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Syrian opposition leader not giving up on appeal for anti-aircraft weapons

The Syrian National Coalition is trying to convince Congress and the administration that US anti-aircraft missiles can compel Russia — and Iran — to abandon Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Syrian National Coalition president Ahmad Jarba (center right, in blue tie) waits to meet with U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) (not pictured) and members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington May 7, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3O774

As the Western-backed Syrian opposition makes its rounds in Washington, it’s facing a recurrent question from skeptical lawmakers and administration officials: What, exactly, is the endgame?

The opposition’s main request — anti-aircraft weapons — is by now well-known. So is the US response to date: There’s no military solution to the conflict, and the weapons could fall into the wrong hands.

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