Aleppo Media Center/AP
U.S. Suspending Nonlethal Aid to Northern Syria
After Islamic Front fighters take over rebel bases, U.S. pauses aid shipments. By Jordain Carney
The United States has suspended nonlethal aid going into northern Syria in the wake of an attack by Islamic Front fighters on buildings held by other rebel groups.
A U.S. Embassy spokesman told Reuters that members of the Islamic Front took over bases near Syria's border with Turkey on Friday that had been controlled by the Free Syrian Army. "As a result of this situation, the United States has suspended all further deliveries of nonlethal assistance into northern Syria," the spokesman said.
(Related: House Intel Chair Slams White House Outreach to Syria's Islamist Rebels)
The move is the latest sign of growing fractures within the Syrian opposition forces. Why Islamic Front fighters took over the bases is unclear.
During meetings Tuesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reassured Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad and Defense Minister Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah of the U.S. commitment to support moderate opposition forces in Syria.
The comments came during Hagel's trip to the Middle East that included stops in five countries.