http://www.smh.com.au/world/military-aid-for-rebels-despite-jihadist-fears-20130307-2fo62.html
Military aid for rebels despite jihadist fears Date March 8, 2013 Syria David Blair London Syria has become the ''top destination for jihadists'' throughout the world, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said, announcing that Britain will give the opposition ''non-lethal'' military equipment for the first time. Mr Hague's statement came as the United Nations confirmed that 20 peacekeepers from the Philippines had been detained by armed fighters in a Syrian-controlled area of the Golan Heights. A video posted on the internet showed the gunmen, claiming to be Syrian rebels, standing next to UN-marked vehicles. Britain on Wednesday promised another £13 million ($A19 million) of help for opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, on top of £9.4 million the UK has already committed. While no weapons or ammunition will be supplied, Britain has secured an amendment of the European Union arms embargo to allow the provision of certain military equipment, such as armoured cars and body armour. ''Our policy has to move towards more active efforts to prevent the loss of life in Syria and this means stepping up our support to the opposition,'' Mr Hague told Parliament. The aim was to increase the ''pressure on the regime to accept a political solution''. The abduction of UN peacekeepers by ''armed elements of the Syrian opposition'' occurred on Wednesday near al-Jamlah, at an observation post inside the ''area of limitation'' separating Israel and Syria, the UN said. The peacekeepers were taken by about 30 rebels while on a supply mission near the post, which had been evacuated at the weekend after heavy fighting in the area. The UN Security Council held a closed-door meeting in New York on the incident and called for the peacekeepers' ''unconditional and immediate release'', Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said. Russia holds the presidency of the 15-member council this month. The peacekeepers' captors are demanding the withdrawal of Syrian army troops from the area around al-Jamlah, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory distributed two amateur videos that carried statements by the rebel Yarmuk Martyrs Brigade claiming the peacekeepers' capture. In one, a man identified as Abu Qaid al-Faleh said: ''We call on them [the Syrian regime] to withdraw all their troops to their bases. If they do not withdraw, these men [the UN troops] will be treated as prisoners.'' In a second video, the same rebel accused the peacekeepers of collaborating with the Syrian army to try to suppress the insurgency. The peacekeepers are part of an observer force that has helped maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Syria since 1974. The mission has 1011 troops and 40 international staff. Mr Hague warned that Syria's civil war could threaten British national security because Islamist fighters were flocking to the country. ''Syria today has become the top destination for jihadists anywhere in the world,'' Mr Hague said. ''We cannot allow Syria to become another breeding ground for terrorists who pose a threat to our national security.'' Dr Assad's secular regime, dominated by the Alawite sect of Islam, is a bitter foe of Sunni extremism. As the conflict continues, the opposition is becoming steadily more religious and radical. Last year Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaeda leader, called for Dr Assad to be overthrown. Western governments fear that if they fail to help the opposition, its leadership will be taken over by hardline Islamists. Hundreds of British passport-holders, some already known to the UK authorities, are believed to have travelled to Syria to fight against the Assad regime. By offering more British help, Mr Hague hopes to steer the opposition in a more moderate direction. But he still does not feel confident enough to give weapons. While he did not rule out arming the insurgents in future, he stressed this would happen only if there was ''absolutely no alternative''. Telegraph, London, Bloomberg, Agence France-Presse [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
