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Subscribe to RSSSince the Syrian crisis broke out, the price of weapons has exploded in neighboring Lebanon. ITN's John Ray has met the rebels buying the weapons and the dealers selling them.
LONDON - Britain pledged $800,000 in support of Syrian opposition groups Thursday, three days ahead of a 70-nation summit that will seek to unify those against the regime of President Bashar Assad.
In a statement on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, William Hague, Britain’s foreign secretary, said the “non-lethal” assistance would help the groups “develop themselves as a credible alternative to Assad and his regime."
The United States is still deciding what sort of support to provide, but is expected to make a similar pledge at the Friends of Syria conference in Istanbul, Turkey on Sunday.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will use the summit to pressure the country's divided opposition to unite. Without that step, there is little chance Assad's opponents can oust him without a military intervention the West clearly does not want.
Global action on Assad to step down has been largely limited so far to diplomatic and economic pressure, a stark contrast to the NATO air campaign that former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi faced in a similar uprising last year.
There is also disunity among Arab nations about what action to take. At the Arab League meeting in Baghdad on Thursday, leaders dropped a demand that Assad step down but urged him to act quickly on a U.N.-backed peace plan he has accepted.
For the first time since 1990, Arab League countries meet in Iraq's capital, but only half of the members showed up to discuss a UN proposal for Syria. NBC's Duncan Golestani reports.
Syria's opposition groups continue to demand that Assad must go and have not agreed to peace talks.
Fewer than half of the 22 Arab League heads of state are attending the summit, which is perhaps an indication of Sunni and Shiite tension in the region since the beginning of the Arab Spring.
President Barack Obama discussed providing medical supplies and communications support to the Syrian opposition with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan this week.
The United States may back further "non-lethal" aid for the opposition at the Istanbul meeting. But as is the case in Britain, there was no talk of arming the rebel military forces such as the Free Syria Army.
A spokesman for the U.S. Department of State told msnbc.com there had been no change to its current position of exploring options.
"The United States has been trying to find a responsible way to help, using sanctions and ‘moral support,'" said Joe Holliday, a security expert at the Institute for the Study of War.
"But it has been a balance between restraint and achieving the outcome it wants, getting Assad to go," he said.
Britain has already given $715,000 worth of non-military practical support, including communications assistance and training and advice to Syrian human rights defenders.
Assad faces mounting pressure from the West, from fellow Arab nations and even from staunch ally Russia. The United Nations says over 9,000 people have died since the Syrian uprising began last year.
A report in the New York Times said refugees fleeing Syria have described an alarming rise in sectarian conflict in the country, with Sunni Muslims claiming to have been shot at by neighbors who are members President Assad’s minority Alawite sect.
Umm Nasser, 34, a pregnant woman sheltering with female residents and their dozen children in a farm building over the border in Lebanon, told the newspaper that about 15 members of her family in the village of Joussi came under fire from the nearby Alawite village of Hasbeeh two weeks ago as they tried to leave their house.
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I hope Al-Qaeda sends Britain a nice "thank you" card at least.
Well its a good thing the Muslim Republican party hasn't done anything, nor the Communist Democratic Party. Wouldn't want to do anything useful, us, you know. Got to get back to either our Godless country or the slitting of throats of our own children before we have healthcare.
That has been done more than once. This is just the answer.
I bet the homeless and hungry in Britain are thrilled about this wonderful news...
why they donot send some troops openly they alread have some there and the french too. the french and british thinks the can go back to the old days and take countries over and steal their wealth . in Syria they trying to help ALQUIDA ,SAUDIES AND QATARIES , GO SYRIA and kick the intruders butts they need to be tought a lesson , they call them self christians , look what happening to them in SAUDIA ARABIA , EYGEPT IRAQ AND LIBYA . AND THATS WHERE THE WESTREN COUNTRIES ARE NOW. SHAME ON THEM .
Britain is proving dirt cheap these days!
For giving a Ph.D to Gadhafi's son, London School of Economics got more than $100 million dollars in grants.
It appears that Britain, France and Saudi puppets in the US and other nations are lost in their own financial mess!
So Britain and others are pledging financial aid to al-Qaida.
Oil rich sharks of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and other nations are already financing the Islamic radicals and terrorists in the US, Britain, France and other nations!
What a joke some of these politicians have become!
Well, can't blame Syria for refusing to pull its forces out now.
headline: China pledges $800,000 to overthrow Obama government.
perspective
Well, it's a start. I hope somebody took the class on "Breaking Tyrannical Regimes on a Budget".
Britian should be ashamed of itself. Giving money to a terrorist group?
It's an Arab problem, not a western world problem. Don't the Saudi's have extra money to help their fellow Arabs? The USA should stay out of this problem. Give the Arab nations the word, it's in your back yard, you clean it up.
This 'problem' would be long gone if Russia and China were not standing in the way.
SallyAnn
Could not have said it better myself !!!!
If Britain wants to go it alone so be it. Like you I firmly believe we should stay the hell out of it. No matter what we do or we do not do, we will be blamed anyway. This time I would rather be blamed for doing nothing rather than be blamed for doing something. If we send in peace keepers ( code word for troops ) the Arab world will line up against us, once again it is a no win situation for us. ( maybe Prince Harry can save the world )
bob
Sally - Get out your checkbook ... nobody outspends Obama.
"The United States is still deciding what sort of support to provide, but is expected to make a similar pledge at the Friends of Syria conference in Istanbul, Turkey on Sunday."
I doubt the problem would be solved with China and Russia's cooperation. Assad isn't that easy to move.
But this is a step in the right direction. And I'm sure Obama will follow. He's under heavy pressure to do something, though I'm sure he's terrified of making a wrong move as well.
Syria wasn’t a problem until the West stepped in the arena, but let me look at my bank account and instead of a vacation this year (that I don’t need ) sending the money to the rebels makes perfect sense. So people if you want war in Syria send money.
What a load of crap.
HEY FRED and you call them the evil countries because they standing in the way of ALQUIDA and THE SAUDIS AND QATAR
I agree. Syria, Iran or any other ME nation is not our problem.
Many rich Saudis, UAE and other ME sharks robbed some British and US banks. So our taxes went into bailing out the banks.
Sunni Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and others are already financing al-Qaida and Syrian rebels.
Why do we have to drain our pockets further?
Talk about idiocy!
Another example!
The US and allies give all sorts of aids to Pakis. Pakis divert a part to the Islamic militants fighting NATO forces.
Are there better ways to cut one’s own legs?
EXTRA---EXTRA !!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT !!!!!
China to send 1/2 a million Virgin Boy Eggs to help ease the food shortage in Syria. Details at eleven !!
Don't worry.
Russia and China these days make big shows and when required, thet are no where!
As usual, Great Britain shows good form, and sets the example for the planet.
Good show!
Jolly good show!
These days in wrong things and directions!
Good. Now, Saudi Arabia can keep funnelling money for GUNS to the resistance and Turkey can keep clandestinely giving the opposition whatever it needs, a place to work from, money, intelligence, and Britian can help(tell) them how to get their act togther. After raping, torturing, mudering men, women, and children, there has to be a lot of survivors who will spend their lives getting back at the b$#$#$# who did this. This "war" is far from over. I can't wait for the day they hang Assad and his dip#$#$#$ wife.
Hmmm, close. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are the only stable countries in the Middle East other than Iran. One might think they would boast the strongest opinion. Turkey also has NATO behind them.
hey Bill what did ASSAD ever do to us , hell your friends the SAUDIES still finance ALQUIDA and thats who there in SYRIA our gov. intel. already told us that and you still want to support them , hey buddy what side are you on .
this is an example when the US gave britian the bomb they now think they are God. Britain love of war is increasing each year now that they are able to use the US military for what ever war they want to start. Why not send the prince over there with is helicopter to take out Assad. The US military won't let any thing happen to this royal boy.
I don't see this as an example of any of that, and you don't make a very convincing connection. Giving less than a million dollars to a group you want to win a stuggle is nothing like thinking you're "God" (or really, any sort of authority), nor does this have anything to do with the US military, or Britain's connection with the US military. Please support your silly assertions.
Well someone has to say it. If assad is removed from power we'll have one more radical Muslum bundle of religious fruitcakes to deal with. Let the population get reduced to about five or six, then move in.
Syria is already our enemy (or at the very least, and ally of one). A democratically elected enemy (or a failed state) is no worse than a dictatorial one, from our perspective, and if Assad is overthrown, the new government is almost guaranteed to be hostile to Iran and Russia. America has very little to lose in this struggle and plenty to gain.
You can not buy friendship. You can not buy cooperation. How many times has the west funded Muslims in Muslim dominated countries and once these Muslims gained control then spit in our faces? Too many times to count. No Aid No Trade No Immigration and Deport if Necessary! Separation is the only way there will ever be peace with Muslims and even then they will throw rocks over the fence to pick a fight. They will continue to push until the west unites and slams the hammer down. That will be a sad day for the children who are the only true innocents in this scenario.
Nope, but you can buy good press. And medicine. And food. And guns.
It really doesn't matter what Syria turns out to be once the dust settles; in this case, America and the West gets to look good by vouching for humanitarian values and overthrowing tyranny, overthrowing a leader hostile to us and allied to our enemy, and if you're the altruistic type, there's always the feeling of simply saving lives and doing good by helping those whose lives have been turned upside-down from this conflict (the article does say that much of the proposed aid is medical).
Will the new government like us? Who knows? But it couldn't be any worse. If you're worried about gratitude, this is a case in which it doesn't really matter.
how come every body we do not like they are tyrants, IF YOU THINK RUSSIA SO BAD, i do not hear of RUSSIA going any where to change a gov. they do not like , and if the CHINEESE so bad they are the only one that we borrow money from and then we call them bad , the darn french and britan take our money and then they want us to go war and then they get all the loot . look in LIBYA and IRAQ , in IRAQ they stayed next to the oil fields and GOD only knows how much they stole from the IRAQIS , and in LIBYA THEY DID THE SAME THING, WE ARE SUCH A HYPOCRITES .
This is tantamount to adding fuel to the fire.
Given that the fire is lit firmly under Assad's butt, I find nothing wrong with that.
SF, I guess you don’t want peace. SAD!
In unrelated news; Britain announces another $800,000 reduction in pensioners medical care. Says duct tape makes hip replacement unnecessary.
800K is peanuts, they need quite more than that. they need it all: communications, food, weapons, transportation, health care etc. Thousands of wealthy British or American citizens can privately afford this donation. We must have entered the symbolic period, I didn't get the memo.
LOL, You are asking for the rich of England to finance an unethical civil war in Syria and the line up is huge . You really make me laugh it,s rich. What I would do is demand that the rebels stop any offensive so that peace has a chance
Britain is actually torpedoing the peace plan of Kofi Annan by encouraging the Sunni rebels not to agree to the plan and go on fighting the government forces.
Because the peace plan don't call for Asaad to step down, the rebels do not want him in the government. Even if Asaad agreed to the peace plan do you really expect him to follow through? No.
The UK is going insane, Why give money to one group to create trouble for another group? Are we so desperate for conquest that we can afford to let go of ethics. Whatever we do now will be remembered forever please pay attention.
IMAGIN if RUSSIA DECIDED TO GIVE MONEY TO THE IRA AND SEE WHAT BRITAN WILL DO . they such an aaaassshooles.
THE NBC franchise will be gone in a few years. Jeffy Immelt too. GE. The whole socialist shill show. NBC ruined the weather channel and scifi......hard to do, but they did it. Guenevere is black. Didja know? A.sholes. Obama has assad's back. Obama, assa, Putin, chavez, castro, imadinnerjacket.....all the same guy.
suibne
Kind of early to be hitting the bottle suibne.
Great then we will have another group of compassionate conservatives in power like they have in Iran , Saudi Arabia , Bahrain, and a whole group of middle eastern countries
UK, France and topmost USA , are not in this for peace or democracy, they are in for global dominance, resources and contracts.
Shame on you .
i think other countries have enough of our and britan democracy
Lets help push out one government and replace it with a bunch of balaclava wearing gang and tribal leaders who have no idea how to run a country. Then spend billions of dollars rebuilding the country and educating the people only to have them turn against us a few years later.
what was that $800,000 from UK to syrian rebels? That's like giving a street person eighty cents and getting credit for the giving and the helping. What about homeless shelters in syria to help people relocate? Isn't that more earning of credit for a nation's deed?
England should pack up all of their Muslims, and all the western world should do the same, and send them all to Syria to fight Assads regime.
No return ticket !!!
Hell, China and Russia should do it too.
I think this is great news. Especially with what is happening in Iran, because those Iranians must be traumatized by the devil and need real allies to stand up for them even if they don't know what's good for themselves. Just finished reading an article that oil-pipelines can be opened again that cross through Syria, and more built to fund their country anew. It looks like the president of Syria has even put down Annan as he is misurnderstanding it to further seed freedom-loving Earthlings that they will succumb to his puppeteering and dismiss the fact that Syrians do not have a right to join the rest of humanity in our civilized progress towards a United World of Earth based upon equality.
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