The US has said it will provide arms to the Syrian opposition, after confirming that chemical weapons had been used by the regime.
"Following a deliberative review our intelligence community assesses that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year," said a White House statement.
Washington will supply small arms and training to the Syrian rebels, but voices within the Senate are calling for stronger support.
Senator John McCain said that “the president of the United States had better understand that just supplying weapons is not going to change the equation on the ground [or] the balance of power. These people – the Free Syrian Army – need weapons, heavy weapons to counter tanks and aircraft, they need a no-fly zone, and Bashar al-Assad's air assets have to be taken out and neutralised. We can do that without risking a single American airplane."
David Cameron meanwhile has stressed that Britain had not made a decision on arming the rebels.
"We have made no decision to arm the opposition but it was right to lift the arms embargo,
"We will continue to support, train and assist and work with the opposition. Of course there are concerns about some of the opposition, but my argument is this: If we don't engage with elements of the opposition and encourage those that do have a positive pluralistic and democratic view about the future of Syria, we won't be able to influence the shape of that opposition."
