Video: Calls growing to arm Syrian rebels

>> secretary of state hillary clinton system ramping up diplomatic efforts to remove syrian president bashir assad from power amid growing calls including members of congress from the united states to arm the rebels. in ton eachia on friday, she will meet with representatives of 70 nations to respond to the uprise package. white house press secretary jay carney said the u.s. so far is looking for a diplomatic solution here.

>> we do not believe that adding to the militarization of syria is the right approach.

>> meanwhile, an american reporter and a french photojournalist were the killed today in more intense syrian government shelling in the city of homs . american marie colvin was working for britain's sunday times. her grieving mother just spoke with reporters at her home on new york's long island.

>> and passion and determination and lived her life that way.

>> nbc's news correspondent richard engel joins us live via skype along the border with turkey and syria . thank you so much for joining us here. you know the conversations happening within members of congress in the states about arming the rebels in syria . they are making a comparison to what we saw in libya to what's happening in syria . is that fair and accurate to do that?

>> it is a very different conflict. in libya , in many ways libya didn't matter. it's an oil- rich country with a tiny population, just 6 million people surrounded by desert practically on the mediterranean. and this is a country that has deep international ties. it is connected to iran. it is connected to hezbollah. there is an ethnic division within the country with a shiite minority ruling the country and a sunni majority trying to under seat the government. so a very different dynamic, much more complicated. there was a belief that a quick intervention in libya would betom the government and that a new regime would come in even libya , which is far more simple than syria , has proven to be difficult. the syrian opposition here like in libya is also quite mysterious. a lot of u.s. officials don't know exactly who they would be arming. there's not a clear leadership. there have been a lot of defectors. but who exactly the defectors are and where are the loyalties of this free syrian army also remains untested.

>> is au know, human rights organizations have said thousands of lives have been lost already in the past year. we're still hearing from the administration that diplomatic options are what they are exploring. from your experience and what you've been able to obtain in talking with some of the folks involved in these talks, what are the realistic options at this point, richard?

>> i think the united states would like to see a coup. they would like to having pressure on the syrian government and try and find a new group of leaders from within the system. from within the military. from within the political establishment. and not have the to go through a round of civil war . if you throw in weapons into this conflict, then effectively you'ring back and saying well, we'll let the stronger side win and let the two sides sort it out. the united states and i think many other parties would like to see some sort of transition. the problem is that hasn't happened so far. it's been going on this many conflict for nearly a year. and one side, the opposition, is being slaughtered. you talked about the situation in homs where those twos journalists marie colvin was killed and the people of homs almost 30 through surrounded and they are being shelled relentlessly and running out of food and basic supplies.

>> richard engel live for us on the border of turkey and syria . thank you so much for your updated information for our audience.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/46485509/

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