British Foreign Secretary William Hague.  British Foreign
Secretary William Hague. Photo: Reuters  THE coming year could
bring a ''perfect storm of crises'' in the Middle East if the
world does not tackle Syria's civil war, Iran's nuclear program
and the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, British Foreign
Secretary William Hague has warned during his visit to
Australia.  Mr Hague flagged a stronger international response
to the Syrian crisis, which could include supplying rebels with
body armour and chemical detection equipment.  The former
Conservative Party leader, delivering the John Howard Lecture at
Sydney's Menzies Research Centre, said 2013 will be a crucial
year in the Middle East. ''We could see a perfect storm of
crises converging if the conflict in Syria continues, the Middle
East peace process remains stalled, and if Iran will not enter
into meaningful negotiations over its nuclear program,'' he
said.  Mr Hague will meet Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr
in Perth on Friday.  Mr Hague said