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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that the U.S. will provide an additional $30 million in humanitarian aid to Syria, bringing the total U.S aid to the war-torn nation to $200 million. The U.S. also recognized the leadership body as a legitimate representative, but stopped short of describing it as a sole representative. Syria's opposition had been deeply divided for months despite the relentless bloodshed and repeated calls from Western and Arab supporters to create a cohesive and representative leadership that could present a single conduit for foreign aid. The formation of the coalition, after more than a week of meetings in the Qatari capital of Doha, could boost efforts to secure international backing _ and possibly weapons _ that will be needed to oust President Bashar Assad.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/world/us-announces-million-additional-syr
ia-aid/article_d42b70d1-9bc4-51d3-9083-a86a20a4529d.html

Two Jordanian men, a wealthy businessman and a salesman got into explosives-rigged trucks last month and blew themselves up at a base occupied by troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the southern province of Daraa. This has raised fears among Western nations that the conflict is becoming a magnet for radicals, and that it may spawn a new strain of al-Qaeda, as in Iraq and Somalia.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-21/foreign-truck-bombers-in-syri
a-highlight-risk-of-new-al-qaeda.html

While we reflect on the 11th anniversary of the al Qaeda attacks on American soil, there is a blinding light that may obscure our view: this sworn enemy now fights hand in hand with the US against the Syrian regime. In Syria, there is mounting evidence that Al Qaeda and its allies are actively deploying terror tactics and suicide bombers to overthrow the Assad regime. This week, head of the Salafi jihad and close ally of al Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf, pledged ''deadly attacks'' against Syria as ''our fighters are coming to get you'' because ''crimes'' by the regime ''prompts us to jihad''.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/alqaeda-now-a-us-ally-in-syria
-20120910-25oby.html

A shadowy jihadi group believed to have ties to al Qaeda fought alongside rebels who seized a government missile defense base in Syria on Friday, activists said. The news raises fears that extremists are taking advantage of the situation to get advanced weapons. Videos posted online Friday purported to have been shot inside the base said the extremist group, Jabhat al-Nusra, participated in the overnight battle for the air defense base near the village of al-Taaneh, east of Aleppo in northern Syria. The videos show dozens of fighters inside the base near a radar tower, along with rows of large missiles, some on the backs of trucks. Now, activists say more than 32,000 people have been killed in the conflict. "We have asked all countries to help us with anti-aircraft weapons and no one has, so hopefully these will help," said activist Mohammed Saeed.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57531618/rebels-ally-with-al-qaeda
-group-to-take-syrian-base/

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