if. >> woodruff: arun rath and charlie savage, we thank you both. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> brown: now to the conflict in syria and a change in the united states' role. ray suarez explains. >> the united states has decided that given the stakes the president will now extend food and medical supplies to the opposition including to the syrian opposition's supreme military council. so there will be direct assistance, though non-lethal. >> suarez: word of the shift in u.s. policy came from secretary of state john kerry in rome. the upshot: for the first time, humanitarian aid will be directly channeled to armed syrian rebel groups. the initial installment: $60 million. >> this funding will allow the opposition to reach out and help the local councils to be able to rebuild in their liberated areas of syria, so that they can provide basic services to people who often lack access today to medical care, to food, to sanitation. >> suarez: additional pledges are expected from ten other european and arab nations attending the rome gathering. but after two years of war in syria and more than