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Deal to Arm Syrian Rebels Denounced

Deal to Arm Syrian Rebels Denounced
Deal to Arm Syrian Rebels Denounced

The foreign ministry said on Monday the recent agreement between Turkey and US to train and arm Syrian opposition forces is "in clear contravention of international law", and is a great "mistake" like those leading to the formation of terrorist groups, such as the so-called Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Marzieh Afkham criticized the United Nations for remaining silent on such moves, noting that it runs counter to the UN plans to put an end to the Syrian conflict, IRNA reported.

While terrorist groups are posing major threats to regional and international security, the insistence of the US and some other countries to stick to their "flawed policy" and "wrong approach" will result in nothing but "more destruction and loss of innocent lives", the official said.

The simplest way for the US and its allies to deal with terrorism is to comply with the UN resolutions on Syria, which clearly ban providing terrorist groups with weapons, she added.

The United States and Turkey signed an agreement on Thursday to train and equip moderate Syrian opposition fighters, Reuters reported.

Under the agreement, Ankara was committed to provide an equal number of trainers to work alongside their American military counterparts.

The move began to pick up steam after months of planning, with Pentagon having reportedly identified some 1,200 Syrian opposition fighters for potential training.

Financialtribune.com