Sgt. Rock
Full Access Member
UNITED NATIONS — The leader of Syria's Western-backed opposition group told U.S. Secretary John Kerry on Thursday that the United States must quickly supply rebels with promised weapons to prevent a military victory by President Bashar Assad's regime.
Ahmad Al-Jarba, in a statement sent out while he was still meeting with Kerry at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, called the situation in Syria "desperate" and said the opposition urgently needs American action "to push the international community to demand a political transition."
The newly elected head of the Syrian National Coalition accused the Assad regime of using indiscriminate weapons ranging from chemical weapons to cluster bombs and said opposition fighters must have weapons to defend themselves and protect civilians.
The Obama administration decided in June to begin arming Syrian rebels groups after the United States said it had conclusive evidence that Assad's regime used chemical weapons against opposition forces. But the U.S. has yet to send any weapons amid concerns they could end up in the hands of al-Qaida-backed groups and other extremists.
Syria's rebels, however, have recently received shipments of more powerful weapons from Gulf allies, particularly anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.
I'm find with sending humanitarian aid to civil war torn countries but sending heavy duty weapons, helicopters, stinger missiles, etc I draw the line. Who's to say the rebels take over the country and turn out be anti-West supportive and worse than the assholes they overthrow. That whole Middle-East is full of too many different factions and religions to have any type of long term stability and peace. I say food and medicine is worth more in the long run that a cache of ground-to-air missiles. So if the rebels get defeated..so be it..if Assad is overthrown..so be it too.
Ahmad Al-Jarba, in a statement sent out while he was still meeting with Kerry at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, called the situation in Syria "desperate" and said the opposition urgently needs American action "to push the international community to demand a political transition."
The newly elected head of the Syrian National Coalition accused the Assad regime of using indiscriminate weapons ranging from chemical weapons to cluster bombs and said opposition fighters must have weapons to defend themselves and protect civilians.
The Obama administration decided in June to begin arming Syrian rebels groups after the United States said it had conclusive evidence that Assad's regime used chemical weapons against opposition forces. But the U.S. has yet to send any weapons amid concerns they could end up in the hands of al-Qaida-backed groups and other extremists.
Syria's rebels, however, have recently received shipments of more powerful weapons from Gulf allies, particularly anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.
I'm find with sending humanitarian aid to civil war torn countries but sending heavy duty weapons, helicopters, stinger missiles, etc I draw the line. Who's to say the rebels take over the country and turn out be anti-West supportive and worse than the assholes they overthrow. That whole Middle-East is full of too many different factions and religions to have any type of long term stability and peace. I say food and medicine is worth more in the long run that a cache of ground-to-air missiles. So if the rebels get defeated..so be it..if Assad is overthrown..so be it too.
