British PM: We have not made decision to arm Syrian opposition

British Prime Minister David Cameron also said at a news conference on Monday morning that he saw an "urgent window of opportunity'' before the "worst fears'' in Syria would be realized.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday at the White House that he has not made a decision to arm the Syrian opposition. Britain will, however, double non-lethal support to them in the next year, he said.

Last week the British government said amending the European Union arms embargo against the main Syrian opposition group would strengthen moderate forces in the opposition and put pressure on the Middle Eastern government to enter negotiations on a political solution. The arms embargo expires at the end of the month.

Cameron and President Obama at a joint news conference said they will continue to support the people of Syria, provide more humanitarian aid, and push for a transitional government to help bring peace to the Middle Eastern country.

Cameron also said he saw an “urgent window of opportunity” before the “worst fears” in Syria would be realized.

The Obama administration said it is still considering providing weapons to vetted units in the armed opposition after evidence emerged that Syrian government forces may have used chemical weapons on its own citizens last month.

British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) and U.S. President Barack Obama hold a joint news conference in the East Room at the White House May 13, 2013. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

President Obama said the United States will further increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop the “appalling violence” in Syria, and that his administration continued to investigate the reported use of chemical weapons.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

“We will continue to work to establish the facts around the use of chemical weapons in Syria and those facts will help guide our next steps,” Obama said on Monday morning.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Israel bombed targets in Damascus on May 5, a move that increased pressure on President Obama to intervene in Syria. The death toll has reached at least 82,000 people during the country’s two-year civil war.

The two leaders also discussed a proposed free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, the Mideast peace process, and next month’s eight-nation economic summit in Northern Ireland.

Last week Cameron said Britain, Russia, and the United States should work to help form a transitional government in Syria. The United States and Russia agreed to arrange an international conference to bring representatives of the Syrian government and opposition to the negotiating table. No date has been set.