David Cameron: UK would help Bashar Assad flee Syria

Syrian president Bashar Assad should be allowed safe passage out of the country if that would end the bloodshed, David Cameron has said.

The Prime Minister said it “could be arranged” for him to flee and potentially escape international justice over the bloody repression.

But he made clear that Britain would not offer any such haven.

He opened up the possibility of an arranged exit as he prepared for talks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah.

The continuing Syrian fighting is expected to be high on the agenda for the two G20 leaders, as well as Iran and Middle East security.

Asked what he would say if president Assad said he wanted a safe exit, Mr Cameron told Al Arabiya television: “Done.

Anything to get that man out of the country and to have a safe transition in Syria.

“Of course, I would favour him facing the full force of international law and justice for what he’s done.

“I am certainly not offering him an exit plan to Britain, but if wants to leave, he could leave – that could be arranged.”

Mr Cameron ruled out the UK arming the Syrian rebels amid accusations by the Assad regime that the Saudis and other Gulf states are doing that.

Britain would increase its humanitarian help, he said, expressing “frustration” that the international community had not done more to prevent the deaths of up to 40,000 people.

“I am very frustrated that we can’t do more,” said Mr Cameron.

“This is an appalling slaughter that is taking place in our world today – 40,000 lives lost already and you can see, on your television screens night after night, helicopters, aeroplanes belonging to the Assad regime, pounding his own country and murdering his own people.”