Afternoon Show

The conflict in Syria has entered a new chapter after the European Union voted to lift its ban on arm sales to Syria this week, opening up the possibility of sending weapons to rebel troops.

The announcement comes just as U.S. and Russian diplomats are trying to broker peace talks between the rebels and the Syrian government.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said the EU would consider sending weapons only if negotiations fail.

“We now have the first possibility for a very long time, as a matter of fact since last summer for a political process and I think it’s extremely important not to rock the boat. Start delivering weapons now would rock the boat. No one is intending to do that,” Bildt said.

Rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have appealed to the European Union for nearly two years for help in the bloody civil war. Individual EU countries could start arming the rebels in August.

Host Rob Sachs spoke with Tony Badran, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, D.C., who focuses on Lebanon, Syria and Hezbollah, to discuss the story.

Listen to the program here.