The Qatari support does not appear to be going to the most hard-line militant or ultraconservative fighters, such as al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, but rather toward organizations with a conservative religious ideology, away from brigades with a secular or nationalist bent.

NPR: Qatar Faces Backlash Among Rebel Groups In Syria

Washington has been reluctant to provide rebels with more sophisticated weapons for fear they might end up in the hands of the radical Islamic factions, including the al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, a group that has been the most effective fighting force on the opposition side.

NPR: Britain: EU Ends Arms Embargo On Syrian Opposition

They include an entity called the al-Nusra Front, or Jabhat al-Nusra, a rebel group that al-Zoubi says has used chemical weapons.

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