Global coalition to fund rebels in Syria

An international coalition said yesterday it will provide funding and communications equipment to Syrian rebels and opposition activists, reflecting a shift towards military options that might oust Syrian president Bashar al-Assad after a year of failed diplomacy aimed at stopping his crackdown on dissent.

Participants at a meeting on Syria, held in Istanbul, said Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are creating a multimillion-dollar fund to pay members of the rebel Free Syrian Army and soldiers who defect from the regime and join opposition ranks. A delegate described the fund as a “pot of gold” to undermine Assad’s army.

Secretary of state Hillary Clinton said the US is providing communications equipment to help opposition members in Syria organise, remain in contact with the outside world and evade attacks.

“We are discussing with our international partners how best to expand this support,” Clinton said.

The large-scale plan offers a solution to the international divide over whether to arm the rebels or support them through only non-lethal or humanitarian means.

It also reflects frustration with appeals to Assad to stop his crackdown on dissent, as well as hopes of forcing his ouster by shifting the military balance on the ground.

It was unclear how the fund would be set up and monitored, or how the money, allegedly earmarked for salaries, would be guaranteed. A participant said the fund would involve millions of dollars every month.

The Saudis and other Arab Gulf states have proposed giving weapons to the rebels, while the US and other allies, including Turkey, have balked out of fear of fuelling an all-out civil war.

At the meeting in Istanbul, delegates from dozens of countries also sought to increase pressure on Assad by pushing for tighter sanctions and increased diplomatic pressure, while urging the opposition to offer a democratic alternative to his regime.

Yet the show of solidarity at the ‘Friends of the Syrian People’ conference was marred by the absence of China, Russia and Iran — key supporters of Assad who disagree with Western and Arab allies over how to stop the bloodshed.

A peace plan by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has so far failed to take hold amid fresh reports of deadly violence.

Syria blasted the conference, calling it part of an international conspiracy to kill Syrians and weaken the country.

In Istanbul, police used tear gas and batons to disperse a group of about 40 Assad supporters who tried to approach the conference building. Many held portraits of the Syrian leader.