US supplies arms to Syrian opposition as Geneva peace talks falter
Syrian regime breaks off participation in talks with opposition, accusing Washington of supporting 'terrorist groups' and lacking interest in peace process
The United States has supplied its first significant cache of weapons to "moderate" rebel factions in southern Syria, signalling an escalation of its support to the opposition as the Geneva peace talks falter.
Infuriated by the revelation, the Syrian government on Tuesday broke off its participation in peace talks with the opposition at Geneva, citing Washington's arming of "terrorists" - a term it has previously ascribed to all rebel groups.
"The US is not interested in the success of this process," said Faisal al-Mokdad, Syria's deputy foreign minister. "This is another manifestation by the United States of America of its support of terrorist groups in Syria."
The weapons, whose shipment has been approved in a secret vote in Congress, include small arms - guns and ammunition, as well as some anti-tank rockets, according to US officials.
The decision, which provides for direct supplies of arms to western friendly Syrian rebels until the autumn, would have been taken in secret by members of the powerful and House and Senate intelligence committees, two Senate aides told the Telegraph.
It marks the first significant shipment of arms that Washington has given to the Syrian insurgency, after months of hesitation.
President Obama had promised arms to the rebels in June, but direct supplies were then not authorised as Congress took fright at the increasing power of al-Qaeda within opposition ranks.
While Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies have supplied weapons in the meantime, this recent shipment is the largest reported have entered into Syria through its border with Jordan, and is helping to spur a renewed rebel offensive.
"Our sources in the area confirmed that there are light arms coming in," said Dan Layman, from the Syrian Support Group, the US-based lobby group for moderate Syrian rebel factions.
"The amount of weapons is bigger than it has been before, and is having a significant effect on the offensive to push the regime out of the southern parts of the country and from the suburbs of Damascus."
An activist in Damascus going by the pseudonym Susan Ahmad confirmed to the Telegraph that there has been fierce fighting in the south of the capital, with the main highway to the southern border with Jordan blocked by the violence.
It was hoped that the United Nations-brokered Geneva II talks would at least bring relief to thousands of Syrian civilians trapped - and in many cases starving - in areas besieged by fighting.
Efforts by the United Nations to deliver a months worth of rations to approximately 2000 people trapped inside the Old City of Homs were stalled on Tuesday when the government said it required further assurances that the food would not be delivered to "terrorists".
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