E.u. Lifts Arms Embargo On Syria

[jim360]

BBC link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22684948

"European Union foreign ministers have agreed not to renew the union's arms embargo on the Syrian opposition. But there was "no immediate decision to send arms" to Syrian rebels and all other sanctions remained in force, the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a tweet.

The decision came after lengthy talks in Brussels. A far-reaching package of sanctions against the government of Bashar al-Assad was due to expire on 1 June.

Britain and France had been pressing to send weapons to what they call moderate opponents of President Assad. But other countries had opposed the move, saying it would only worsen the violence."

Not expecting much reply tonight, and anyway I am off to bed. But, your thoughts?

[jake-the-peg]

It's more complex than that brionon!

al-Assad is Alawi which is a specific branch of 12-er Shi'sm but the Ba'ath party is quite secular.

Indeed one FSA commander claimed to the BBC that this was a religious struggle against a secular regieme

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16984219


I think if you look at what happened in England in the 1640s you see a similar thing going on with a big melting pot of different religios ideas all fighting against the state.

And as with England I suspect that if they win you'll have a strong man come to the fore. I'm not expecting open and democratic elections to be called the moment al-Assad flees the country

[brionon]

Jake-Thanks,mate.

[emmie]

if Assad goes, there will be an even bigger bloodbath followed by civil war with many factions fighting, and if weapons that we send, or anyone for that matter get into those hands then who knows where this will stop.