Britain does not rule out future arms to Syria rebels

Source: Reuters

Britain cannot rule out providing arms to Syrian rebels in the future, although a new aid package it will announce this week will consist only of non-lethal assistance, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Sunday.

Western countries have so far shied away from arming the rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad, despite their firm diplomatic backing for efforts to remove him.

Reuters and other news media have reported fighters getting increasingly large shipments of arms through Turkey and Jordan in recent months, with funding for those weapons believed to come from wealthy Arab states, like Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Washington said on Thursday it would provide non-lethal aid to Syrian rebels to bolster their popular support. The package is expected to include medical supplies, food and $60 million. New U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Friday he believed giving only "non-lethal support" was correct.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/03/us-syria-crisis-britain-idUSBRE92206120130303

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Hague: Giving arms to Syrian rebels cannot be ruled out

Britain cannot rule out providing arms to the Syrian opposition in the future, Foreign Secretary William Hague says.

The situation in Syria now is "too dangerous to the peace and security of that entire region, and thereby to the world, to ignore it", he said.

His words come after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused Britain in the Sunday Times of bullying and naivety over the conflict in his country.

Mr Hague described Mr Assad's interview as "delusional".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21647014