Felicity Arbuthnot: Syria: EU Nobel Winners, Dodgy Deals, and Clinton.

Marking abandonment of the last shred of pretense of observing the rule of law, the Nobel Peace Prize winning European Union Ministers are to meet with the leaders of the Syrian insurgency in Brussels on Monday 10th December, according to Lebanon's Daily Star. Mouas al Khatib, now heading the self styled Syrian National Coalition will attend at least part of the meeting, a spokesman for Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign affairs chief, confirmed today. The Minister's strategy to end the tragedy in Syria is to arm the insurgents, and to look at ways of loosening an arms embargo in order to help rebel forces, EU diplomats said. Al Khatib, the paper points out, has already visited London and Paris, where the coalition has been recognized as the sole representative of the Syrian people. EU Foreign Ministers did not endorse full recognition at a meeting on 19th November, though considered the coalition to be the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people. The sole representative is clearly hoping for the jackpot at this gathering. Later in the week, the EU, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other allies are meeting factions of the insurgency in Marrakesh, Morocco. In the week the EU, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other allies are meeting factions of the insurgency in Marrakesh, Morocco. In the week, the US has designated one of the Syrian groups, the Nusra Front, to its list of terrorist organizations, alleging its links to al Qaeda, the decision would seem to have been made for Clinton also to announce in Morocco, recognition of the al Khatib collection as fully the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, an endorsement Washington hopes will help the group mature into a transitional government. Last week EU Member States decided to review the embargo on Syria, designed to cut off supplies to the government, quarterly instead of annually, to facilitate the supplies of non lethal equipment to the rebels, if necessary. So loosening the arms embargo and assistance in illegality in every way, bestowed by the collective Nobel Laureates.