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Britain to give Syria rebels body armour, vehicles
[Al Ahram] British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Wednesday that non-lethal military aid, worth $20 million (15.4 million euros), was a "necessary, proportionate and lawful response" to a situation of "extreme" humanitarian suffering in Syria."The fact remains that diplomacy is taking far too long and the prospect of an immediate breakthrough is slim," he told parliament. The announcement comes after the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... authorised on Thursday last week the supply of non-lethal military equipment and training to the Syrian opposition. Britannia has already provided them with equipment such as power generators and communications devices worth £9.4 million ($14.2 million, 10.9 euros). But Hague said his government was being forced to move towards "more active efforts" in a bid to end the violence. "We will also now provide new types of non-lethal equipment for the protection of civilians, going beyond what we have given before," he said. "It will certainly include, for instance, armoured four-wheel drive vehicles to help opposition figures move around more freely, as well as personal protection equipment including body armour." Britannia will also give the rebels equipment to test for the possible use of chemical weapons by the regime, he added. Posted by: Fred 2013-03-07 |
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