Iran, Arab League Discuss Syria

Iran’s top diplomat and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi in a meeting in Cairo on Thursday discussed the latest regional issues, specially the crisis in Syria.

Ali Akbar Salehi arrived in Cairo on Wednesday night to discuss major bilateral and regional issues with senior officials of Egypt.

He is to hold talks later in the day with his Egyptian counterpart Mohammad Kamel Amr and also President Mohammad Mursi.

The talks will focus on bilateral issues as well as regional questions including Syria.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

The US and its western and regional allies have long sought to topple Assad and his ruling system. Media reports said that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling the President Bashar al-Assad’s government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.

Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons – most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past – has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.