Administration struggles to support Syrian opposition without arms

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta defended the Obama administration's decision not to arm the Syrian opposition in a June 21 interview, Reuters reports.

“We made a decision not to provide lethal assistance at this point,” he said.

Panetta said the U.S. hope was that “not only Russia, but other countries, don't provide the kind of weapons and arms that result in killing more Syrians.”

Russia came into the spotlight last week when State Secretary Hillary Clinton accused Moscow of supplying Damascus with attack helicopters. Russia acknowledged Thursday that it was attempting to send repaired combat helicopters to Syria on a vessel that turned back after its insurance coverage was withdrawn, according to reports.

Panetta’s statements came as the New York Times reported that CIA officers were helping allies decide which Syrian opposition fighters across the border would receive arms, in part to prevent weapons from landing in the hands of Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, according to U.S. and Arab officials.

The weapons, which included automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and some antitank weapons, are being funneled into Syria through a network of intermediaries. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are helping with the funding, according to the report.