Syrian opposition should be supplied with arms, ex-US official
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Former U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. AP photo
It is time to send more
arms to Syrian rebels for their fight against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad
and the Syrian Armed Forces, former U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen
Hadley said today.
"I think the French President is right. It is the time for us to get more
arms to this group so that they can protect themselves. It is a humanitarian
disaster that risks a sectarian war that destabilizes the Middle East,"
Hadley said at the International Atlantic Council meeting in Istanbul
today, which brought together regional political leaders and energy
representatives from all over the world.
"We have been sitting on our hands in Syria
as the situation has become critical. I think countries in the region want to
see more leadership and we have not shown it," Hadley said.
Hadley also said he was hopeful about the new form of the Syrian opposition
which was announced last week in Doha
and said arms should be provided to the Syrian rebels.
When a journalist asked about the "triangle relations" between the U.S.,
Israel and Turkey Hadley
said a strong relationship between Israel
and the U.S.
would continue like the strong relationship between Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Barack Obama.
Hadley said he has been following Turkey
for at least 20 years and finds Turkey
to be a different country now in regards to democratization of its politics and
society.
