Kerry, key allies in Qatar for talks on Syrian rebels' support By Ben Brumfield and Barbara Starr, CNN Secretary of State John Kerry waves Friday before boarding a plane to travel to Qatar. The diplomatic group is known as the London Eleven It meets in Doha, Qatar Saturday Syrian government forces have rebels outgunned (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Qatar early Saturday for meetings with his Western and Mideast counterparts who support Syrian rebels struggling to topple President Bashar al-Assad. The diplomatic group, known as the London Eleven, is meeting in Doha to help shift the balance of power on the Syrian battlefield away from al-Assad and into the hands of his enemies. But they are up against support for his government by Russia, China, Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Al-Assad has the upper hand militarily, greatly due to his access to air power and heavy artillery, including tanks. Rebel forces have no air power and are equipped mostly with small arms. Russia is supplying al-Assad with heavy arms, Republican Sen. John McCain from Arizona, has said. But Syrian rebels say they have recently received more potent weapons, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles from "brotherly nations that support the Syrian revolution." There is no indication the United States is involved in the shipments. Oil-rich Gulf nations have supplied the rebels with arms in the past. Washington is providing more than $815 million in humanitarian assistance to victims of the conflict and has committed $250 million in nonlethal aid to the Syrian opposition. The CIA is training a small number of Syrian rebel forces at bases in Jordan, according to senior U.S. officials. Combatants coming into Syria from other countries are also fueling the fight. Foreign Sunni militants are pouring in to join the ranks of the rebels. One of the largest groups, the al-Nusra Front, is affiliated with al Qaeda in neighboring Iraq. Around 5,000 Shiite fighters from Hezbollah have taken up arms in Syria in support of the government, McCain said. The London Eleven is an offshoot of the international Friends of Syria, which supports the rebel movement. The 11 comprises the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting is the first leg of a tour of the Middle East and Asia by Kerry that will include visits to close U.S. allies Israel and India. CNN's Ben Brumfield wrote and reported from Atlanta; Barbara Starr wrote and reported from Washington