While official Obama administration policy remains indirect support to Syria’s rebels in a grueling civil war against the Assad regime, Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that should other countries decide to provide arms, the U.S. would not stand in the way.
“[T]he United States does not stand in the way of other countries that made a decision to provide arms, whether it’s France or Britain or others,” Kerry told reporters after a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr. From the Associated Press:
The comments come after French President Francois Hollande said last week that his country and Britain were pushing the European Union to lift its arms embargo on Syria as soon as possible so that they can send weapons to rebel fighters. The two countries are seeking military help for the rebels by the end of May or earlier if possible. But Germany and other EU nations have been skeptical about sending weapons, pointing to the risk of further escalation in a volatile region.
The United States long held the same conviction, with President Barack Obama and other officials saying more weapons in Syria would only make peace harder. As the violence has worsened over the last year, Washington has tempered that message somewhat. It is now promising nonlethal aid to the anti-Assad militias in the form of meals and medical kits, and refusing to rule out further escalation.
