groups to stop blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians. UNSCR 2139, a binding resolution, was composed after several weeks of negotiations between the United States and Russia on an acceptable draft. While binding, the resolution does not specify the mechanisms by which the UNSC will adjudicate violations. Language concerning possible sanctions or referrals to the International Criminal Court was also excluded in the final draft. Nonetheless, this measure was the first resolution to be passed by the UNSC since the outbreak of the civil war.
The breakthrough is a small sign of progress in an otherwise ongoing case of strategic despair for the United States. President Obama is reportedly soliciting new policy options for consideration, while recent rumors suggest that Secretary of State John Kerry admitted, in a closed door meeting in Congress, that the administration’s Syria policy was failing. So far, the U.S. has been reluctant to entangle itself in the conflict, though it has not been entirely uninvolved. The following is a summary timeline of U.S. engagement in the conflict.
- June 2012: The New York Times reported that the CIA was working to determine which rebel groups would receive arms, including automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition, and anti-tank weapons supplied by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
- December 2012: The U.S. backed the Syrian National Coalition as an alternative, Syrian representative group, with $50 million to support a nationwide governance structure and nonsectarian civic groups.
- February 2013: The U.S. began equipping Syrian rebels with food rations and medical supplies through the rebels’ military headquarters. In addition, the U.S. sent another $60 million to help fund basic services, such as sanitation and education in rebel-held areas.
- September 2013: After a five-month delay, the U.S. started to supply Syrian rebels with light weapons and other traceable munitions. The U.S. also began shipping new types of non-lethal gear, including vehicles, sophisticated communications equipment, and advanced combat medical kits.
- October 2013 - The Washington Post reported that the C.I.A. was expanding a clandestine training program based in Jordan, where Syrian rebels undergo basic military training.
- January 2014 – Secretary Kerry announced an additional $380 million in humanitarian aid, bringing U.S. aid totals close to $1.7 billion.
Despite this assistance, the U.S. has been criticized by rebel groups and regional allies for not doing enough to arm and train the opposition, as Russia, Iran and Hezbollah continue to provide substantial financial and material support to the Syrian government. Now, with peace talks floundering and weakening rebel forces signing separate cease fires with government forces, the U.S. appears to be reconsidering its stance on providing support.
On February 18, U.S. intelligence officials met with their Arab counterparts for a two-day summit to discuss coordinating a revitalized campaign to arm pre-approved Syrian rebel groups. The intelligence chiefs also considered whether to supply advanced weapons, such as shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, an option the Obama Administration remains reluctant to support.
In the meantime, the U.S. has agreed to pay millions of dollars’ worth of rebel salaries while also reportedly considering the delivery of more serious support to the opposition. This consideration comes amidst the reorganization of the Supreme Military Council, a body responsible for coordinating the Free Syrian Army’s military movements. General Salim Idriss, who had been its leader for over two years, was voted out by a group of rebel commanders, in part due to his failure to maintain control over resources and arms delivered to Free Syrian Army warehouses throughout Turkey. His replacement, Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir, is backed by Saudi Arabia, which is also reportedly undergoing its own reshuffling. Recently, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, currently in charge of the Kingdom’s Syria policy, was replaced by Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who is known for his record of combating al-Qaeda inside Saudi Arabia.