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| Syria conflict: Britain 'planned to train 100,000-strong rebel army to take on Assad' | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A secret plan to train a 100,000-strong rebel army to wage war on Syria's President Bashar Assad was drawn up by a leading British general, according to a report. | A secret plan to train a 100,000-strong rebel army to wage war on Syria's President Bashar Assad was drawn up by a leading British general, according to a report. |
| The idea - developed two years ago by Lord Richards, who was then Chief of the Defence Staff - was considered by David Cameron and the National Security Council but they ultimately decided against carrying it out. | The idea - developed two years ago by Lord Richards, who was then Chief of the Defence Staff - was considered by David Cameron and the National Security Council but they ultimately decided against carrying it out. |
| The plan, revealed on the BBC's Newsnight programme, called for Syrian rebels to be removed from their home country, put through a vetting process, given training and equipment by an international coalition and then sent back after a year. | The plan, revealed on the BBC's Newsnight programme, called for Syrian rebels to be removed from their home country, put through a vetting process, given training and equipment by an international coalition and then sent back after a year. |
| They would have invaded Syria with air cover provided by the West and allies in the region in a “shock and awe” campaign modelled on the 2003 invasion of Iraq. | They would have invaded Syria with air cover provided by the West and allies in the region in a “shock and awe” campaign modelled on the 2003 invasion of Iraq. |
| The Government did not respond to Newsnight when it was asked to comment. | The Government did not respond to Newsnight when it was asked to comment. |
| Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions have become refugees during the three-year civil war, which has seen chemical weapons used by the Assad regime, according to the rebels and others. | Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions have become refugees during the three-year civil war, which has seen chemical weapons used by the Assad regime, according to the rebels and others. |
| Monzer Akbik, spokesman for the Syrian National Coalition, an opposition alliance, said: “The international community did not intervene to prevent those crimes and at the same time did not actively support the moderate elements on the ground. | Monzer Akbik, spokesman for the Syrian National Coalition, an opposition alliance, said: “The international community did not intervene to prevent those crimes and at the same time did not actively support the moderate elements on the ground. |
| "A huge opportunity was missed and that opportunity could have saved tens of thousands of lives actually and could have saved also a huge humanitarian catastrophe." | |
| Professor Michael Clarke, of the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said the chance had been missed to train "an anti-Assad force that would have real influence in Syria when he is removed, as he will be". | |
| "I think there was an opportunity two or three years ago to have become involved in a reasonably positive way, but it was dangerous and swimming against the broader tide of history … and the costs and the uncertainties were very high." | |
| He added there was little that could now be done. "There are no good options over Syria. It is a slow-motion road accident," he said. | |
| Extreme Islamist militants have gained strength within the rebel force, partly because they are well equipped using funds sent from like-minded people and groups in the Middle East. Isis recently moved into Iraq, taking significant territory. | Extreme Islamist militants have gained strength within the rebel force, partly because they are well equipped using funds sent from like-minded people and groups in the Middle East. Isis recently moved into Iraq, taking significant territory. |