US steps up backing for Syrian Opposition - Clinton
‘They’ve got to safeguard the chemical weapons that
we know the Syrian regime has’:
US: The United States is stepping up support for the Syrian
opposition amid signs events in the 16-month uprising are moving faster
on the ground, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday.
After failing to win a UN Security Council resolution on Syria after
Russia and China imposed their vetoes, the United States is working
outside the council to send “a clear message of support for the
opposition,” she said.
Referring to heavy fighting in the country's second city Aleppo,
Clinton said: “We are well aware that the pace of events is accelerating
inside Syria.” “We have to work closely with the opposition because more
and more territory is being taken and it will eventually result in a
safe haven inside Syria which will then provide a base for further
actions by the opposition,” she said.
But she stressed: “We do believe that it is not too late for the
Assad regime to commence with planning for a transition to find a way
that ends the violence and begin the serious discussions that have not
occurred to date.” A commercial hub and home to 2.5 million people,
Aleppo has become a new front in the uprising, after being largely
excluded from the violence.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States
was working with all its partners to try to “bring unity in a day after”
scenario once the Assad regime has fallen.
Because events on the ground were moving fast “our efforts on behalf
of a day when Syria can enjoy a democratic future have to accelerate as
well,” Nuland added. The United States is continuing to provide
non-lethal assistance to the opposition to back its 16-month battle to
oust Assad.
“We have every reason to believe this will be important in terms of
communication principally, but also medical support,” Clinton told a
press conference after talks with Haitian Prime Minister Laurent
Lamothe.
She also urged the Syrian opposition not to engage in any reprisals
or retribution against regime figures “that could lead to even greater
violence than currently is taking place.” The Syrian National Council
has insisted it would not accept a unity government led by a member of
the regime and said in a statement that the uprising was “about to
achieve victory against the murderous junta in power.” “There was never
any question of a national unity government led by a member of the
regime,” Bassma Kodmani told AFP.
Hours earlier another SNC spokesman, George Sabra, had said the
council was ready to agree to a transitional government led by a regime
member.
Clinton warned that the opposition “has to be prepared. They have to
start working on interim government entities.” “They have to set up
humanitarian response efforts that we can also support. They've got to
safeguard the chemical and biological weapons that we know the Syrian
regime has, and so there's a lot to be done.” AFP
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