US rules out Syria intervention
US ambassador to Syria says Washington must pursue diplomatic solution for Syrian violence. 'Further arming of opposition will only cause more bloodshed', Robert Ford says
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A diplomatic solution will not be achieved easily, Ford said, noting such difficulty as Russia and China's veto, but stressed it was still possible. He added that the US is constantly working with the international community in search for a way to end the crisis, referring to a meeting of the "Friends of Syria" group to be held in Tunisia next week.
Ford also commented on the prospects of the US arming opposition groups, specifically the Free Syria Army. He posed the question what would happen after militarization, and noted that the idea was raised in forums of the Republican Party and Washington think tanks. Ford stressed that the Syrian army remains strong and estimated it was unlikely that a militarized group would bring its downfall. He insisted that such actions will only increase violence and bloodshed in Syria.
According to the ambassador, the international community must put pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad to stop targeting civilians only through the use of diplomatic and economic means.
We must convince Assad that it will be better for him and his family to step down and allow the Syrian government to negotiate the transfer of political power, he said.
Syrian soldiers in Idlib defect
Changing the Balance
Meanwhile, the Free Syria Army marked an important achievement this week as more than 2,500 soldiers were reported to defect to the rebel group. This is the most large-scale defection in Syria since riots first began 10 months ago.
In a video posted on Youtube, the defecting soldiers vow to establish a democratic and pluralistic regime in Syria that will honor all the international treaties Syria is party to. "We are obligated to uphold to the principles of morality, and to protect civilian protesters. We will sacrifice ourselves to overthrow Assad's atrocious regime" the defectors pledged.
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