CNN 2012-07-01

 A small group of CIA officers are working from Turkey, helping¹ allies decide which opposition² groups inside Syria should be receiving arms. That's according to The New York Times, which cites unnamed sources saying rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons are being sent through Turkey into Syria. CNN reported back in May that the US was increasing its coordination³ with Gulf⁴ nations who are working to arm the opposition. Officials insisted Thursday the US is not providing arms to Syrian rebel groups, but is concerned about who makes up those groups.

 

Any time that weapons fall into the wrong hands anywhere around the world is a problem.

 

US intelligence agencies now estimate an Al Qaeda force inside Syria to be some 500 strong. A new report by the Institute for the Study of War spells out the challenges in separating them from an opposition force that has now grown to some 40,000 men.

 

The more difficult question is the rebel groups that are more Salafists(A Salafi is a Muslim who emphasises the Salaf [?????], meaing "predecessors⁵" or "ancestors," the earliest Muslims, as model examples of Islamic practice), more, you know, conservative Islamist groups, that are not quite, you know, Al Qaeda organizations. They're not necessarily in favor of global Islamic jihad, but nonetheless have a more conservative Sunni outlook and that, you know, they could end up becoming more powerful over time.

 

A US official tells CNN that the opposition is clearly becoming more effective. Assad may have the upper hand militarily, but he now has to confront more than a ragtag bunch of guys.

 

Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers, says that while the US should be in a better position to understand these opposition groups, he doesn’t have a high comfort level right now with the US claim any role in channeling the flow of any weapons that may be moving towards those groups.

 

Suzanne Kelly, CNN, Washington.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》