Will the EU’s rescinding of the Syrian arms embargo have any impact?

The EU has said it will not renew an arms embargo on Syria which ends this Saturday. That should pave the way for countries wanting to arm the rebels, something both Britain and France have been saying they will consider.

It is a tired truism, but nonetheless one still worth restating, that not all the Syrian rebels are jihadists. This is precisely what has motivated Britain and France to explore ways of working with the rebels, although there are currently no plans to supply them with arms.

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But arming the rebels would be a mistake. It is clear Assad must go and that a future Syrian state will need to be recalibrated in his absence, but the fissiparous nature of the ongoing conflict makes it impossible to arm even trusted rebel groups. Most of the rebel forces are currently shelving their differences while they tussle against Assad.