“The first step we should take in order to solve this problem is to stop the flood of terrorists, especially through Turkey to Syria and to Iraq, and of course we have to stop the flowing of money – Saudi money and other Wahhabi money and Qatari money – to those terrorists through Turkey”, Assad said.
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Fighters from Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front drive in the northern Syrian city of Al …
During the closed-door talks between the various “rebels” and exiles, Ahrar al-Sham had reportedly objected strenuously to language in the agreement calling for “democracy” in Syria.
Syria’s moderate opposition factions have been weakened by divisions, allowing jihadist rebels such as Islamic State to establish a foothold in the country.
The thrust of this position, that Assad must be ousted at the outset of any transitional regime, is at odds with statements made by both USA and European officials, who had previously indicated that they would accept his continued participation in such a transition for at least a short period.
A senior member of the Syrian National Coalition, a Western-backed opposition group, told AP that most participants agreed on its vision for a civil, democratic Syria and a transitional government that would respect human rights and the territorial integrity of Syria.
Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has declared he will not negotiate with armed groups, appearing to scupper peace talks Russian Federation and the United States hope to bring about next month.
Faced with a threat from the “Islamic State”, a wave of refugees, and Russian intervention, the West has softened its stance on Assad, leaving his role in a transition ambiguous in global peace talks joined by top diplomats from 20 nations in Vienna last month.
President Assad lost little time in dubbing all the Riyadh participants as either terrorists or political hirelings of outside powers, neither of whom he would talk with. The statement said that body would select the negotiating team. Their job is to tear the country to shreds in order to topple Assad, replace him with a compliant stooge, and divide the state in a way that best serves the commercial and strategic interests of the three main perpetrators.
“We believe his (Assad’s) fate can only be resolved by the Syrian people themselves”, he said.
In a sign of the tough task ahead, at least 16 people were killed in the Syrian city of Homs Saturday in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group (IS). Already, more than 100 leaders have formed an array of bloc groups and have created a high commission to oversee negotiations with the Assad government, independent of the Saudi government.
In Saturday’s television interview, the Al-Nusra Front chief said that rebels who attended the Saudi talks faced “pressure” and that this was “unjustified”.
The disparate groups agreed on a common framework following two days of talks in Riyadh.
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Kerry had welcomed the accord as an “important step”, although he said it had some “kinks” that needed working out and “difficult work” remained to forge a peace deal.
