BRUSSELS: Nato military action in Syria is not on the table despite the massacre of civilians by the regime, the US envoy to the alliance said on Thursday.

Nato allies have neither discussed an intervention in Syria nor made any military planning to stop the relentless crackdown by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad against dissidents, said US ambassador Ivo Daalder.

Daalder noted that the alliance launched its air war in Libya last year after three conditions were fulfilled: a “demonstrable need” to intervene, support from nations in the region, and a UN Security Council mandate.

“With respect to a demonstrable need, clearly when government forces are attacking civilians with artillery and tanks, there is a need to bring that to an end. That was true in Libya and that is true in Syria,” he said.

But there is neither regional support nor a UN mandate to act militarily in Syria.

“So under those circumstances, the Nato countries understand that the issue of military intervention, which is also always complex, is not right now on the table when it comes to Syria,” Daalder said.—AFP