Syrian Rebels Announce New Battle Against Government Forces

In a move that has undermined the ceasefire deal, Syrian rebels declared a new battle against government forces on Monday. Sign of escalating violence is also threatening to derail U.N.-led peace talks. The rebel groups, which included factions fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army and powerful Islamist Ahrar al-Sham, said in a statement they would respond “with force” against any government forces that fired on civilians. Meanwhile, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is preparing to supply Syrian rebels with more powerful weapons should the six week old ceasefire in Syria collapse….which of course is now looking increasingly likely. Yahoo news reports: The ceasefire deal has been strained to breaking point by escalating fighting, particularly around the divided city of Aleppo, with each side blaming the other for the escalation that has underlined the huge challenge facing the peace talks. Heavy air strikes have also been reported north of Homs. Senior opposition figures who have asked not to be quoted have said pressure is growing for a speedy decision to leave talks being convened by U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura in Geneva, with no sign of progress towards discussion of a political transition sought by President Bashar [...]