(Politico) President Barack Obama has secretly authorized the CIA and other U.S. agencies to support the rebels in Syria, according to reports.
The White House did not, however, authorize giving lethal weaponry to the rebels, providing them only with nonlethal aid such as communications equipment, CNN reports.
The secret order, known as an intelligence "finding," is similar to a directive the president issued when rebels were fighting Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi.
The exact date of when the president signed the secret intelligence authorization is not clear, according to Reuters.