Kerry: U.S. more confident arms flow to Syria moderates

Reuters ^ | 3-5-2013 | Arshad Mohammed and Regan Doherty

[haffast]

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday Washington was increasingly confident that weapons being sent to the Syrian opposition by other countries were going to moderate forces.

Kerry, on his first overseas tour since taking office, told a news conference in Doha he had held talks with nations in the region about the kinds of arms being sent to the different Syrian opposition forces.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar are widely believed to be providing weapons to the rebels, but the United States says it does not wish to send arms for fear they may find their way to Islamist hardliners who might then use them against Western targets.

Kerry also suggested U.S. President Barack Obama wanted to give Syrian President Bashar al-Assad another opportunity to go peacefully but may take other steps to raise pressure over time.

"We had a discussion about the types of weapons that are being transferred," Kerry said at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Sheikh Hammad bin Jassim al-Thani of Qatar, the last stop on a nine-nation tour of Europe and the Middle East.

Referring to the supply of weapons, he said: "We did discuss the question of the ability to try to guarantee that it's going to the right people and to the moderate Syrian opposition coalition and I think it's really in the last months that that has developed as a capacity that we have greater confidence in."

snip

The prime minister also bluntly pressed Kerry to try to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which collapsed in 2010.

snip

"We hope that there will be some real movement by the main sponsor, and that is the United States of America."

[haffast]

"Moderates" getting the guns. Gave 'em butter last week. Everything's OK now. FORWARD to Israel.

[Blood of Tyrants]

The “moderates” are getting the new shipments and giving their old arms to Al Qaeda.

[allendale]

Remember the old socialist United Arab Republic (Egypt, Libya and Syria). The Muslim Brotherhood is in control in Egypt and Libya. Kerry is doing his best to be sure they come to power in Syria. Somebody should tell John the Dope that being known as the midwife of the new United Islamic Republic probably will not enhance his chances when he runs again in 2016.

[BenLurkin]

Muslim “moderates” in Syria?

Only a low information voter would fall for that!

[beethovenfan]

Riiight, Lurch.

[Venturer]

Other countries are delivering these weapons, probably at the request of John F’in.

[Calvin Locke]

Kerry’s for being confident before he’s against being confident.

[SunkenCiv]

Wow, Kerry gets fast results. By next week he’ll be throwing his Syrian army medals over a fence into some regime compound.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[Eleutheria5]

I repeat for Jon Kerry

I want to live,
I want to give
I’ve been a miner
For a moderate Mus.
It’s these concessions
I always give
That keep me searching
For a moderate Mus
And I’m getting old.
Keeps me searching
For a moderate Mus
And I’m getting old.

I’ve been to Hollywood
I’ve been to Washington
I crossed the ocean
For a moderate Mus
I’ve been in my mind,
It’s such a fine line
That keeps me searching
For a moderate Mus
And I’m getting old.
Keeps me searching
For a moderate Mus
And I’m getting old.

Keep me searching
For a moderate Mus
You keep me searching
For a moderate Mus
And I’m getting old.
I’ve been a miner
For a moderate Mus.

[BlackVeil]

Thank you for posting this. I love those, whacky, comic articles.