Why can’t we just stay the hell out of this civil war? If anything the rebels will be more hostile to America’s interests than the Assad regime, especially when you factor in jihadist factions like the al-Nusrah Front.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Syrian rebels battling President Bashar Assad’s government are beginning to get more and better weapons in an effort paid for by Persian Gulf nations and coordinated partly by the United States, the Washington Post reported late on Tuesday.

The report cited opposition activists and US and foreign officials.

Obama administration officials emphasized the United States is not supplying or funding the lethal material, which includes antitank weapons, the report said.

Instead, they said, the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure, the Post said.