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FRENCH FM WARNS AGAINST ARMING SYRIA OPPOSITION
PanARMENIAN.Net
March 16, 2012 - 19:50 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - France is against foreign powers arming the
opposition groups fighting Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, because
such a move could lead to civil war in the country, Foreign Minister
Alain Juppe said, according to RFI.
In 2011, France helped arm the Libyan rebels who overthrew Moamer
Kadhafi, but Paris fears the opposition in Syria is too divided to
form a credible armed force and that the situation on the ground is
too volatile.
"The Syrian people is deeply divided and if we give arms to a
particular faction of the opposition we could trigger a civil war
between Christians, Alawites, Sunnis and Shiites," Juppe warned, in
a radio interview, adding "It could become an even bigger catastrophe
than we have now."
For the past year, Assad's forces have been brutally repressing
a revolt against his rule, firing on civilian demonstrations and
residential districts as well as fighting a small and disorganised
armed uprising.
Some Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, favour arming the
rebels, but France and other Western powers still hope to secure a
negotiated solution backed by a tough UN Security Council resolution
condemning Assad.
Permanent Council members China and Russia have so far blocked attempts
to agree a motion calling on Assad to step down, a stance which Juppe
said was based on a "bad medium term calculation" by Moscow.
PanARMENIAN.Net
March 16, 2012 - 19:50 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - France is against foreign powers arming the
opposition groups fighting Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, because
such a move could lead to civil war in the country, Foreign Minister
Alain Juppe said, according to RFI.
In 2011, France helped arm the Libyan rebels who overthrew Moamer
Kadhafi, but Paris fears the opposition in Syria is too divided to
form a credible armed force and that the situation on the ground is
too volatile.
"The Syrian people is deeply divided and if we give arms to a
particular faction of the opposition we could trigger a civil war
between Christians, Alawites, Sunnis and Shiites," Juppe warned, in
a radio interview, adding "It could become an even bigger catastrophe
than we have now."
For the past year, Assad's forces have been brutally repressing
a revolt against his rule, firing on civilian demonstrations and
residential districts as well as fighting a small and disorganised
armed uprising.
Some Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, favour arming the
rebels, but France and other Western powers still hope to secure a
negotiated solution backed by a tough UN Security Council resolution
condemning Assad.
Permanent Council members China and Russia have so far blocked attempts
to agree a motion calling on Assad to step down, a stance which Juppe
said was based on a "bad medium term calculation" by Moscow.