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Executive Summary for May 28th

To give you an overview of the latest news, we’ve organized the latest Syrian developments in a curated summary.

Published on May 28, 2014 Read time Approx. 2 minutes

Despair Grips Refugees as Government Courts Votes in Northern Lebanon

Reuters reports on the “dread” felt by Syrian refugees in Lebanon on the eve of the country’s June 3 presidential elections. In northern Lebanon, it says, government officials have been registering refugees to vote.

“Voting begins on Wednesday for Syrians outside the country, who are allowed to cast ballots at the embassy – as long as they have not left the country illegally, bypassing official routes, as many refugees have.

“The poll is an illustration of how effectively the government has weathered a revolt that has killed more than 160,000 people – and how it exerts influence beyond its borders. Lebanon’s makeshift camps are fertile ground for rumors and speculation among refugees conditioned by years of authoritarian rule under Assad’s Baath Party.

“Some whisper of thickset men in cars with tinted windows who have shown up without notice to demand identification cards and take down names. On election day, buses will come, they say, and those who don’t vote will be banned from entering Syria again.”

U.S. Nears Decision on Training Syrian Rebels

The AP reports that President Obama “may soon sign off on a project to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels, in an open move that would significantly boost US support to forces who have been asking for three years for military help in their quest to oust Assad.

“The step, which could be announced as early as Wednesday, would send a limited number of American troops to Jordan to be part of a regional training mission that would instruct carefully vetted members of the Free Syrian Army on tactics, including counterterrorism operations.” Officials said Obama hasn’t given his final approval.

In a foreign policy speech today at the U.S. Military Academy, the wire says the president “is expected to frame Syria as a counterterrorism challenge and indicate that he will expand assistance to the opposition.”

Gulf Charities Face Backlash Over Syria Aid Allocation

The Economist examines how Gulf charities — some of the biggest backers of the Syrian opposition and of aid initiatives and NGOs — allocate their money, as some international organizations accuse them of disorganization and “ad hoc” aid distribution.

Organizations like QRCS, the Qatari branch of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, “say they can act more quickly than their Western counterparts, which have to write reports, assessments and try, if not always successfully, to coordinate with one another. The different way of working can result in mistrust, miscommunication and parallel systems of relief.”

“There is no misunderstanding between most Gulf NGOs and other international NGOs as much as there is a simple lack of information and coordination,” Andy Baker, who manages Oxfam’s regional effort, tells the magazine. “We simply don’t have a clear picture of what many of these groups are doing.”

But some Western organizations, including UNHCR, accuse Gulf charities of “ad hoc and uncoordinated help.” At Zaatari, Jordan’s largest refugee camp, small Gulf NGOs and individuals distributed aid to only some residents.

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team

Daily Beast: Syria’s Synagogue, Destroyed by Assad

NPR: Smugglers Thrive on Syria’s Chaos, Looting Cultural Treasures

PBS: Who’s Helping Millions of Syrians Displaced By War

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