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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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31Jul13
Head of Syrian Opposition Rejects Talks With Assad
The head of Syria's main exile opposition group added new conditions on Wednesday to the start of any negotiations aimed at ending the country's civil war, further decreasing prospects that an internationally backed peace plan would progress anytime soon.
The new conditions, made by the president of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, Ahmad al-Jarba, in an interview with the Qatar News Agency, reflected a significant hardening of his position. He said that the opposition would not negotiate with President Bashar al-Assad or "his clique" and that talks could begin only when the military situation in Syria was positive for rebel forces.
In an interview with The New York Times on Saturday, Mr. Jarba said he was prepared to attend a proposed peace conference in Geneva with representatives of Mr. Assad and suggested that the government make "positive steps" to show good faith beforehand, like releasing prisoners.
In the Qatar News Agency interview, however, Mr. Jarba rejected the participation of Mr. Assad and members of his government.
"Among the givens of any coming political negotiation is the lack of Bashar and of his clique in the coming political stage," Mr. Jarba was quoted as saying. "In fact, this man should be punished for all the crimes that he has committed."
The United States and Russia, backed by other international powers, have been pushing for a peace conference in Geneva with the aim of establishing a truce and a transitional government.
The Syrian government has refused to accept Mr. Assad's departure as a condition for talks and has suggested he may even run for re-election when his term expires in 2014.
The Syrian government has also expressed doubts that the opposition, which is troubled by internal disagreements and rivalries, can honor any agreement reached.
Mr. Jarba's organization has limited links to the many groups battling Mr. Assad's forces in Syria and is not recognized by the extremist battalions linked to Al Qaeda that are often the most effective militarily.
Momentum in the war has shifted in favor of Mr. Assad in recent weeks as his forces have retaken territory, and many rebel groups have become bogged down in local turf battles and infighting.
Mr. Jarba acknowledged the military challenges, saying that peace talks could proceed only when the rebels were stronger.
"Circumstances impose on us not to go unless the situation on the ground is in favor of the revolution," he said.
Mr. Jarba could not immediately be reached for comment about his change in position, but Samir Nashar, a member of the coalition, said that Mr. Jarba's earlier statements on peace talks had upset others in the coalition by suggesting a softer line.
The coalition had agreed, Mr. Nashar said, that conditions for any talks included removing Mr. Assad from power, the withdrawal from Syria of all fighters who have joined Mr. Assad's side from Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, and prosecutions for those accused of war crimes.
Mr. Nashar also said that talks could begin only if the rebels were winning. "Many are refusing to go with the current conditions," he said. "The opposition won't go unless there are military achievements on the ground."
More than 100,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict, which began as a peaceful uprising against Mr. Assad in March 2011 and is now considered a major threat to Middle East stability.
Clashes between Mr. Assad's forces and insurgents have spilled over the borders of Syria's neighbors, including the disputed Golan Heights region with Israel, where a United Nations peacekeeping force has patrolled a buffer zone for nearly 40 years. The future of that force was thrown into doubt when the Philippines, a major contributor of troops, warned in June that it might withdraw because of the dangers, which included two episodes in which Filipino soldiers were abducted. Austria's contingent also withdrew.
On Wednesday, however, the foreign secretary of the Philippines, Albert del Rosario, said at a news conference in Manila that he would recommend that the Filipino contingent remain for at least six more months, having received assurances from United Nations officials of improved weapons and armor.
[Source: By Ben Hubbard, The New York Times, 31Jul13]
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