The Independent: US, UK Form Int’l Coalition to Arm Syria Rebels

Local Editor

The Independent daily revealed Monday that "a plan to provide military training to the Syrian rebels and support them with air and naval power is being drawn up by an international coalition including Britain."

According to the newspaper, "the head of Britain's armed forces, General Sir David Richards, hosted a confidential meeting in London a few weeks ago attended by the military chiefs of France, Turkey, Jordan, Qatar and the UAE, and a three-star American general, in which the strategy was discussed at length."
"Other UK government departments and their counterparts in allied states in the mission have also been holding extensive meetings on the issue," it added.
It further mentioned that "the commanders' conference was held at the request of the British Prime Minister David Cameron."
 
In this context, a senior Whitehall sources unveiled that "Cameron is determined that more should be done by Britain in Syria."
The Independent's report also highlighted that "the Western intervention comes as opposition groups, which have been disorganized and divided, at long last formed an umbrella political group and a command structure for their militias."
In a reflection of Western interference, it added that "Their [rebels'] foreign backers are said to believe that the 22-month-long civil war has now reached a tipping point and it has become imperative to offer help to the regime to enable them to make a final push against the regime."
"There is also a growing belief among the Western backers of the opposition that intervention in some form is necessary now to influence the future political shape of Syria," the daily said.

It also shed light that "extremist groups, some like Jabhat al-Nusra linked to al-Qaeda, have steadily gained in power and influence because of their access to weapons and money coming from the Gulf states putting more secular groups at a severe disadvantage."
Meanwhile, "Britain, France and the US have agreed that none of their countries would have "boots on the ground" to help the rebels. The training camps can be set up in Turkey."

In parallel, it added: "Intervention is now inevitable."

Earlier, the French Le Figaro newspaper has reported that French military advisers have met rebel groups just across the Lebanese border. The US is said to have stockpiled weapons retrieved in Libya for future supply to Syria.
One senior Whitehall official said: "The efforts have so far been un-coordinated without any focused objective. If this is worth doing, then it is worth doing professionally; training the so-called Free Syrian Army and providing them with air and maritime support when necessary."

"Obviously there are risks involved in such a mission, but there is enough capability to accomplish this," he said.

Source: The Independent, Edited by moqawama.org