Quote:
Originally Posted by _Richard_
fair enough, but if that is the case, why continue/increase funding, and arming them?
Especially considering SUnni nation'al funding, which is honestly new.. quick google or you have something direct for info?
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Sure, here's a NYT piece from back in February about the Saudis funneling Croation arms left over from the Yugoslav war to the rebels, with probable assistance from Jordan & the UAE. There are other well-researched stories on this out there, but this one gives a decent glimpse how they're probably being funneled:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/wo...-in-syria.html
Those countries have accelerated military buildup in recent years pretty dramatically to counter an ascendant Iran, in a way the Syrian conflict is a proxy war for all of them.
As for "us" arming & supporting them, I agree it opens a whole can of worms. If we could somehow only support the Kurds and the other few secular groups I might be in favor, but again in Libya that didn't work whatsoever and it seems like the Islamists have etched out a dominant position among the rebels. And that's why everyone's treading *very* carefully there right now, there's no easy way out & it could turn into a regional war that dwarfs anything going on so far.