The New York Times is reporting CIA officers are secretly aiding the struggle against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by helping decide which anti-government fighters will receive arms. A small number of CIA officers are operating in southern Turkey, where weapons are being funneled across the border into Syria. The Obama administration has denied giving arms to the rebels, and a U.S. official said the CIA is there in part to prevent the wrong people from getting their hands on the weapons. One Arab intelligence officer told the paper, ”CIA officers are there and they are trying to make new sources and recruit people.”