As the bloody conflict in Syria continues, State Department delegates join representatives from 70 nations for a Friends of Syria meeting in  Marrakesh,  Morocco. The United States has formally recognized the Syrian opposition, a move which has been criticized by Russia.
The meeting comes just days after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton designated Jabhat al-Nusra, a Syrian rebel group, a foreign terrorist organization, a move likely intended to shore up support for the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. The Coalition came together in November  in an effort to create a united front against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  
Lara Setrakian is a journalist and founder of Syria Deeply, a news website that covers the Syrian civil war. She is covering the Friends of Syria meeting in Marrakesh.