Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary General and current UN special envoy to Syria, announced his resignation from the mission today. The announcement comes after the failure to implement Annan’s peace plan in the war-wracked nation.
The announcement comes hours after rebels commandeered one of the government’s tanks. Rebels continue fighting in Aleppo and Damascus, shelling an airbase and displaying new heavy armor, according to Al Jazeera. Annan’s announcement also comes amidst a report that President Barack Obama had signed a clandestine document that authorizes US organizations, including the CIA, to provide “aid” for the Syrian rebels. The extent of the aid is unclear, and Washington neither confirmed nor denied that it had provided rebels with surface-to-air missiles. The document also reportedly revealed that the government was collaborating with Turkey in a “secret command center” near the Turkish-Syrian border.
