Britain will supply non-lethal military equipment to the Syrian opposition, announced the Foreign Secretary William Hague to parliament today. Calling the rebels a “moderate, democratic opposition”, Hague said the equipment would include body armour and armoured four-wheel drive vehicles, as well as training, search and rescue equipment, and kits to test for chemical weapons.
Stating that the conflict in Syria had reached "catastrophic proportions", Hague said that “the international community cannot stand still in the face of this reality," and that diplomacy had not yielded results due to China and Russia. Syria had become a "top destination for jihadists", and would become "another breeding ground for terrorists" said Hague.
He added,
“We should not rule out any option for saving lives.”
“This is a situation where extreme humanitarian distress and growing dangers to international peace and security must weigh increasingly heavily in the balance against other risks.”
The announcement came as reports came through today of Syrian rebels holding a convoy of UN peacekeepers hostage near the Golan Heights. Citing a rebel video posted on the internet, Reuters reported that the rebels have pledged to hold them hostage until President Bashar al-Assad's forces withdraw from a rebel-held village which has been the site of recent violence.
The United Nations in New York has confirmed that 20 peacekeepers have been detained.
Meanwhile, UN figures released today estimate that the conflict in Syria has resulted in one million Syrian refugees.
