(Image Source: Pete Souza)   BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS In an interview with Barbara Walters , President Barack Obama announced his administration’s formal recognition of the newly formed Syrian rebel coalition.   PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: “...We consider them the legitimate representative of the Syrian people in opposition to the Assad regime...” BARBARA WALTERS: “That’s a big step.” OBAMA: “It is a big step.”   Well, maybe more like a symbolic big step. According to The New York Times , some in Syria wonder whether Obama’s statement does anything to change the dynamics of the civil war, which has raged for almost two years now. (Video: Al Jazeera )   “[Obama] did not commit himself to providing arms to the rebels he is recognizing or to supporting them militarily with airstrikes or the establishment of a no-fly zone, a stance that has led to a rise of anti-American sentiment among many of the rebels.”   The newly recognized coalition was formed back in November in Doha, Qatar, where many Syrian opposition groups held a formal meeting. The elected president of the coalition, Sheikh Ahmad al-Khatib, is formerly a leader at a Damascus mosque. He’s considered a moderate.   The U.S.’ recognition of the coalition comes just one day after the U.S. government designated another Syrian rebel group, al-Nusra, as a terrorist organization, linking it to Al Qaeda.   The civil war, which began as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, has now killed more than 40,000 people -- according to rebel groups.