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Obama and Cameron Reiterate Call for Russian Intervention in Syria A Focus on Syria for Obama and Cameron
(37 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — President Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said on Monday that it was urgent to bring the fighting in Syria to an end. But Mr. Obama portrayed the diplomatic effort to stem the bloodshed as an uphill struggle that might well fail.WASHINGTON — President Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said on Monday that it was urgent to bring the fighting in Syria to an end. But Mr. Obama portrayed the diplomatic effort to stem the bloodshed as an uphill struggle that might well fail.
“I’m not promising that it’s going to be successful,” Mr. Obama said at a joint news conference with the British leader. “It’s going to be challenging, but it’s worth the effort.” “I’m not promising that it’s going to be successful,” Mr. Obama said at a news conference with the British leader. “It’s going to be challenging, but it’s worth the effort.”
Mr. Cameron sketched a generally cautious program for strengthening the armed Syrian opposition — one that emphasized the possible expansion of nonlethal assistance to rebels fighting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Cameron sketched a generally cautious program for strengthening the armed Syrian opposition — one that emphasized the possible expansion of nonlethal assistance to rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The meeting between the two leaders comes at an important juncture in the conflict, which has already killed more than 70,000, displaced millions and has drawn in outside powers, including Iran, Hezbollah and Israel. The leaders met during an important juncture in the conflict, which has already killed more than 70,000, displaced millions and drawn in outside powers, including Iran, Hezbollah and Israel.
Last week, Secretary of State John Kerry secured Russia’s agreement to hold an international conference on the Syria crisis. The goal is to have a meeting that representatives of the Assad government and the Syrian opposition would both attend, and which would be held by early June. But a number of thorny questions, including which nations would attend, remain to ironed out. Last week, Secretary of State John Kerry secured Russia’s agreement to hold an international conference on the Syria crisis. The goal is to have a meeting that representatives of the Assad government and the Syrian opposition would both attend, and that would be held by early June. But a number of thorny questions, including which nations would attend, remain to be ironed out.
At the same time, the ban on supplying arms to Syria that was imposed by the European Union is scheduled to expire at the end of this month, raising the question of whether Britain and France might seek to increase their support to the Syrian opposition if diplomatic efforts to foster a political transition to a post-Assad government continue to prove elusive. At the same time, the ban on supplying arms to Syria that the European Union imposed is scheduled to expire at the end of this month, raising the question of whether Britain and France might seek to increase their support to the Syrian opposition if diplomatic efforts to foster a political transition to a post-Assad government continued to prove elusive.
In his comments to reporters, Mr. Cameron said that governments around the world had a responsibility to bring the Syrian conflict to a close. “Syria’s history is being written in the blood of its citizens,” Mr. Cameron said. “And it’s happening on our watch.” In his comments to reporters, Mr. Cameron said governments around the world had a responsibility to bring the Syrian conflict to a close. “Syria’s history is being written in the blood of its citizens,” he said. “And it’s happening on our watch.”
The British prime minister said he had recently spoken with the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, at a meeting in Sochi in southern Russia. The two sides, Mr. Cameron said, had a common interest in stemming the growth of Islamic extremists in the Middle East but had major differences on how to approach the problem.The British prime minister said he had recently spoken with the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, at a meeting in Sochi in southern Russia. The two sides, Mr. Cameron said, had a common interest in stemming the growth of Islamic extremists in the Middle East but had major differences on how to approach the problem.
“I have been very vocal in supporting the Syrian opposition in saying that Assad had to go, that he is not legitimate,” Mr. Cameron said. “And President Putin has taken a different point of view.”“I have been very vocal in supporting the Syrian opposition in saying that Assad had to go, that he is not legitimate,” Mr. Cameron said. “And President Putin has taken a different point of view.”
Mr. Cameron said it was vital to increase support to the opposition and “put pressure on Assad so he knows there is no military victory.”Mr. Cameron said it was vital to increase support to the opposition and “put pressure on Assad so he knows there is no military victory.”
Britain has already committed itself to providing the opposition with armored vehicles, body armor and power generators, which Mr. Cameron said are “ripe to be shipped.” Britain has already committed itself to providing the opposition with armored vehicles, body armor and power generators, which Mr. Cameron said were “ripe to be shipped.”
The prime minister said Britain was pushing to amend the E.U. arms embargo so that European nations would have “more flexibility” to support the rebels. The prime minister said Britain was pushing to amend the European Union arms embargo so that European nations would have “more flexibility” to support the rebels.
“If we don’t help the Syrian opposition — who we do recognize as being legitimate, who signed up to a statement about the future for Syria that is democratic, that respects the rights of minorities,” Mr. Cameron said, “then we shouldn’t be surprised if the extremist elements grow.” “If we don’t help the Syrian opposition — who we do recognize as being legitimate, who have signed up to a statement about the future for Syria that is democratic, that respects the rights of minorities,” Mr. Cameron said, “then we shouldn’t be surprised if the extremist elements grow.”
But a Western diplomat said Britain was not planning at this point to send arms to the rebels or necessarily even to greatly expand its nonlethal aid. Rather, he said, Britain wanted to preserve the option to beef up its support in the future. But a Western diplomat said Britain was not planning at this point to send arms to the rebels or necessarily even to greatly expand its nonlethal aid. Rather, he said, Britain wants to preserve the option to beef up its support in the future.
The generally cautious approach appears to reflect concerns that the moderate Syrian opposition might not be able to ensure that some of the support it receives does not fall into the hands of extremists and may also reflect wariness by Britain about becoming too deeply involved in the crisis.The generally cautious approach appears to reflect concerns that the moderate Syrian opposition might not be able to ensure that some of the support it receives does not fall into the hands of extremists and may also reflect wariness by Britain about becoming too deeply involved in the crisis.
The United States has been even more deliberate in its approach to the crisis. At the end of February, Mr. Kerry announced that the Obama administration for the first time would provide nonlethal aid to the armed wing of the Syrian opposition, which is known as the Supreme Military Council and is led by Gen. Salim Idriss. That assistance, which consists of medical kits and food rations, began to arrive two months later.The United States has been even more deliberate in its approach to the crisis. At the end of February, Mr. Kerry announced that the Obama administration for the first time would provide nonlethal aid to the armed wing of the Syrian opposition, which is known as the Supreme Military Council and is led by Gen. Salim Idriss. That assistance, which consists of medical kits and food rations, began to arrive two months later.
Since then, the United States has said that it plans to expand its nonlethal assistance further in consultation with the rebels. But officials said on Monday that this aid has not yet been provided. Since then, the United States has said it plans to expand its nonlethal assistance further in consultation with the rebels. But officials said on Monday that this aid had not yet been provided.
Mr. Obama noted on Monday that he had spoken to Mr. Putin several times on the Syria crisis and made the argument that Russia has an interest in encouraging a stable and democratic Syria after Mr. Assad’s departure. Mr. Obama noted on Monday that he had spoken to Mr. Putin several times on the Syria crisis and made the argument that Russia had an interest in encouraging a stable and democratic Syria after Mr. Assad’s departure.
Mr. Obama said he would be “very persistent” in pursuing his diplomatic strategy but also emphasized the obstacles.Mr. Obama said he would be “very persistent” in pursuing his diplomatic strategy but also emphasized the obstacles.
“Frankly, sometimes once some of the furies have been unleashed in a situation like we’re seeing in Syria, it’s very hard to put things back together,” he said. “There are going to be enormous challenges in getting a credible process going, even if Russia is involved because we still have other countries like Iran. And we have nonstate actors like Hezbollah that have been actively involved. “Sometimes once, sort of, the furies have been unleashed in a situation like we’re seeing in Syria, it’s very hard to put things back together,” he said. “There are going to be enormous challenges in getting a credible process going, even if Russia is involved, because we still have other countries like Iran. And we have nonstate actors like Hezbollah that have been actively involved.
“And frankly on the other side, we got organizations like al-Nusra that are essentially affiliated to Al Qaeda,” Mr. Obama said. “All that makes a combustible mix.” “And frankly, on the other side we’ve got organizations like al-Nusra that are essentially affiliated to Al Qaeda,” Mr. Obama said. “All that makes a combustible mix.”