President Obama signed a Presidential Determination today which allows the U.S. to provide what it called “non lethal assistance to the opposition”.
“Today, the President signed a Presidential Determination exercising his authority to waive certain restrictions under the Arms Export Control Act. This action will allow the U.S. Government to provide or license, where appropriate, certain non-lethal assistance inside or related to Syria. This includes: 1) chemical weapons-related personal protective equipment to international organizations, including the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, for the conduct of their operations; 2) chemical weapons-related life-saving assistance for organizations implementing Department of State or U.S. Agency for International Development programs to strengthen local Syrian health care providers’ ability to prepare for and respond to any use of chemical weapons; and 3) defensive chemical weapons-related training and personal protective equipment to select vetted members of the Syrian opposition, including the Supreme Military Council, to protect against the use of chemical weapons. This action is part of longstanding and ongoing efforts to provide life-saving chemical weapons-related assistance to people in need in Syria.” (source White House: Statement by the NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on the Presidential Determination with Respect to Syria http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/09/16/statement-nsc-spokesperson-caitlin-hayden-presidential-determination-res).
The move gives the Syrian opposition a new defensive ability it didn’t have before to respond to chemical attacks. The determination also includes a provision for training, which will, it is presumed – be provided by the U.S. military.
The cost projections of the chemical warfare protection equipment and training to the Syrian rebels is unknown.
The White House press office adamantly refused to discuss specific costs relating to the Presidential Determination, which could range into the millions of dollars…
The White House also refused to discuss the “vetting process” that will be used to determine which groups within the Syrian opposition (that includes known al-Qaeda affiliates and Jihadist terrorists organizations like al-Nursa and the Muslim Brotherhood) will receive the aid in question. The Administration apparently doesn’t distinguish between the two very well, if media reports are to be believed.
See related article: Syrian Opposition’s Spokesman in US is ISNA Member Who Supported Terrorists http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/syrian-oppositions-spokesman-in-us-is-isna-member-who-supported-terrorists/
The White House also purposefully deflected questions relating to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian opposition (see article: Youtube evidence shows U.S. backed FSA rebels using chemical weapons https://groundreport.com/youtube-evidence-shows-u-s-backed-fsa-rebels-using-chemical-weapons/).