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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Assad stronger now, says Cameron | |
| 2013-07-22 | |
| David Cameron has admitted that the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has strengthened his position in recent months as he warned that the country faced a "depressing trajectory". In an interview on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1, the prime minister gave his clearest indication to date that Britain will not be supplying arms to the Syrian rebels despite pressing for the lifting of the EU arms embargo. Cameron insisted he was still committed to helping the Syrian opposition, but admitted its numbers included "a lot of bad guys". He also acknowledged that Assad had strengthened his position.
But Cameron said it would be wrong to abandon the opposition – although he indicated Britain would provide only non-lethal equipment. He said: "[Having extremists in the opposition] is not a reason for just pulling up the drawbridge, putting our head in the sand – to mix my metaphors – and doing nothing. What we should be doing is working with international partners to help the millions of Syrians who want to have a free democratic Syria, who want to see that country have some chance of success." Asked about arming the opposition, the prime minister said: "We're not intervening by supplying weapons, but I think we can with partners … to strengthen those parts of the Syrian opposition that really do represent the Syrian people." | |
| Posted by:Steve White |