“Support for military intervention on behalf of the Syrian opposition forces fighting Bashar Assad’s minority Alawite regime is gaining traction. A coalition of Western and Arab nations meeting in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday agreed in principle to aid the rebels. Present at the meeting were senior representatives from France, Germany, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Britain and the US. Only Germany and Italy are known to oppose arming the rebels.

The push to provide not just humanitarian aid but also arms comes after Assad’s recapture of the strategic town of Qusair on the Lebanese border, spearheaded by Iranian backed Hezbollah forces and a renewed assault by troops loyal to Assad on Aleppo, part of which had come under the control of the rebels. Setbacks to the rebels have rekindled concerns that Assad’s forces are winning the battle.”

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