The EU has recognized the Syrian National Council, one of the main opposition groups, as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The decision came as the EU ministers met in Brussels to slap Syria with its toughest set of sanctions yet.
Although the EU ministers recognized the SNC as the "official opposition", French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told journalists that there are other groups opposed to Assad's regime which should be urged to unite and become more organized.
The EU continues to execute its strategy of putting political and economic pressure on the Syrian regime to force President Bashar al-Assad out of power. Verbally, the West maintains its support of the opposition, at the same time reiterating that a Libya-style scenario will not be repeated in Syria.
Some of the Arab countries, however, advocate a direct military intervention in the country to stop "the bloodshed against the civilians."
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