EU leaders fail to agree on lifting Syria opposition arms embargo
Iran Press TV
Fri Mar 15, 2013 5:24PM GMT
EU leaders have failed to reach an agreement to exclude militants fighting against the Damascus government from an arms embargo on Syria despite a strong push from Britain and France.
While France and Britain are trying to persuade the EU to lift the ban and supply arms to militants, some other countries, including Germany, Austria and Sweden, say Syria is already awash in guns and needs no more and that a flood of weapons into the country would only escalate the conflict.
EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the arms embargo again in Dublin next week.
London and Paris, however, have hinted that they could take unilateral action to send weapons to the militants operating in Syria if EU leaders continue to support the arms embargo.
The 27-member bloc imposed an arms embargo against Syria, which is applied to both the Syrian government and the opposition, in April 2011 and it is scheduled to remain in effect until May, when it will either be renewed or lifted.
Britain has threatened to veto a forthcoming vote to extend the embargo.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
In a key speech on January 6, Assad called for an end to the terrorist operations inside Syria and urged "concerned states and parties" to stop funding, arming and harboring militants.
He also said that his government is always ready to hold talks with the opposition and would call for a "comprehensive national dialog" after foreign parties end their support for the militants and the terrorist activities cease in the country.
HM/JR
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