The CIA has sent weapons and aid to the Syrian rebels as peace talks and diplomacy continue to be ironed out.

The CIA has been shipping not only weapons but also vehicles and miscellaneous gear to the opposition for the past two weeks, according to aWashington Post report. This mobilization of U.S. supplies could be short-lived, though, as it’s being reported this morning that Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has confirmed that his government will surrender its chemical weapons arsenal as put forth by Russian Foreign Ministers earlier this week.

Assad took to Russian TV airwaves, Rossiya 24, to make it abundantly clear that Russia is the primary reason for his civil war torn country’s compliance for international control. In fact, he stated bluntly that President Obama’s threats of an imminent military strike on his regime by the U.S. had absolutely nothing to do with his decision, noting “Syria is placing its chemical weapons under international control because of Russia. The US threats did not influence the decision.”

The Obama administration authorized aiding the Syrian rebels earlier this year but has pushed for a full-on military assault on Assad’s regime after he allegedly gassed some 1,400 unarmed, unaffiliated citizens. The push has been met with plenty of roadblocks, including a lack of support from the American public and Russia’s intriguing push for peaceful diplomacy.

The shipments “are limited to light weapons and other munitions that can be tracked,” as well as “nonlethal gear to rebels. That aid includes vehicles, sophisticated communications equipment and advanced combat medical kits.”

One of the major issues put forth to the White House, though, is understanding who exactly these rebels are that the U.S. is so keen on supporting. This has prompted the President to pursue a limited strike that has been opposed by some on Capitol Hill.

According to the BBC, the Russian initiative includes the following phases for obtaining Syria’s chemical weaponry:

  • “Syria joins the Chemical Weapons Convention, which outlaws the production and use of the weapons
  • Syria reveals where its chemical weapons are stored and gives details of its programme
  • Experts decide on the specific measures to be taken”

A proposal earlier this week was conceived by French Foreign Ministers and subsequently rejected by both Russia and Syria on the grounds that it openly blames Syria for the August 21 gassing on Damascus suburbs, orders them to surrender their chemical weapons within a 15-day limit, and these are enforceable by militaristic means.

Opponents of Russia’s spearheading of the peace talks are wary that, perhaps, it is all a scheme to make the U.S. look immature and inexperienced, a PR ploy to burgeon Russia and President Vladimir Putin’s international standing in the worldwide community.

Currently Secretary of State John Kerry is in Geneva, Switzerland with other permanent UN Security Council members to help continue brokering a nonviolent solution to the crisis in Syria. Originally, Congress was to vote on an intervention Tuesday, but, after Russia made known its plans and Syria surprisingly signed on, President Obama urged Congress to continue considering a strike, should the initiative not come into fruition.

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