A Bit of Churchill? Hague's arms warning to Syria: Foreign Secretary says Britain will arm rebels unless Assad comes to negotiating table | Mail Online

Foreign Secretary William Hague told MPs said he wanted to increase support to 'moderates' fighting to bring down President Assad

 
William Hague issued an ultimatum to Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad yesterday, warning Britain will arm the rebels seeking to oust him unless he comes to the negotiating table.

The Foreign Secretary said there’s a ‘compelling case’ for changing the European Union arms embargo on Syria next week to allow weapons to go to moderate rebel groups.
He said ‘no option’ would be off limits if the Assad regime refuses to co-operate with plans for a peace conference in Geneva.

Mr Hague said no decision has been made yet. But he argued the West has a ‘moral’ duty to help those friendly to the outside world while Russia and Iran arm the regime and Arab states funnel weapons to Al Qaeda supporters.

Mr Hague said: ‘People who are maybe described as rebels but are actually men, women and children sitting in their communities suffering virtually every kind of weapon that man has ever created being dropped on them while the world denies them the means to defend themselves.’ 

Mr Hague will join the French in an attempt  to loosen the embargo at a meeting in Brussels next Monday, but if other EU countries don’t agree it will lapse at the end of the month.

He said changing the embargo is ‘essential’ to force the Syrian regime to negotiate.

‘The United Kingdom and France are strongly of the view that changes to the embargo are not separate from the diplomatic work but essential to it,’ Mr Hague said............

FULL ARTICLE HERE: Hague's arms warning to Syria: Foreign Secretary says Britain will arm rebels unless Assad comes to negotiating table | Mail Online