The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has started shipping weapons to Jordan to arm small groups of vetted Syrian rebels within a month, according to the diplomats and U.S. officials in the know-how.
"The CIA is expected to spend up to three weeks bringing light arms and possibly antitank missiles to Jordan," reported the Wall Street Journal Thursday, citing diplomats and U.S. officials.
"The agency plans to spend roughly two weeks more vetting an initial group of fighters and making sure they know how to use the weapons that they are given, clearing the way for the first U.S.- armed rebels to enter the fight," reported the Wall Street Journal.
Earlier this month, the Obama administration agreed to arm Syrian rebels saying that the U.S. intelligence had concluded that the Syrian forces under President Bashar al-Assad's regime were using chemical weapons against the insurgents.
The CIA is not just going to arm the rebels but is planning to spend roughly two weeks vetting an initial group of fighters and making sure that the rebels know how to operate the weapons that are being shipped from the United States.
"Talks are under way with other countries, including France, about pre-positioning European-procured weapons in Jordan," said the report.
"Saudi Arabia is expected to provide shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles, known as Manpads, to a small number of handpicked fighters, as few as 20 at first," added the report.
Russia and Iran are the main supporters of the Assad government and President Putin recently objected to Washington's announcement about arming the Syrian rebels.
The civil war in Syria erupted over two years ago and more than 93,000 people have died in the war, according to the United Nations.
