Qatar plans to help boost Syrian government salaries, sources say

Qatar is planning to help finance a massive boost in public sector wages promised by Syria's new government, a U.S. official and a senior diplomat said, vital assistance to the new Islamist rulers in Damascus a month after they toppled Bashar Assad. The support for the new Syrian administration has been made possible by a U.S. sanctions exemption issued by Washington on Monday, allowing for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months. An Arab official said talks on Qatar funding Syrian government salaries were under way and nothing had been finalized, adding that other countries including Saudi Arabia may join in the effort. A Saudi official told Reuters on Tuesday that the kingdom was committed to working with regional and international partners to help support Syria and that its current support is "focused on humanitarian aid including food, shelter, and medical supplies."