BICOM

New US Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday that the Syrian opposition needs more help, which could be translated into practical support at a Friends of Syria conference in Rome today.

Kerry is currently on his maiden foreign tour in office and commented on Syria while visiting Paris yesterday. He said, “The opposition needs more help,” explaining “We think it’s very important that more of our assistance gets to areas that have been liberated from the regime.” He added, “We are examining and developing ways to accelerate the transition the Syrian people seek and deserve,” which would necessitate President Assad’s understanding that “he cannot shoot his way out of this.”

Kerry’s comments came on the eve of a Friends of Syria donor conference in Rome, which will be attended by the internationally recognised Syrian opposition representative body, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC). The SNC had threatened not to attend today’s talks in protest at international inaction over Syria. However, the US and the UK indicated that they will today offer practical assistance to the Syrian opposition. According to BBC News, this is expected to involve better provision for food and medical supplies in opposition controlled areas of Syria, while the New York Times suggests it could also include training, vehicles and night-vision equipment for opposition forces.

Meanwhile, in a report in the Times, former Israeli defence ministry official and BICOM senior visiting fellow Mike Herzog warned that the large number of weapons in Syria could fall into dangerous hands, destabilizing the region. Herzog said, “Some of the weapons are the most sophisticated imaginable” and “If you add this to the fact that jihadist groups are mushrooming all over the Middle East… it is very dangerous.”