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In a sharp escalation of the U.S. role in Syria's bloody civil war, the White House announced late Thursday that it will provide military aid to rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad after confirming that his government used chemical weapons on the opposition. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes told reporters on a conference call that President Barack Obama had heard pleas from Syria's rebel Supreme Military Council (SMC) for more help. "Our aim is to be responsive," Rhodes said, underlining that the new assistance would have "direct military purposes."

TRIPOLI, Libya — Some weapons depots in Libya have still not been secured properly, and “much has already gone missing” from unguarded sites, the top U.N. envoy in Libya said in an interview Sunday. Preventing more weapons from being smuggled out of country will be difficult, considering the nature of the vast desert nation’s borders, the envoy, Ian Martin, told The Associated Press. 0 Comments Weigh InCorrections? inShare. (Giulio Petrocco, File/Associated Press) - FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011 file photo, Ian Martin, special adviser for the United Nations in Libya, appears at a joint UN-National Transitional Council...