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Britain pushes for arming Syrian rebels
May 22, 2013, 3:16 pm

[AP]

Jordanian foreign minister Nasser Judeh (right), and British foreign secretary William Hague [AP]

British foreign secretary William Hague said in Amman on Wednesday that his country will seek to lift a ban on providing the Syrian rebels with weapons.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Jordan’s foreign minister Nasser Judeh, Hague said “the UK and France seek to end the ban on arming Syrian rebels. Any decision to be taken will be discussed with the Syrian National Coalition and in cooperation with other entities.”

Hague stressed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad cannot be part of a solution to the Syrian crisis.

“We want a solution without Assad. We do not accept the stay of Assad,” Hague said ahead of the “Friends of Syria” meeting set to open soon in Amman.

With the participation of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, the United States, Britain, France, Turkey, Germany and Italy, the Friends of Syria meeting is expected to discuss the recent US-Russian efforts to revive political options for solving the Syrian crisis.

Syria’s ambassador to Jordan, Bahjat Suleiman, denounced the meeting, calling it part of a US-Israeli campaign to destroy his country.

He castigated Arab nations for attending, saying they are aiding Washington in its “aggressive, terrorist war, on behalf of Israel, to destroy Syria”.

Source: Agencies