Syria: ‘We will work on plan for a buffer zone and transition’

There are serious legal and practical obstacles to setting up a buffer zone or a no-fly zone in Syria, the US ambassador to Turkey has said, after the two countries discussed the issue at the weekend.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday the United States and Turkey were looking at all measures to help Syrian rebel forces fighting to overthrow president Bashar al-Assad, including a no-fly zone.

A Nato-led no-fly zone and bombing campaign helped Libyan rebels overthrow Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi last year. But the United States and its European allies have been reluctant to take an overt military role in Syria’s 17-month-long conflict.

US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, right, told Turkish journalists that issues such as setting up a no-fly zone or a buffer zone in Syria were easy to discuss but hard to realise. “Of course, we should evaluate these issues. However, our discussions of these issues with Turkey should not suggest we are making commitments to set up these zones,” Mr Ricciardone reportedly said. “There are serious legal and practical obstacles on this issue,” he added. “We will work on the subjects of a transition phase and buffer zone within the UN Security Council in line with international law.”

The rebels are believed to be getting weapons from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but only non-lethal assistance from the US and Britain.

Washington sees Turkey as the key player both in supporting Syria’s opposition and in planning for what US officials say is the inevitable collapse of Mr Assad’s rule.

Meanwhile, Turkish TV also quoted the US ambassador as saying that Iran, a close ally of Syria, was providing weapons for Mr Assad’s forces, but the Iranian embassy issued a statement denying it.