Civilians and Free Syrian Army fighters carry Syrian opposition flags and chant slogans as they walk past damaged buildings during a protest against President Bashar Al Assad, in Aleppo, yesterday.
DAMASCUS: The United States sharply toughened its line on Syria, promising rebels weapons for the first time, after saying it had evidence the regime had used chemical weapons, a charge Damascus dismissed yesterday as “lies.”
The harder US line dismayed Moscow, which had been working with Washington to organise a peace conference to try to end the 27-month conflict, and which described as “unconvincing” the intelligence on alleged use of the nerve agent sarin.
It also prompted expressions of concern from neutral countries such as Sweden, which warned of the risks of an arms race between the rival foreign supporters of the regime and the rebels.
President Barack Obama’s administration announced late on Thursday that it had reviewed intelligence reports and concluded that Syrian regime forces had used banned weapons, including sarin, in attacks that killed up to 150 people.
US officials refused to rule out moving towards arming rebels or imposing a no-fly zone, and said Washington would provide backing to the rebel Syrian Military Council. “The president has made a decision about providing more support to the opposition. That will involve providing direct support to the SMC. That includes military support,” deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said, declining to elaborate.
Britain and France, which had already said publicly that they believed the Syrian government had resorted to use of its chemical weapons stockpiles, welcomed the US announcement.
But Damascus dismissed the US accusation as “a statement full of lies” and asked how Washington could continue to be regarded as an honest broker in UN-backed preparations for the proposed peace conference.
“The American decision to arm armed terrorist groups demonstrates... the direct involvement of the United States in the Syrian bloodbath,” state news agency Sana quoted a foreign ministry official as saying.
It “raises serious questions about their good faith when it comes to finding a political solution in Syria,” the official added.
The New York Times cited US officials it did not identify as saying that shipments to the rebels would include small arms and ammunition, and anti-tank but not anti-aircraft weapons.
The Wall Street Journal reported that US military proposals also include a limited no-fly zone over rebel training camps that could stretch up to 40km into Syria from neighbouring Jordan.
But France said such a plan would not be viable without UN authorisation, which would not be forthcoming given Russia’s strong opposition.
Meanwhile, incoming US national security adviser Susan Rice said yesterday there are “downsides and limitations” to imposing a no-fly zone in Syria but more measures could be taken to help rebels.
Rice said the administration had decided to increase military support to rebels because President Bashar al-Assad had crossed “clear red lines” by using chemical weapons in the 27-month-old conflict.
“We have been clear that we are not excluding options but at this stage no decision has been taken,” said Rice.
Agencies
