UK, France not ruling out military option for Syria

Though UN resolution allowing military no-fly zone unlikely ‘at this time,’ two nations said to be in ‘unity’ on options, including NATO military enforcement

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Britain and France say they’re not ruling out any options in Syria, including a military-enforced no-fly zone to protect thousands of civilians fleeing the escalating civil war.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague told a news conference Thursday that a Turkish proposal for a safe zone requires military intervention, which the council is unlikely to approve at the moment.

“But we are not ruling out any options for the future,” he said, speaking ahead of a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian plight of civilians in Syria.

Asked whether the options include a NATO-enforced no-fly zone without Security Council authorization, he repeated: “We are not ruling out any options.”

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris and London are in “complete unity … on this point.”