'Turkey should supply arms to Syrian rebels,' Mitt Romney says

From online dispatches

Mitt Romney Campaigns In Six Swing States On 'Every Town Counts' Bus Tour. AFP photo





Republican hopeful Mitt Romney has said he would encourage Turkey to supply weapons to Syrian rebels if he were president, broadcaster NTV reported on its website this morning."I would have encouraged our allies in the region such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia to supply weapons to the Syrian opposition forces and showed leadership on the Syrian issue," Romney said while criticizing U.S. President Barack Obama for watching the conflict in Syria unfold from a safe distance.Romney also said he would do "the opposite" of what Obama has done in dealing with Israel, the Associated Press reported.On June 16, Romney told the Faith and Freedom Coalition he believed the president was more concerned about Israel attacking Iran than about Tehran obtaining a nuclear weapon.His hawkish speech was the first time he has discussed policy toward Israel at length since becoming the likely Republican presidential nominee.Obama's campaign team, meanwhile, accused Romney of distorting the president's record on Israel.Obama has given Israel more security assistance than any other administration, spokesman Ben LaBolt said, adding that the president had also stood with Tel Aviv at the United Nations.