Syrian rebels confirm receiving arms from West

TEHRAN,Feb.26(MNA)--Syrian rebels have confirmed that foreign countries, including the Western states, are arming them to fight against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking at an international conference on Syria unrest in Tunisia, a Syrian opposition source told Reuters on Friday that several countries are providing armed groups in Syria with weapons, which are being smuggled into the country. Syrian opposition supporters were also trying to find ways to bring anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons to the Free Syrian Army, which is composed mainly of Syrian soldiers who have defected and volunteer civilians, the source said. "We are bringing in defensive and offensive weapons... It is coming from everywhere, including Western countries and it is not difficult to get anything through the borders," the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "There is not a decision by any country to arm the rebels but countries are allowing Syrians to buy weapons and send them into the country." Contacts were also ongoing to find ways to get retired Syrian officers into Syria to act as advisers in an effort to coordinate rebels fighting in a nearly year-old rebellion against Assad's government and to train civilian volunteers in how to use weapons that are being smuggled in. The move is part of an effort to turn the Free Syrian Army, so far composed of rag-tag groups fighting in different parts of Syria with little ability to coordinate, into a unified force with a chain of command that can better fight Assad's forces. "The focus of the Syrian National Council is to create a chain of command and organize the Free Syrian Army efforts and to create a central base," the source said. He also criticized foreign powers for ignoring the arms smuggling aimed at causing chaos in Syria. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Saud bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, attending the ''Friends of Syria'' conference has openly supported arming Assad opponents. The U.S. has earlier said that it will consider military assistance to armed groups fighting the Syrian government. Pro-Israeli U.S. Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, have also called for arming Syrian gangs with the help of Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The pro-opposition Friends of Syria conference organized by a number of Western countries and the Arab League kicked off in Tunisia on Friday to discuss Syria unrest. Russia, China and Lebanon have shunned the conference, describing it as one-sided. The leader of Syria's opposition party, the Popular Front for Change and Liberation, has also slammed the conference. Meanwhile, hundreds of Assad supporters gathered outside the venue of the conference to condemn the meeting. Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. The violence has claimed the lives of hundreds, reportedly including over 2,000 security forces. Damascus blames ‘outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups’ for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.