"Friends of Syria" agree to arm rebels

June 23 (CCTV/ NHK) - Western and Arab opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have agreed to give urgent military support to Western-backed rebels, aiming to stem a counter-offensive by Assad’s forces. They reached the agreement at the meeting of "Friends of Syria" in the Qatari capital of Doha. It is the first time that the US said it would arm Syrian rebels directly. But the statement did not commit all the countries to send weapons.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani (C), US
Secretary of State John Kerry (R) and Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalid
bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah (L) attend the ministerial meeting on Syria, in Doha, Qatar, 22 June
2013. The Friends of Syria group of countries is meeting in Qatar to discuss offering
substantial military support to the rebels. The 11-country group is made up of Britain,
France, the United States, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and
the United Arab Emirates. [Photo: MAURIZIO GAMBARINI/CFP]

The number of dead continues to rise. So, too, does the number of refugees fleeing for their lives. This, as troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in recent days gained ground against opposition fighters. Rebel leaders now say they’ve received a weapons supply that they believe will be "a game changer", but most seem to be simply tired of the game.

That’s the message from the eleven foreign ministers supporting Syria’s opposition...as they gathered in Qatar. The violence must stop. A solution must be found.

"We sat as ministers in a very specific way discussing today what steps each country might or might not be able to engage in," said John Kerry, US Secretary of State.

"It’s very important that the opposition have the capacity to defend itself, because Mr Assad, Hezbollah, and the Iranians are dispersing tons and tons of weapons," said Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister.

The big issue, as the ministers see it, is: how to best help the rebels. The US has said it will now supply them with "direct military aid." The UK, so far, will not. Some are calling for a no-fly zone, others say it’s too pricey and too difficult to enforce.

"We are all aiming to achieve a political solution, a political settlement in Syria. But that political settlement won’t come about if the opposition can be destroyed by force," said William Hague, British Foreign Minister.

Generals from the so-called Free Syrian Army - a lose umbrella representing the rebel groups - were not in attendance, despite rumors they might be.

Also notably missing in Doha: the Russians, who endorsed a communique on Syria at the G8 in Northern Ireland just days ago.... but have voiced opposition to foreign military intervention in Syria and have called the arming of rebel groups a violation of international law.

Thursday’s communique from Doha called for renewed talks in Switzerland --- Geneva 2 --- with them Iran, and perhaps Syria itself.

Getting the parties together is one thing. Getting them to agree is another. Officials say: there is still room for Russia at the table. But without Moscow, any decision concluded at this meeting might be difficult to implement.

CCTV/ NHK