France wants to be able to arm Syrian rebels

[Bosonic]

Source: AP

PARIS (AP) — France is ready to help arm Syrian opposition fighters and is pushing for an urgent European Union meeting on lifting its arms embargo on Syria, the French foreign minister said Thursday.

Laurent Fabius suggested France and Britain are ready to brush aside concerns by other European countries about the embargo in their push to help the Syrian opposition, but the British side was more cautious on its position.

Russia, which is supplying weapons to the Syrian military, strongly opposes arms supplies to the rebels — and some international diplomats warn that more weapons is the last thing that Syria needs right now after a two-year civil war that has left 70,000 dead.

"Lifting the embargo is one of the only means left to make things move politically" in Syria, Fabius said on France-Info radio.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5icyWzSPNBNVzrkR4quvIDnFZu6-A?docId=dc2c76550fbb4f228125448221c68610

[dipsydoodle]

1. Russia warns UK against arming Syrian rebels

The UK and Russia remain at odds over the supply of arms to Syria's opposition, with Moscow suggesting that any move by the British government to give the rebels military equipment would breach international law.

The foreign secretary, William Hague, held talks in London with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in a meeting also attended by defence ministers Philip Hammond and Sergei Shoigu.

Last week Hague announced that Britain was stepping up its support for Syria's opposition National Coalition and would be providing non-lethal equipment to rebel fighters. The government is inching towards arming the rebels, with David Cameron indicating on Wednesday that the UK might be prepared to bypass an EU arms embargo as events on the ground unfold.

Speaking after talks with Hague, however, Lavrov said the supply of lethal weapons to the rebels would be illegal. "International law doesn't allow, doesn't permit, the supplies of arms to non-governmental actors. It's a violation of international law," he claimed. Lavrov also raised the spectre of western arms falling into the hands of radical Islamist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, placed on a terrorist list by the US.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/13/russia-warns-uk-syrian-rebels

[leveymg]

2. What can possibly go wrong?

[dipsydoodle]

3. I'm not quite sure what the exact situation is here.

More often that not changes in EU policy require the assent of ALL member countries. In this case its arms to Syria period. If either the UK or France do supply arms to the opposition it could open the flood gates from elsewhere to the regime.

[leveymg]

5. Current EU policy is an arms embargo on both sides. France seems to think they can either change

that or violate it.

[dipsydoodle]

6. What I meant was

that I'm not sure the UK or France can change EU policy without the agreement of all member countries any one of which could veto the change - this case arms to Syria period.

[leveymg]

7. That's true for the EU Council, which requires unanimous action.

It appears that France and the UK are indicating they are ready to violate the existing bans.

http://www.euronews.com/2013/03/14/france-signals-it-may-break-eu-arms-embargo-on-syria-with-britain/

I believe the arms embargo is subsequent to several EU Council decisions, the latest of which is scheduled to expire in May. After that, who knows: http://www.sipri.org/databases/embargoes/eu_arms_embargoes/syria_LAS/eu-embargo-on-libya

EU arms embargo on Syria

In May 2011 the European Union imposed sanctions on Syria in response to the violent repression by Syrian government forces of peaceful protests. It called on the Syrian security forces to exercise restraint. Council Decision 2011/273/CFSP and Council Regulation No 442/2011.

The sanctions included an embargo on the supply of arms, military equipment and equipment which might be used for internal repression.

In January and June 2012. in order to strengthen the embargo, several EU Council decisions were made during that specified in more detail the items and services banned under the arms embargo. This included telecommunications monitoring and interception equipment and certain goods that might be used for the manufacture and maintenance of equipment which might be used for internal repression. Council Regulation EU No 36/2012 18 January 2012 and Council Regulation EU No 509/2012 16 June 2012.

In July 2012, in an effort to address the problem of arms and other embargoed items being transported from other countries through the EU to Syria it was decided that EU Member States should inspect all vessels and aircraft bound for Syria within their territories and with the consent of the flag state if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the cargo may include sanctioned items. Council Decision 2012/420/CFSP 23 July 2012.

In November 2012 the EU decided to extend restrictive measures until 1 March 2013, imposing a renewal term of only three month instead of one year. Council Decision 2012/739/CFSP 29 November 2012.

In February 2013 the EU decided to renew the restrictive measures against Syria for a further three months, amending them so as to provide greater non-lethal support and technical assistance for the protection of civilians.

Last updated on 21 February 2013

Open above text as PDF
EU Council Decision 2011/273/CFSP (2011)
EU Council Regulation 442/2011 (2011)
EU Council Regulation 36/2012 (2012)
EU Council Regulation 509/2012 (2012)
EU Council Decision 2012/420/CFSP (2012)
EU Council Decision 2012/739/CFSP (2012)
EU Council conclusions on Syria, 3222nd Foreign Affairs Council meeting (2013)

[pampango]

8. Apparently the EU arms embargo is up for renewal in May. It may be that the UK or France might veto

an extension of the arms embargo rather than violate the embargo before May.

Syria: UK's Cameron 'may veto EU arms embargo'

David Cameron has said the UK would consider vetoing any extension to the European Union's arms embargo on Syria. "Vetoing the embargo was "not a decision we have taken", he added, telling the MPs: "And I hope we don't have to break from a collaborative approach across the European Union."

The embargo is due to be renewed in May, but the prime minister said it was "not out of the question we may have to do things in our own way".

EU members are divided over whether to lift the embargo, with some, such as Germany, concerned that this would lead to a proliferation of arms in Syria and the surrounding region.

France supports the UK in calling for an easing of restrictions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21763345

[dipsydoodle]

9. Hadn't realised that

Thanks.

[Kolesar]

4. Russian leaders act contrary to the US so the public does not think they are wussies

It is the opinion of the Russian public that their government is dominated by the US.
Hence, we see "poorly conceived" ideas from the Russian leaders.

[John2]

10. It goes all the

way back to the Cold War. The Russians are a patriotic people and I admired the way they defeated Hitler. They are still a World Power that has to be respected. And they still have the largest supply of nuclear weapons.

[pampango]

11. I agree that we should 'respect' Russia. Actually, we should respect every country.

What we should not 'respect' are bad policies that 'respected' countries pursue -whether those policies are 'austerity', 'homophobia', 'racism' or the arming of repressive regimes. And I do not exempt the US from getting no respect when it pursues such policies.

[riderinthestorm]

12. Russia is protecting its only ME port in the region.

Russia's been saying that they don't want sectarian war to break out in the region (too late it already has) and so they've been trying to keep a strong Shia front man in Syria to counter balance the Gulf State Sunni fanatics.

But personally, imho, its about protecting their port.

That its also in direct confrontation with the US is all the better but probably just a small part of why they have taken this position.

[Kolesar]

16. That sounds rational...eom

[Xithras]

13. Hopefully they'll get slapped down.

The Syrian opposition is proving themselves to be a bunch of thugs, and even the UN reports are showing that Syrian civilians are flowing out of rebel held areas and into state held areas.

There's plenty of video evidence out there for anyone who wants to take the time and look for it. FSA soldiers beating a man for wearing yellow and looking "gay", FSA soldiers beating women for walking around uncovered, FSA soldiers hauling caches of alcohol into the street and destroying it for being un-Islamic, FSA soldiers beheading people, FSA soldiers bombing civilians. A significant part of the refugee problem is due to civilians FLEEING the parts of the country held by the FSA because they don't want to live under that kind of tyranny.

It's Afghanistan all over again, only the "mujiahadeen" is now the FSA. The smartest thing the west can do is to stay out of it.

[dipsydoodle]

14. West tiptoes into Syrian war hoping to boost more secular rebels

(Reuters) - France, Britain and the United States are inching towards providing military aid to Syria's rebels, hoping to beef up more secular forces at the expense of radical Islamists who are gaining ever more prominence in the uprising.

The bitter experience of Afghanistan, where the American arming of anti-Soviet mujahedeen forces in the 1980s helped to give rise to the Taliban and al Qaeda, hangs heavy in the air.

And as in Libya, the leaders of Britain and France seem keener than U.S. President Barack Obama to get more involved.

But with Saudi Arabia and Qatar already openly arming the Syrian rebels, Britain and France - both committed with Washington to seeing President Bashar al-Assad leave - want at least to make sure that weapons go to the "right" groups and are not so advanced that they could pose a threat to the West.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/03/14/uk-syria-crisis-west-idUKBRE92D13120130314

[Paul E Ester]

15. NATO though turkey is arming the worst of the worst.

Turkey, a member of NATO and an ally of the United States, is reportedly supporting an effort by Arab nations and NGOs to fund radical Islamist rebel forces in Syria.

The report, published last week in Foreign Policy magazine, quoted Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh al-Fayyad who warned that Qatar and other Arab nations, as well as nongovernmental agencies were funding the Syrian Jabhat al-Nusra – the Al Nusra Front terrorist organization.

Fayyad told columnist Blake Hounshell through a translator that Turkey was aware of the financing to Al Nusra Front – which appears on the U.S. government’s official list of banned terror groups -- and had agreed to it. “These are the same sources that finance Al Qaeda,” Hounshell quoted Fayyad as saying. “In times of crisis, some countries use Al Qaeda; some countries make peace with Al Qaeda.”

Al-Nusra Front is among the 13-member rebel Islamic Front for the Liberation of Syria, many of whose members are terrorist organizations linked to Al Qaeda and global jihad. They are dedicated to installing a government led by Shari’a (Islamic law), in much the same style as Iran and Saudi Arabia.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166047#.UUIjrKWnC7c

[dipsydoodle]

17. Syria crisis: Cameron and Hollande fail to convince EU to arm rebels – live

Reuters journalists have been speaking to EU diplomats about their rejection of David Cameron and François Hollande’s plan to arm the Syrian rebels. There was little interest in the proposal from the other European leaders, one said:

Nobody really is interested [in lifting the embargo] … There is no prospect of change any time soon.

Nevertheless, the European council president, Herman Van Rompuy, said leaders had asked their foreign ministers to look at the issue "as a matter of priority" at a 22-23 March meeting in Dublin.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2013/mar/15/syrian-crisis-cameron-and-hollande-bid-to-aid-rebels-live-coverage

[Myrina]

18. Sure, why not ... we already are ...

May as well let France make some money off the bloodbath too ....