UK Recognizes Syrian Opposition

The UK has officially recognized the Syrian opposition as a legitimate representative of the county's citizenry.

Speaking from the Friends of Syria meeting in Tunis, Tunisia on Friday, Foreign Secretary William Hague said that Britain will begin to intensify our links with the opposition group the Syrian National Council.

We, in common with other nations, will now treat them and recognize them as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people, Hague said.

The United Kingdom will continue our work to help document the crimes that are taking place so that one day those responsible for them will have to answer for their actions.

Hague also condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his criminal regime.

The Syrian National Council has asked foreign governments to help the Free Syrian Army (FSA) as well.

Essentially the military arm of the opposition party, the FSA is a group made up of former Syrian soldiers that has been protecting protestors and battling Assad's forces. However, with the cities of Homs, Daraa, and Idlib under siege, the Free Syrian Army is reportedly running out of munitions and supplies.

While there are reports that weapons are already seeping in, Hague and other international ministers at the meeting in Tunisia have so far denied the SNC's request for guns.

There may well be people who say that, and it reflects the intense frustration that we all feel, Hague said.

We have in the European Union an arms embargo on Syria, so of course we will observe that arms embargo in all directions.

The aim of the Friends of Syria conference is to immediately to cease all violence in the country. The group has proposed a ceasefire and is demanding that Assad allow humanitarians to deliver supplies to the besieged city of Homs. The Friends of Syria believe that if the crackdown is suspended, it can get aid and assistance to the city within 48 hours.

The Friends of Syria group is made up of more than 70 nations, including the United States, European Union and Arab League member states, other Muslims nations and India. Russia and China are notably absent.