To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support and assistance the Government is providing to the Syriac Military Council in the fighting against ISIS in Syria.
Answered on
8 July 2015
The UK does not provide lethal assistance to anyone in Syria. We are, however, helping to train vetted members of the Syrian moderate opposition through the US-led Train and Equip programme. The UK are providing up to 86 military trainers and headquarters staff to the US-led train and equip programme across the region. This commitment will be incremental as the programme is established.
The goal is for the train and equip programme to build the capabilities of moderate Syrian fighters to defend the Syrian people, stabilise areas under opposition control, promote the conditions for a negotiated settlement of the conflict in Syria and empower trainees eventually to conduct offensive operations against the so called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The UK continues to support the Syrian National Coalition to bring about an end to the conflict in Syria.