Complaining that the situation in Syria was desperate, the newly elected president of the so-called Syrian National Coalition, Ahmad Jarba, pressed US Secretary of State John Kerry to arm the foreign-backed militants.

Complaining that the situation in Syria was desperate, the newly elected president of the so-called Syrian National Coalition, Ahmad Jarba, pressed US Secretary of State John Kerry to arm the foreign-backed militants.

As he held his first meeting with Jarba at the US mission to the United Nations in New York, Kerry instead stressed flagging efforts to hold an international peace conference, news agencies reported.

After the talks, Jarba said the situation is now "desperate" in Syria as he justified his call for arms.

The Syrian government is “pursuing a military victory using indiscriminate weapons ranging from chemical weapons to cluster bombs," Jarba said in a statement on the talks.

"Until the regime has been forced to accept a political solution, we must have the means to protect ourselves and defend civilians.

"To deny us the right to self-defense is to risk that the regime will survive: thousands will be executed, the repression will continue without end."

Jarba, who was elected coalition president on July 6, said time is running out.
"American leadership and drive is essential to end this war and bring the democracy that the large majority of the Syrian people want," he said.

He added that the coalition "fully understands American concerns about extremism and the possible diversion of military assistance."
The coalition leaders are to meet UN Security Council envoys on Friday.