UK to talk with Syria opposition

Source:AFP Published: 2012-11-7 23:45:07

 

A Syrian woman carries goods from her apartment destroyed in an air strike by Syrian government forces in the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
A Syrian woman carries goods from her apartment destroyed in an air strike by Syrian government forces in the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday. Photo: AFP



Britain announced Wednesday it would begin direct talks with military figures in Syria's armed opposition groups, as Prime Minister David Cameron called for a new international approach to ending the conflict.

In a statement to Parliament, Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain would not supply weapons to the rebels and said officials would stress to opposition groups the importance of respecting human rights.

"Such groups are playing an increasingly influential role within Syria as the conflict worsens," Hague said.

"I have therefore now authorized my officials to have direct contact with an even wider range of representatives (than have so far been approached), including military figures in the armed opposition.

"This will help us to understand better the situation in Syria and the relationship between political and armed opposition groups so we can properly support political transition."

In an interview with Al-Arabiya television on Tuesday, Cameron had said he would support giving safe passage to President Bashar al-Assad if it meant ending the near 20 months of bloodshed in Syria, and he repeated this on Wednesday.

"I would like to see President Assad face full international justice for the appalling crimes he has meted out on his people," he told the BBC, but added, "What we want to see is transition in Syria. We want Assad to go."

Cameron was on Wednesday visiting a refugee camp for Syrians in northern Jordan, where he said he would press the newly elected US President Barack Obama to work on a stronger international approach to the crisis.

"Right now the international community has to recognize that what we've done is not enough," Cameron told the BBC from Zaatari refugee camp which is not far from the Syrian border.

"We need more pressure at the United Nations, more help for the refugees, more help for the opposition, more action to turn the screw on this dreadful regime.

"And that is my priority with the newly elected president."

Cameron used the visit, which comes at the end of a three-day tour of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, to announce an extra £14 million ($22.5 million) in aid for Syrian refugees.

Britain's main goal is to encourage Syria's many opposition groups, some of which are meeting in Doha this week, to unite around a single vision for a democratic and stable Syria.



Posted in: Mid-East

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