U.S. Recognizes Main Syrian Opposition Group

U.S. Will Grant Recognition to Syrian Rebels, Obama Says -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama said Tuesday that the United States would formally recognize a coalition of Syrian opposition groups as that country’s legitimate representative, in an attempt to intensify the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to give up his nearly two-year bloody struggle to stay in power.

Mr. Obama’s announcement, in an interview with Barbara Walters of ABC News on the eve of a meeting in Morocco of the Syrian opposition leaders and their supporters, was widely expected.

But it marks a new phase of American engagement in a bitter conflict that has claimed at least 40,000 lives, threatened to destabilize the broader Middle East and defied all outside attempts to end it. The United States had for much of the civil war largely sat on the sidelines, only recently moving more energetically as it appeared the opposition fighters were beginning to gain momentum — and radical Islamists were playing a growing role.

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More News On U.S. Recognition Of Syria's Main Opposition Groups As That Country’s Legitimate Representative

US recognises Syria opposition coalition says Obama -- BBC
Obama recognizes Syrian opposition coalition -- CNN
US to formally recognise Syrian opposition -- The Guardian
U.S. Formally Recognizes Syria's Main Rebel Group -- Wall Street Journal
Obama administration formally recognizes Syrian opposition group -- Washington Post
US recognizes opposition as representative of Syria -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
Obama: US Now Recognizes New Syrian Opposition Coalition -- Voice of America
While U.S. Recognizes Syrian Opposition, It Designates One Anti-Assad Group as ‘Terrorist’ -- Time
What will recognizing the opposition accomplish? -- Jill Dougherty, CNN