Washington-based advocacy group granted a rare license to collect money for arms and other equipment for Free Syrian Army
US eases arms purchases for Syrian rebels
The Obama administration quietly has cleared the way for U.S. residents to buy weapons for the rebels who are fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, granting a Washington-based advocacy group a rare license to collect money for arms and other equipment.
The license, which the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued last month without fanfare, gives the nonprofit Syrian Support Group the authority to take in money and pass it directly to armed insurgents. Previously, U.S. entities’ assistance to Syria was limited to humanitarian and educational programs.
Brian Sayers, an American who once served as a NATO political officer and is now the Syrian Support Group’s Washington lobbyist (CIA?) said the new license would ease the fears of many prospective donors that helping the rebels buy guns would run afoul of U.S. law. “A lot of donors have been reluctant,” he said.
However, the official acknowledged that the money could go toward weapons for the rebels and said that the Syrian Support Group would be responsible for making sure the license wasn’t used to benefit anyone linked to groups on the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations.
“They need to exercise their due diligence,” the Treasury official said. “The money, obviously, shouldn’t be going to anyone designated by the U.S.”