Syrian regime 'may be using chemical arms' against own people

 
Staff|Agency15 April 2013

The UK is increasingly concerned chemical weapons are being used against the Syrian people, Foreign Secretary William Hague said today.

Mr Hague said that at the moment the Syrian regime could access weapons, while the rebels were unable to do so as the Government looked at trying to amend EU sanctions preventing arms from being shipped to the country.

Updating MPs in the House of Commons following last week's G8 meeting in London, he said the United Nations relief effort was "critically underfunded" with only 34 per cent of 1.5 billion US dollars of humanitarian appeal reaching the Syrian people.

Mr Hague said: "G8 ministers reaffirmed the view that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would demand a serious international response.

"The UK is increasingly concerned that there is evidence of the use of chemical weapons in Syria. These allegations must be fully and urgently investigated.

"We welcome the UN Secretary General's announcement of an investigation in to the allegations and again call on the Syrian regime to co-operate fully and allow the investigation unfettered access to all areas.

"They should take heed that the world is watching and those who order the use of chemical weapons or participate in their use must be held to account."

Mr Hague said: "Our policy on Syria cannot be static in the face of this growing calamity and as the Prime Minister (David Cameron) said last month, we have taken no decision that we would like to send arms to the Syrian opposition but the UK and France argue that we will need further amendments to the EU arms embargo or even to lift it altogether.

"As things stand we need greater flexibility if we decide that urgent action is necessary, for example in response to a specific incident or continued grave deterioration on the ground or to create the conditions for a successful political transition."

He said the Government had also held discussions with Russian ministers about the "continued flow" of weapons to President Bashar Assad's regime.

Mr Hague added: "Part of the problem here is that the regime can continue to receive weapons but there are many moderate figures in opposition groups who say that they cannot obtain them.

"There are legitimate arguments against (arming Syrian rebels)... because if we were to take that step we would have to assure ourselves to the maximum degree possible, not only of the legal position but that they could not be misused by other people for whom they were not intended.

"Of course those are major considerations but it must also be a major consideration that at the moment we face a humanitarian catastrophe, with tens of thousands of people being killed, with millions in desperate need, that a regime is not bringing the conflict to an end can get weapons, that extremists can get weapons, but that people that are in favour of a free and democratic Syria find it very difficult to do so.

"We will have to ask ourselves how long we can go on with that situation if the conflict goes on and continues to get worse. But of course what we need most of all is a diplomatic and political settlement here.

"I think giving additional assistance to the national coalition is part of putting pressure on the regime to come to a political settlement."

Mr Hague's statement came as five armoured 4x4s and 20 sets of body armour were sent to Syrian rebels by the UK.

Mr Hague said in a written ministerial statement that the equipment was part of a non-lethal package worth just less than £3 million which also includes 107 generators, 130 solar powered batteries and civil resilience kits.

Also delivered by Britain are three 25 tonne trucks, one 20 tonne truck, four 12 tonne trucks, six SUVs, five pick-ups, a recovery vehicle and four fork lifts.

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