Arms Influx Continues to Syria Amid Ongoing Violence

As the violence ensues, arms continue to flow into Syria, both to the opposition and the Bashar Al Assad regime. Officials said violence in Iraq has decreased amid reports that Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) had moved on to helping the Syrian opposition. Mike Rogers (R-MI), Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he believes U.S. withdrawing from Iraq has lessened any influence it could have had in thwarting AQI’s entry into Syria, which has increased violence. Reuters Africa reported that the U.S. hinted at arming the Syrian opposition, as official statements become more ambiguous. “We don’t believe that it makes sense to contribute now to the further militarization of Syria. What we don’t want to see is the spiral of violence increase,” said Victoria Nuland, spokeswoman for the State Department. “That said … if we can’t get Assad to yield to the pressure that we are all bringing to bear, we may have to consider additional measures.” Individuals have vocalized their desire to see the Syrian opposition armed, including Senator John McCain (R-AZ) who urged U.S. intervention (see video above). Russia has not caved in to international pressure to stop arms sales to Syria, and has even increased them in recent weeks. An Iranian ship, docked in Syria as a symbol of dissent toward the U.S. possibly arming the opposition, reportedly has left, but an Iranian official called it “a clear message against the United States’ possible adventurism.” It was not clear whether the vessels unloaded cargo or had docked in the port as a symbolic display of Iranian support for Syria.

Activists said at least 30 people died in the bombardment of the Baba Amro neighborhood of Homs city, and at least 33 were killed when forces trying to crush opposition to President Bashar al-Assad stormed villages in northern Idlib province. The onslaught of violence has spurred the Red Cross to urge daily ceasefires. ”It should last at least two hours every day, so that [International Committee of the Red Cross] staff and Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers have enough time to deliver aid and evacuate the wounded and the sick,” said Jakob Kellenberger, president of the Geneva-based ICRC.

Despite the prominent narrative of arming the Syrian opposition, Marc Lynch, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) wrote a report titled “Pressure Not War: A Pragmatic and Principled Policy Toward Syria,” encouraging diplomatic and political methods instead of military ones. Lynch outlines a campaign of pressure for policymakers that includes: presenting Assad with the ultimatum of either resigning or being charged with war crimes, tightening economic and financial sanctions, isolating the Assad regime diplomatically, strengthening the opposition and unifying them to speak as one political voice, and supporting a communications plan to publicize the regime’s atrocities.