Weapons 'r' us
Britain claimed victory in a long day of acrimonious negotiations, winning an easing of the arms embargo. The vast majority of EU states opposed the shift, but assented in order to preserve a semblance of unified policy.
A meeting of EU foreign ministers descended into recrimination with a vast majority against lifting the arms embargo, but William Hague, the foreign secretary, blocked a compromise deal. Austria, the biggest opponent of the British aim, reacted bitterly, stating that the EU negotiations had collapsed and that the Europe-wide sanctions regime would collapse at midnight on Friday.
Hague sounded satisfied, however, although others said 25 of 27 EU governments opposed the Anglo-French policy.
Comment: Hawks, doves, whatever. All of these countries have been funnelling weapons and mercenaries to Syria since the conflict began. That is is how it has been sustained. It would have ended as soon as it began if it weren't for Western dollars and weapons. The EU giving way to the armaments industry is merely the conclusion of a false debate to legitimise its 3-year-long proxy war against Syria.