海角大神

鈥� A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

The United States is planning to boost the size and scope of its aid to Syria, a policy shift announced at an international conference on Syria in Rome today.

Aid will remain nonlethal, but for the first time, it will be sent to Free Syrian Army fighters battling the government, reports Reuters. In the past, aid has only gone to unarmed groups and local councils. Secretary of State John Kerry also announced the US government will more than double aid for Syrian civilians, pledging $60 million.

鈥淣o nation, no people should live in fear of their so-called leaders,鈥� Mr. Kerry said.

Other European nations are expected to provide further assistance to the opposition, as well, potentially including 鈥渄efensive military hardware,鈥� reports The Associated Press.

"We want to help the Syrian opposition to better be able to meet the needs of the Syrian people," Kerry said at a news conference in Paris yesterday. "They've had difficulty doing that now. And some folks on the ground that we don't support and whose interests do not align with ours are delivering some of that help."

According to The New York Times, nonlethal aid could possibly go beyond food and medical equipment, including things such as night-vision devices, vehicles, or communications equipment.聽鈥淸O]ne official said that the financing the United States planned to send to the resistance might indirectly help the rebels arm themselves as it might free up other funds to purchase weapons,鈥� reports the Times.

Today鈥檚 meeting in Rome of The Friends of Syria group 鈥� made up of the Syrian opposition and 11 foreign powers that support them 鈥� comes days before a meeting of the Syrian National Coalition in Turkey. According to Al Jazeera, at the Istanbul meeting the main Syrian opposition group is expected to 鈥渆lect a prime minister and government to run parts of Syria seized from [President Bashar al-]Assad鈥檚 control.鈥�

According to the Times, a primary goal of the US is to support the opposition in strengthening its credibility among the Syrian population.聽

A US State Department official said that Washington wanted to help the opposition maintain "the institutions of the state" in areas under their control, reports Al Jazeera.

"We're talking about basic services, water, electricity 鈥� but also [to] build up new institutions in terms of governance, rule of law, police," State Department deputy acting spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters.

Another potential reason behind the US policy shift in Syria is to send a message to Mr. Assad that rebels have the support and capability to ultimately succeed, providing an impetuous for negotiating a political transition, reports the Times.

鈥淗e needs to know that he can鈥檛 shoot his way out of this,鈥� Kerry said of Assad.

According to AP:

Attendees at today鈥檚 meeting also condemned countries providing weapons and support to Assad, a separate Reuters story reports. Iran is suspected of supplying weapons and military support to the regime, and Russia has openly noted its provisions of military equipment.

鈥淭he United States鈥� decision to take further steps now is the result of the brutality of superior armed force propped up by foreign fighters from Iran and Hezbollah,鈥� Kerry said.

Earlier this week Kerry met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Berlin, raising hopes for the possibility of bringing Assad and rebel groups to a negotiating table, reports 海角大神. Russian experts say Russia is making strides in that regard, and that it鈥檚 now the US鈥檚 duty to convince rebel groups that the best solution is engaging in talks.

According to the United Nations, an estimated 70,000 people have died in the two-year Syrian conflict. In addition, UN official Ant贸nio Guterres said the UN refugee agency has registered 936,000 Syrians聽across the Middle East and North Africa, which is almost 30 times as many people as registered in April last year, reports Al Jazeera. The number of refugees is expected to exceed 1 million within a month.