U.S. to arm Syrian rebels
Washington (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The United States will increase their "military support" for Syrian rebels, after ascertaining that Bashar al-Assad's forces have used chemical weapons " on a small scale " against opponents.
The White House had warned that the use of chemical weapons in the conflict that has raged for two years in Syria, was the "red line". In return, Washington has no "reliable" evidence that the rebels have used the same weapons, although the UN opened an investigation on both sides, but was unable to finish it because of the situation.
In a joint statement the Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, among the most avid supporters of a war against Syria, call on the President of the United States not only to "provide weapons," but to "rally an international coalition to take military actions to degrade Assad's ability to use airpower and ballistic missiles and to move and resupply his forces around the battlefield by air.". It would ensure a no-fly-zone similar to that carried out in Libya against Gaddafi.
The Syrian rebels have just asked for the dispatch of anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, as well as other sophisticated weapons. Barack Obama's decision comes after Assad's victory in Qusair and while his troops were massing for an offensive towards Aleppo.
Among those who favor sending weapons is Democrat and former President Bill Clinton. In the journal "Political" he says that "we should try to do something to try to slow their gains and rebalance the power so that these rebel groups have a decent chance to prevail." Clinton also speaks of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah's presence in Syria, in favor of Assad. On the rebels side, are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar who fund the fighters and last year bought large volumes of weapons from Europe and the USA. Weeks ago, the European Union removed the ban on the sale of weapons to the Syrian rebels, while Russia decided to provide Damascus with powerful S 300 ground-to-air missile systems.
The large concentrations of weapons threatens to transform this "Arab Spring" (as it was orginnally) into a regional conflict between Sunnis and Shiites, Saudis and Iranians, the U.S. and EU against Russia and China, another supporter of Assad. Yesterday, the Saudi King Abdullah, on vacation in Morocco, quickly left the country to return to his homeland, where the army is massing troops to perhaps make some decisive step.
So far the only voices raised against the escalation of the conflict are those of the UN and the Vatican.
Two weeks ago, Msgr. Tomasi, Holy See observer to the UN in Geneva condemned the sale of weapons and has pushed for a peace conference.
The UN has often condemned the divisions and interests of the members of the Security Council and continues to update the figures of the victims of the war. Yesterday, in conjunction with the U.S. decision to arm the rebels, the United Nations stated that the number of those killed in the Syrian conflict now stands at 93 thousand people. Since July 5 thousand people were killed every day, 30 thousand in November. 80% of the killed are men, but the Commission for Human Rights has documented the deaths of at least 1,700 children under 10 years of age
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