London, Aug 10 (ANI): British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said his country is funding medical and communications equipment for rebel groups in Syria, and providing cameras to help activists document war crimes.
In a newspaper article, Hague stressed that the UK is working with the insurgents in the wake of fears that Al-Qaeda militants are "slipping across the borders" to exploit the ongoing conflict in Syria.
The Telegraph quoted him as pointing out that if Britain did not work with the rebels, it would open up a "void" to be exploited by the extremists.
"It has not been our policy to send arms to any of the conflicts in the Arab Spring and we are not doing so now. But we will provide non-lethal assistance," Hague said in an article for The Times.
"For example, we are now funding medical and communications equipment for Syrian political opposition groups and will provide more, including paramedic kits, water purification equipment and portable power generators," he said.
"We will provide urgent training and equipment to Syrian human rights activists, including cameras, video recorders and forensic equipment," he added.
The paper further quoted Hague, as saying that Britain was also seeking to increase pressure on President Bashar-al Assad's regime by closing "loopholes" in sanctions, seeking to tighten the financial squeeze on the leadership, and proposing a mechanism to back a future transition.
He stressed that the UK was not "taking sides in a civil war", but that the risk of a future power vacuum meant there was a need to establish contacts with those who may govern the country in future. (ANI)
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