It's official!! : Britain will help Syrian rebels says Cameron

Britain will help Syrian rebels says Cameron as Assad army bombs continue to rain down on Homs

City being bombarded to stop uprising against ruling regime
Russian foreign minister meets Assad in Damascus
Pair discuss ways to try to end the uprising
95 killed in yesterday's bloodshed
More than 5,400 dead since uprising began in March 2011
David Cameron meets to formulate British policy in Syria

Last updated at 7:52 PM on 7th February 2012

David Cameron gave the green light to a three point plan to force Syrian dictator Bashar Assad to quit yesterday, approving plans to train spindoctors to help the Syrian opposition win support.

British officials will help opposition leaders draw up a joint platform for the future of their country and then train them in how to win over the Syrian people.

Details of the plan were signed off yesterday when the Prime Minister chaired an hour-long meeting of the National Security Council

A rebel fighter from a group that calls itself the Free Syrian Army aims his gun through a hole in a wall in Homs

These images of gunmen fighting against the Assad regime are some of the rare pictures of the resistance

An injured man lies on the floor of a corridor as another is carried on a stretcher so that he can receive treatment in Homs

Bodies are loaded onto the back of a pickup truck outside the hospital in the Bab Amr neighbourhood of Homs

Rebels help a wounded man with a bloody vest into the hospital so that he can receive treatment

A seriously injured man lies on a stretcher as medical staff battle to save him

Mr Cameron vowed to back fresh sanctions by the European Union to freeze the assets of key regime figures and ban them from travelling.

He also said Britain would back Arab League efforts to finalise a deal which would see Mr Assad hand over power to a national unity government ahead of elections.

The crunch meeting came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Syria in a bid to strike a deal.

He said Mr Assad was ready to end the bloodshed, which has claimed more than 5,000 lives over the last 11 months, and hold a referendum on constitutional reforms.

During a visit to Damascus, Mr Lavrov said he had received assurances from Mr Assad that he was 'completely committed to the task of stopping violence regardless of where it may come from'.

Wounded: Rebels injured in the bombardment flash a victory sign as Assad's regime intensified its crackdown on opposition

Battered: Makeshift medical centres and homes have been hit by mortars and machine gun fire as the crackdown by Assad's forces continues

Cold comfort: The email said Asma Assad was helping the bereaved to cope. Pictured here are the victims of shelling by the Syrian army in the Khalidiya neighbourhood in Homs

Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov (left) said he had received assurances from Bashar al-Assad that he was 'completely committed to the task of stopping violence' wherever it may come from

'President Assad informed (me) that he will meet in the coming days with the commission that prepared a draft of the new constitution,' Mr Lavrov added.

'The work is finished, and now a date will be announced for a referendum on this important document for Syria.'

Mr Lavrov appeared to be attempting to salvage some diplomatic face after infuriating Arab countries and the West by vetoing a UN Security Council resolution condemning the violence at the weekend.

But his claims seemed empty last night as the relentless shelling of the rebel stronghold of Homs continued yesterday.

Rebel leaders said that another 19 people were killed yesterday in Homs, the fourth day of mortar and tank attacks which have killed more than 300 people.

Downing Street said Syria's government must be judged by its "savage" actions, not its words.

Warm welcome: Assad's supporters took to the streets to welcome Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today

Greeting: Syrian President Bashar Assad (left) held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (right) in a bid to try and diffuse the escalating violence

Colourful: Pro-Syrian regime supporters gathered under a huge Russian flag made from balloons to cheer on the convoy carrying Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

A spokesman said: 'Our position hasn't changed. We will continue to judge the Syrian regime by its actions not its words.

'Reports that President Assad is ready to talk to all the political forces in Syria to end the violence and set a date for a referendum for a new constitution stand in stark contrast to the actions they are taking and their savage attempt to crush the peaceful protests in Homs.'

At the NSC meeting in London , politicians and defence chiefs ruled out arming the opposition but agreed they would do more to help.

A No 10 spokesman said: 'The work is going to focused on three tracks: firstly, support to the Arab League; secondly, further sanctions to increase the pressure on the Assad regime; and thirdly, work with the Opposition to encourage them to set out a clear vision for the future, for a unified and peaceful Syria.'

A Whitehall security source said: 'The training is taking place on a one to one basis with opposition leaders outside Syria. We are teaching them how to be their own spindoctors to help them agree a message and then get it out to the people.'

Bombed out: Asma Assad said she still supported her husband, who has launched a crackdown on opposition groups in recent months

Destroyed: An obliterated military vehicle lies in a Homs street after it was struck by mortars fired by troops loyal to Syria's ruling regime

Destroyed: An obliterated military vehicle lies in a Homs street yesterday after it was struck by mortars fired by troops loyal to Syria's ruling regime

Britain's scepticism was shared by prominent members of the Arab League, who have called for President Assad to relinquish power.

Members of the six-nation Gulf Co-operation Council - Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates - are pulling their ambassadors from Syria because of Mr Assad's refusal to accept Arab attempts to end the country's bloodshed.

Efforts to help the Syrian opposition will gather pace at a contact group meeting being planned for the next few weeks which will bring together a 'coalition of the willing' of countries who want to help.

But Mr Cameron was warned that it could take a long time to see the Assad regime fall. Part of the Prime Minister's briefing yesterday was to emphasise the strength of the Syrian armed forces.

'They can keep up these attacks for a long time,' one source said.

Panic: A hospital in the rebel-held city of Homs under attack yesterday

Terror: Iraqi families pictured arriving in Baghdad after fleeing from their homes in Syria. They had initially fled their home countries after the U.S.-led invasion of 2003

Standing guard: A member of the Free Syrian Army watches over anti-regime protesters holding a demonstration in the city of Idlib

Defiance: Protesters dance on the streets during a demonstration in Idlib, Syria

Anti-regime protesters play drums and wave a revolutionary flag during a demonstration in the city of Idlib

Anti-regime protesters play drums and wave a revolutionary flag during demonstrations in Idlib

Casualties: YouTube footage shows the bodies of three people reportedly killed in shelling on Rastan in the central province of Homs. Syrian forces rained rockets and shells on protest hubs and killed at least 66 civilians

Casualties: YouTube footage shows the bodies of three people reportedly killed in shelling on Rastan in the central province of Homs.

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Comment by Ragnarok on February 8, 2012 at 3:38am: LOL kinda

Comment by Ragnarok on February 8, 2012 at 3:22am: Means Tommy its official that all the paperwork was been signed between the different people. So now they can make billions of weapons, bombs, meds, rebuilding, food ect ect and Syria is convenient close to Iran and ill bet the oil industry would love to see a pipeline running through the whole region which theyre of course running. Then they will place these harvard educated business dictators there to rule until they pisses somebody off and theyll end up like gaddafi or Saddam.

Comment by TommyD on February 8, 2012 at 12:11am: @ Underthemachine

That would mean being truthful and you know as well as I do, there is absolutely no place for the truth in media....

Comment by underthemachine on February 7, 2012 at 11:58pm: Why not post side by side the videos of the rebels raping girls, beheading mean, and beating civilians that won't join their cause?