BICOM

The Obama Administration appears to be seriously weighing the possibility of supplying arms to some opposition groups in Syria in the wake of gains made by President Assad’s forces and their Hezbollah allies.

According to AP, top aides from the State and Defence Departments, the CIA and other security officials gathered at the White House to prepare for a meeting with President Obama later this week as the United States considers directly aiding the rebels seeking to topple Assad’s regime. The State Department confirmed that the deliberations over Syria had led Secretary of State John Kerry to postpone a planned visit to Israel and the Palestinian West Bank areas. However, a statement emphasised that Kerry is still “focused on continuing the efforts on Middle East peace.”

The flurry of US activity over Syria appears to have been prompted by the significant military gains made by Assad’s forces. Fighting alongside an estimated five thousand Hezbollah fighters, the Syrian government captured the strategic town of Qusair last week and now appears set for a similar assault on the major city of Aleppo. State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki commented yesterday that “conditions on the ground have worsened, and that is greatly concerning…So we are taking a closer look at what we can continue to do, to help the opposition.” The Telegraph also suggests that weakened support for the al-Qaeda affiliated opposition group Jabhat al-Nusra has contributed to the United States’ reconsideration for arming the opposition.

There is reportedly particular concern that with opposition forces having suffered a blow, Assad has little reason to compromise and so the chances of bringing both sides around the table for peace talks is dwindling. The United States and Russia have been working on arranging a peace conference in Geneva next month.