There is no quick fix to stop the slaughter in Syria’s killing fields

THE EU weapons embargo against Syrian rebels was controversially withdrawn, following lengthy talks on Monday night, but it’s doubtful the policy change will make a blind bit of difference.

Representatives from the UK and France have insisted the volte-face can be used to force President Bashar al-Assad to a negotiation table next month, where a peaceful settlement can be reached. The theory is that EU countries will never have to arm the rebels. The threat will be enough to act as a catalyst for peace without anyone having to get their hands dirty.

But, what if the al-Assad regime, which seems to prefer butchering its civilians to diplomatic niceties, decides to call their bluff? Is the EU really in a position to accurately distinguish the “moderate” rebels that it wishes to arm from the Islamic extremists that increasingly rank among their numbers? Or, if the EU does manage to identify western-friendly rebels from the disparate groups now fighting the regime, what’s to stop the weapons from eventually falling into the hands of terrorists? There are no easy solutions when it comes to ending the carnage in Syria that has, thus far, claimed nearly 100,000 lives.