Austria Makes It Clear: Arming the Syrian Opposition Is Illegal !
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Austria Makes It Clear: Arming the Syrian Opposition Is Illegal !
by http://larouchepac.com/
The Austrian government has issued an official position paper, now circulating among EU member states, in opposition to the British-French proposal for lifting the arms embargo in Syria. Dated May 13, the document is a cogent summation of the reasons why the lifting of the EU embargo would be politically and legally unacceptable.
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First, the political reasons:
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1. Lifting the embargo would undermine the U.S.-Russia move for a political settlement
2. The Syrian National Coalition doesn’t control the fighters within Syria.
3. There are more than enough weapons in Syria already.
4. Supplying more weapons would endanger UNDOF peacekeepers (noting the recent kidnappings of same).
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Then, the legal ones:
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1. Supplying arms would “amount to a breach of the customary principle of non-intervention and the principle of non-use of force under Art. 2 para. 4 of the UN Charter.”
2. It would violate the EU position on arms export control.
3. It would “amount to a violation of Security Council resolutions establishing an arms embargo against individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaeda.”
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4. “Member States supplying arms to the Syrian opposition would incur State responsibility for aiding and assisting in the commission of internationally wrongful acts.”
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