Paris and London are forcing the line on the arms embargo. Why ?
(BRUSSELS2) But what a fly has suddenly stung France and the United Kingdom to demand from their European partners the lifting of the arms embargo on Syria. And united like the fingers of the hand to affirm that if their partners would not accept it, they would consider one like the other, unilateral measures. The deterioration of the situation in Syria certainly weighs. The "moderate" forces, caught in a vice between, on the one hand, extremists, better armed, more trained and determined, and a regime which has not weakened since the two years of war, risk being crushed in the new Syria which is sketch, willingly or by force. And it is important to intervene in one way or another. But the message has a multiple range like a billiard ball which will hit several balls before pushing the last one into the hole.
First targeted... the Europeans. We thought the discussion closed at least for a few weeks (until the end of May). Paris and London intend to resume it immediately. The work started on the relaxation of civil penalties cannot be thus, according to confined, to this field. We must begin now to expand the arms embargo. And don't wait May as some countries hoped.
Second target... Russia. The threat is now clear. You continue to arm and send technical assistance to Bashar's regime. Westerners will do the same. Remember Afghanistan seems to tell them Paris and London where the anti-aircraft missiles had contributed to rebalancing the military forces there. It is therefore a question of bringing Moscow to more leniency in the UN Security Council as an additional pressure on the regime. Dangerous game.
Third recipient... the Syrians. Even if Bashar's regime does not bend, it is necessary to show its most loyal supporters that the situation can turn around very quickly. And that there is still time to jump ship and let go of the regime.
Fourth recipient...those who arm fundamentalist groups. They will no longer be the only ones to have high-performance weapons. On the ground, the second battle between fundamentalist groups and moderate groups could be rebalanced. And those who hesitate will have to choose sides.
Fifth aim... European and world public opinion. If by chance, we learned that French, British or other agents... were already in Syria, or nearby (Turkey...), that weapons were being delivered, this word gives a certain conformity politics to the "technical" presence.
Read also (for Club subscribers): The idea of lifting the arms embargo haunts the minds of Europeans
