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US lawmakers urge 'material' aid to Syria rebels
US lawmakers introduced a resolution Friday calling for the United States to give "substantial material and technical" aid to outgunned Syrian rebels fighting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
Senators Robert Casey, a Democrat, and Marco Rubio, a Republican, unveiled the measure amid horror in Washington at a bloody crackdown on dissent in Syria, where rights groups estimate some 6,000 people have died in the violence.
The non-binding measure also "strongly condemns" Russia and Iran "for providing military and security equipment" being used by government forces in "mass atrocities against unarmed civilian populations in Syria.
Amid calls from some US lawmakers to consider arming the rebel forces, the measure urges President Barack Obama "to support an effective transition to democracy in Syria by identifying and providing substantial material and technical support, upon request" to anti-regime elements.
The aid should go to groups "that are representative of the people of Syria, make demonstrable commitments to protect human rights and religious freedom, reject terrorism, cooperate with international counterterrorism and nonproliferation efforts, and abstain from destabilizing neighboring countries."
The resolution "strongly condemns" the regime's crackdown, declares that Assad "has lost all claims to legitimacy due to the perpetuation of mass atrocities" against his people, and calls on him to step down.
It also urges Obama to step up sanctions on Syrian officials, create a "Friends of the Syrian People" diplomatic group including Turkey as well as members of the Arab League and European Union, and provide "robust humanitarian assistance" to Syria.
And it calls on the US State Department to find ways to "encourage defections" from Syria's military.
