France, Britain for Arming “Syrian Opposition”

CAPITALS,(ST)_ French President Francois Hollande on Thursday expressed hope that ” the Europeans  will lift  weapons embargo    to the Syrian opposition”, despite  warnings made by European countries  on  the consequences which may result in breaking  an overwhelming  war in the whole region .

AFP quoted Hollande as saying to pressmen in Brussels which hosts the EU summit:” we hope the Europeans will lift the embargo. We are ready to support the opposition and therefore to go far to that. “

Hollande failed to hide contradictory remarks when he called for the arming of terrorist groups and, at the same time, claimed desire to reach a political solution when he also said, “We believe that the transitional political process must be the solution in Syria.”

In a flagrant violation of international law, France and Britain want an urgent European Union meeting, possibly this month, to persuade their allies to lift an embargo on supplying arms to the Syrian opposition, France’s foreign minister said on Thursday.

Following Britain’s line, Laurent Fabius warned on Thursday that Paris could break with the embargo, which in any case will lapse on May 31 unless all 27 EU states agree to renew it. That could pave the way for arms supplies to rebels.

Speaking on France Info radio, Fabius said: “We have to go very fast. The Europeans are supposed to look at this question in several weeks, but we will ask, with the British, for that meeting to be brought forward.”

The arms ban is part of a package of EU sanctions on Syria that rolls over every three months. An extension agreed last month expires on May 31. Without unanimous agreement to renew or amend it, the embargo lapses, along with the sanctions.

EU foreign ministers are to meet next informally on March 22 in Ireland and formally a month later. Depending on events in Syria, Paris and London will push for an emergency meeting before then to decide on the embargo, the source said.

Asked on France Info whether France and Britain would arm the opposition if there was no agreement, Fabius said only that France was “a sovereign state” and that the two countries would jointly act “to lift the embargo”.

Worthy mentioning that a senior French official who spoke on condition of anonymity said anti-aircraft missiles were among weapons that might be supplied to already identified  groups of rebel fighters.

“The well-known arguments against arming the rebels – finding a political solution first, not militarizing the situation or weapons falling into the wrong hands – are losing their impact,” the French official said.

T. Fateh