Syria, Russia discussing delivery of MiG-29M/M2 fighters :
"It would be premature to say when and how many MiG-29M/M2 fighters may be supplied to Syria. There may be six, ten or twelve jets or even 24. If the negotiations settle all technical and financial issues, the first delivery is possible already this year," The source said. Ref. Source 1
Beheadings by Syrian Rebels Add to Atrocities, UN Says:
Syrian opposition forces recruited a 14-year-old boy from Homs as a fighter and had a child take part in beheading two government soldiers, according to a United Nations report citing human-rights abuses by both sides in Syria's civil war. Ref. Source 9
1,000 US troops arrive in Jordan for deployment at Syria border:
The Israeli military intelligence website DEBKAfile has reported that 1,000 U.S troops from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Force arrived at the southern Jordanian port of Aqaba on Tuesday and made their way to the north of the country under heavy Jordanian military escort. Ref. Source 2
Congress has been notified that the United States will acknowledge that Syria has used chemical weapons on a small scale multiple times and a "Red line" Has been crossed, according to congressional sources.
The intelligence community has concluded that sarin gas was used and 100-150 people have died, a senior intelligence official said Thursday.
The Syrian government and rebels have accused each other of using chemical weapons on the battlefield, prompting the United Nations to call for the deployment of an international team of investigators. Both sides have denied using chemical weapons.
The Syrian government has been battling a rebellion for more than two years. Ref. CNN
United States military support for Syrian rebels will include small arms, ammunition and possibly anti-tank weapons, according to two officials familiar with the matter. The weapons will be provided by the CIA, the officials said.
On Thursday, the White House said Syria had crossed a "Red line" With the use of chemical weapons against rebels and added -- without specifics -- that the United States would increase the "Scale and scope" Of support for the opposition.
"What we need, really, is weapons and ammunition, and especially anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles," Salim Idriss, the head of the rebel Free Syrian Army, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Friday. Ref. CNN