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21:52 GMT
WASHINGTON, Jan 9 (KUNA) -- The U.S. decision to not provide arms to
forces trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has not changed,
White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Wednesday, when pressed by
reporters to explain how the United States plans to help speed the removal of
Assad from power.
"We continue to take a hard look at every feasible policy option to
evaluate whether or not doing so would advance our goal of hastening an end to
the violence and supporting political transition in Syria," Carney said during
a briefing. "In other words, we look at all feasible options and evaluate them
based on whether or not we believe that goal would be achieved."
"We firmly believe that a political solution led by the Syrian people and
supported by the international community is the best chance for a stable and
democratic Syria," he added. "We do not believe, at this point, that providing
arms will promote a political solution."
The United States has over time ramped up its assistance to the Syrian
people through humanitarian aid and nonlethal assistance to the Syrian
opposition, Carney noted.
"We have recognized the Syrian transitional group as the legitimate
representative of the Syrian people," he said. "These are steps that
demonstrate movement in our policy toward further isolating Assad, further
isolating the regime, assisting the opposition. But we do not believe at this
point that providing lethal assistance is the right policy."
The speech by Assad this week was "evidence of how delusional he is,"
Carney said. "The proposal he made was nothing more than a desperate attempt
to cling to power. And it would only allow the regime to continue its
oppression and killing of the Syrian people."
The momentum in Syria is with opposition forces and with the Syrian people,
he said.
"It is clear that as defections continue -- and we have seen a number of
them -- and the regime continues to lose control of territory, that Assad
cannot restore his control of Syria," Carney said. "The future in Syria does
not and will not include Bashar al-Assad. He has lost all legitimacy, as we
have said, and he must step aside to enable a political solution that ends the
bloodshed and suffering and meets the aspirations of the Syrian people."
The United States will continue its support for the Geneva Action Group's
framework, which was endorsed by the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council, the Arab League and the UN General Assembly, he said.
"And we will continue our efforts in support of Joint Special
Representative (Lakhdar) Brahimi to build international support for the Geneva
framework and urge all parties in Syria to take steps toward its
implementation to help expedite an end to the suffering of the Syrian people
and to bring about the day when the Syrian people can decide their future for
themselves," Carney said. (end)
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