Syria: Britain recalls ambassador as US closes Damascus embassy Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, denounced international condemnation of his country's decision as "indecent and bordering on hysterical." But he announced that he would arrive in Damascus today [tues] on a mission apparently designed to convince Mr Assad of the need for some form of compromise. Mr Hague revealed that Britain will work to create a "Friends of Syria" international coalition, an initiative also backed by France and Germany. "The aim of such a group will be to coordinate intensified diplomatic and economic pressure on the regime, and to engage with Syrian opposition groups committed to a democratic future for the country," said Mr Hague. The group will be similar to the "contact group" that coordinated international opposition to Col Gaddafi's regime but, facing repeated questions on the issue, Mr Hague stressed that the Government was not aiding the Free Syrian Army, the armed rebel group, or considering the creation of a no-fly zone as was enforced in Libya. "We are not contemplating arming anybody, and we have not been in contact wit the Free Syrian Army," he said. President Barack Obama also stressed that the West was not ready to use force again, while reiterating his call for Mr Assad to step down. However with Mr Assad intent on obliterating rebel areas and a high cost of civilian lives, Western allies and the Arab League could soon feel obliged to give greater consideration to providing material support to the FSA, a group consisting of poorly equipped army defectors. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former Conservative foreign secretary, became the first prominent voice to call for assistance to be extended to armed rebels. We should be talking about logistical, communications, intelligence and advice. It might not add up to a vast amount, but don't underestimate the impact on the morale of these extraordinarily courageous people in Syria," he told the Daily Telegraph. European powers are already liaising regularly with civilian opposition groups such as the Syrian National Council and have provided training on reporting human rights abuses. But arming the opposition is a task likely to fall first to Qatar, which played a similar quiet but effective role with the Libyan opposition in Benghazi. Sir Malcolm said it "would be no surprise if some of our allies in the Arab world" were not already supplying or close to supplying the FSA. Mr Hague said the British embassy in Syria would be kept open for the time being, as it provided a valuable source of information on the ground and a useful channel to "impress on some members of the regime the gravity of the situation." He said the location of the embassy made its security easier to enforce compared to the American mission.