As European Union foreign ministers met today to discuss the lifting of the arms embargo on the Syrian insurgency, I spoke with Monocle 24's The Briefing about the immediate situation and longer-term prospects.
Listen to discussion from the 6-minute mark on The Briefing's homepage or in a pop-out window
1. What is the current position among Western countries --- the US, Britain, France, and other European countries --- regarding arming of the insurgents?
2. What effect does fear of "extremism" have on the arming of the opposition?
3. What is the objective of increased armaments --- pressuring President Assad or overthrowing him?
4. What impact would the EU's lifting of the embargo have?