Frankrike og Storbritannia går inn for våpenleveranser til opprøerne i Syria og USA vil ikke motsette seg et slikt linjeskift. Men det er betydelig opposisjon innad i EU.

EU har formelt en våpenembargo i effekt mot Syria, som utløper 31. mai.

På ministerrådsmøtet mandag vil Storbritannia og Frankrike legge frem et forslag om oppmyking. Det er oppsiktsvekkende at Obama-administrasjonen går inn for et slik aktiv deltakelse på opprørernes side, all den stund islamistene i økende grad er toneangivende.

Israel er mot. Det er også mange EU-land.

A US state department official told EUobserver in a written note on Friday (24 May) that: «Amending the EU arms embargo on Syria to allow for the provision of lethal assistance to the opposition is ultimately a decision for EU member states.» The contact added: «However … the US strongly supports the easing of the EU arms embargo as part of the international community’s collective efforts to demonstrate its full support for the Syrian opposition and to continue to pressure the regime.» The question will take centre stage at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday.

A British diplomat said London wants to include a new line in the EU sanctions document which says EU states can ship «equipment which protects civilians» to «moderate» opposition forces. France and Italy also support the move. Several EU countries – notably Austria, the Czech republic, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden – oppose it for fears that British or French anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons given to the secularist Free Syrian Army might end up in the hands of Islamist groups, such as the Al-Nusra Front. «Who can guarantee that radical forces, strong enemies of Israel for example, won’t receive such modern weapons systems?» a Czech diplomat noted. In an unusual divergence in Israeli and US policy, an Israeli diplomatic source said Israel would prefer the EU to err on the side of caution. «We’re not in favour of introducing yet more weapons into Syria,» the Israeli contact told this website. Meanwhile, a more neutral group – including Belgium, Denmark and Germany – shares concerns on proliferation but wants to avoid an EU split or seeing the whole sanctions document fall by the wayside.

 

http://euobserver.com/foreign/120241