US and allies to equip Syrian rebels

Aid package will not include weapons; Syrian forces accused of using civilians as human shields

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Seeking to stem the violence in Syria, the US and other key allies are considering providing Syrian rebels with communications help, medical aid and other “non-lethal” assistance.

President Barack Obama discussed the potential aid options Sunday in a lengthy private meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Both leaders are in Seoul, South Korea, for a nuclear security summit.

Turkey has been a key US partner in international efforts to quell violence in neighboring Syria and push President Bashar Assad to leave power. The United Nations estimates 8,000 people — many of them civilian protesters — have been killed in yearlong clashes between forces loyal to Assad and opposition fighters.

Ben Rhodes, the White House deputy national security adviser for strategic communication, said Sunday that communications assistance could be critical to the opposition’s efforts.

“It’s important to the opposition as they’re formulating their vision of an inclusive and democratic Syria to have the ability to communicate,” Rhodes told reporters traveling with Obama.

The US has been loath to intervene militarily in Syria or provide the rebels with weapons, saying that would only serve to further militarize an already violent situation. The Obama administration and its allies have been seeking ways to provide humanitarian assistance in Syria.

Rhodes said the prospect of providing the rebels with non-lethal assistance would be a central focus of the April 1 meeting of the diplomatic group “Friends of Syria.” Turkey is hosting the upcoming meeting and the US will be represented by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The UN refugee agency estimates 230,000 Syrians have fled their homes since the uprising against Assad’s regime began last year. About 16,000 refugees live in refugee camps in Turkey.

“We cannot remain a spectator to these developments,” Erdogan said following his meeting with Obama.

The US, Europe and many Arab states have called on Assad to stand down, but Russia and China have protected Syria from condemnation by the UN Security Council.

Earlier this week, the council passed a nonbinding statement calling for a cease-fire to allow for dialogue between all sides on a political solution and the delivery of aid to suffering civilians.

While Obama has repeatedly said that the demise of Assad’s regime is inevitable, there are few signs that he plans to step down any time soon.

The US and European allies have sought to ratchet up economic pressure on Assad’s regime with a series of sanctions, including fresh European Union penalties on Assad’s British-born wife.

Also on Sunday, Human Rights Watch accused Syrian government forces of using civilians as human shields during recent military operations.

The international watchdog said that the army and pro-regime gunmen forced residents to march in front of them as they advanced on opposition-held areas in the northern Idlib province.

The group cited witnesses who said it was clear that the purpose of the marching order was to protect the army from attack.