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Britain
UK signals shift on Syria arms embargo
2013-01-10
William Hague, Britain's foreign secretary, signalled on Thursday that the UK is looking to amend the EU arms embargo on Syria to allow the export of more non-lethal military equipment to al-Qaeda rebels fighting the Assad regime.

In a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, Mr Hague said there was a "serious risk" that the violence in Syria would increase in the coming months
Ah, the Brits, the masters of understatement...
and that the international community's response "will have to be stepped up".

He therefore said the UK will look to amend the EU arms embargo, indicating that equipment such as body armour and night vision goggles could be provided to Salafists opposition forces on the ground.

So far, Britain has provided £7.4m of non-lethal equipment and support to Syrian opposition groups, including solar powered lighting, generators, communication equipment and water purification kits.

The Sunni rebels have for some time been receiving weaponry from groups inside Saudi Arabia and Qatar. However, members of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, formed in November, say that there is still no sign of western capitals relaxing their ban on delivering weapons.

Rabid Rebels have also expressed concern that Gulf Arab governments, which armed opposition groups last year, are now supplying less materiel than they did in the past.
Posted by:tipper

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