BICOM

In an update to the House of Commons yesterday, Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the government would push the European Union (EU) to alter the prohibition on sending arms to Syria to allow the supply of non-lethal equipment to forces opposing the rule of President Assad.

In a prelude to such a move, in November the UK helped ensure that the EU arms embargo on Syria was extended for just three months, rather than a year, allowing for changes in the ban to be accelerated. Hague told the house yesterday,” We will therefore seek to amend the EU sanctions so that the possibility of additional assistance is not closed off.” Specifying some of the changes he envisages, Hague said that the current embargo “covers equipment such as body armour, helmets and certain kinds of communication equipment… I think it’s easy to see that there might be a case for flexibility on certain kinds of equipment like that.”

Hague also warned that Assad’s “intransigence and brutality” meant that “there is a serious risk that the violence will indeed worsen in the coming months…If that happens the international community’s response will have to be stepped up.”  The Foreign Secretary also refused to rule out arming opposition forces, saying, “We’re not taking any options off the table, we’re not excluding any option given the worsening situation and given that no resolution to it is in sight.”

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said yesterday that the US is anxious to secure chemical weapons in Syria and that the US government is discussing with Israel how to tackle the likely “chaotic vacuum” which would follow Assad’s downfall. However, he ruled out sending US ground troops to Syria.