Washington helped broker an agreement reached on Thursday by more than 100 members of Syria’s opposition parties and more than a dozen rebel fighting groups ranging from Islamists to Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups – but not Islamic State – to send a joint team to meet the government under United Nations auspices next month.
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“Some of the terrorist groups linked to Islamic State are involved in the [Riyadh] talks”, he said. However a copy of the final statement had been signed by the Ahrar al-Sham delegate.
At the end of talks hosted by Riyadh for Syrian opposition groups, participants said the committee will assign a delegation to negotiate with the Assad regime.
“We appreciate Saudi Arabia’s leadership in convening this broad and representative group… who agreed today on the structure of their negotiating body to represent them”, he said. It also committed to preserving state institutions.
The group said the militants operating inside Syria were under-represented at the meeting.
A picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency on December 10, 2015 shows members of the Syrian opposi …
“The aim of the political settlement is to create a state based on the principle of citizenship without Bashar al-Assad or figures of his regime having a place in it or any future political arrangements”, the group of rebels said in a statement before the talks.
Kurdish fighters were also left out.
Kerry welcomed the “positive outcome” of the Riyadh meeting.
“Whenever they want to change their approach, give up the armaments, we are ready”, Assad said.
This would see a transitional government set up within six months and elections within 18 months, and calls for negotiations between the opposition and the government by 1 January.
The demands that Assad and his lieutenants should play no part in a political transition marked a tougher stance than that of several Western countries which back Assad’s opponents. They are just actually playing out the role for the United States.
“Bashar al-Assad has two solutions: leave through negotiations, which is easier and better for all”, he said.
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said he would visit Saudi Arabia, a strong supporter of the anti-Assad rebels, soon.
Assad claimed he still had the support of most Syrians, and would not consider leaving office as long as that was the case. This could take the form of similar negotiations or similar talks as were the case with Iran and the so-called nuclear deal.
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This is, of course, likely to be a non-starter with Assad, and his powerful backers in Russian Federation and Iran.
