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US Still Wary of Sending Arms To Syrian Opposition, Says Envoy

Robert Ford, US ambassador to Syria who left Damascus in February, said the Obama administration has not decided whether to provide arms to the Syrian opposition and that the US priority remains a political deal, reports Barbara Slavin from Washington.
U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford speaks after receiving a 2012 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award during ceremonies at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts May 7, 2012.   REUTERS/Brian Snyder    (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)

The Obama administration has not yet decided whether to provide arms to selected elements of the Syrian opposition and fears that introducing more weapons will only prolong the civil war with even worse consequences for Syrian civilians, a top US diplomat said Thursday, Nov. 29.

Robert Ford, the US ambassador to Syria who left Damascus in February when the fighting made it too dangerous for American diplomats to remain, discussed US strategy toward Syria in detail Thursday at a Washington forum ostensibly devoted to the Syrian humanitarian crisis and the US response.

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