Arm rebels to stop al-Qaeda, says David Cameron

David Cameron warned on Monday that the rise of al-Qaeda in Syria represented a "strategic imperative" for the West to arm the country's opposition.

The British Prime Minister said that extremist opposition groups must not be allowed to eclipse moderate factions, ensuring that a broad-based coalition topples President Bashar al-Assad.

Speaking to the House of Commons after securing an EU deal to review arms policy, Cameron went against the fear that military aid would "leak" to al-Qaeda groups.

"We continue to encourage political transition from the top and to support the opposition, which is attempting to force a transition from below," he said.

"This should include and will include looking at the arms embargo. We must now explore all options to support the opposition to enable greater support for the protection of civilians."

Whitehall officials said Syria could become an al-Qaeda base if the crisis were prolonged. Cameron said there was a "strategic imperative to act" as "Syria is attracting and empowering a new cohort of al-Qaeda-linked extremists".

The United States last week proscribed Jabhat al-Nusra, one of the largest Syrian rebel factions, as a terrorist organisation. The group has benefited from private donations from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, giving it an advantage over rebels who only receive Western communications equipment and humanitarian aid.