Untie Syrian knot

The crisis in Syria is worsening with every passing day, miring the country in bloodbaths and fueling widespread concern from the international community. But it is even more troubling to see that Western countries led by the United States are accelerating their efforts to aid the Syrian opposition in their bid to force a regime change in the country.

After the European Union reversed its arms embargo policy to allow the arming of Syrian rebels, the US lifted its sanctions on the Syrian opposition last week and decided to provide lethal aid to Syria's rebels. Yet Washington's claim that Syrian government forces have used chemical weapons, which it says crossed the line and is a game changer for the two-year-old crisis, is, at the very least, one-sided if proved true.

With reports from the United Nations and some Western media showing the opposition forces have used chemical weapons, Washington's decision to send weapons to the rebels lacks solid ground.