A handout picture released by the Syrian National Coalition shows coalition president, Ahmad Jarba (2ndL) and coalition members taking part in their general assembly on January 18, 2014 at a hotel in a suburb of Istanbul. (AFP Photo)
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Western-backed main opposition Syrian National Coalition has taken the decision to attend the Geneva II peace conference scheduled to begin next Wednesday.
The Coalition’s media office announced that 58 of 73 eligible voters were in favor of joining the peace talks, with 14 opposed, 2 obtaining and one blank ballot.
The US and the opposition’s backers in the Arab world had strongly pressured Syria’s rebels to attend next week’s peace talks, which have already been delayed by months.
“The United States . . . urges a positive vote,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier this week.
Speaking on Friday ahead of the Syrian National Coalition’s decision, Kerry reaffirmed that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad cannot be part of a political solution in Syria.
“The Geneva peace conference is not the end but rather the beginning, the launch of a process . . . that is the best opportunity for the opposition to achieve the goals of the Syrian people and the revolution,” he added.
The Assad regime has already confirmed its attendance at the talks, which will open on January 22 in Montreux, Switzerland.
The decision comes as Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem announced that Damascus is ready to offer a prisoner exchange with the rebels that have been seeking to topple the Assad regime for more than three years. This prisoner exchange comes as part of a larger deal for a ceasefire in Syria’s second city of Aleppo. Mouallam added that if a ceasefire is successful in Aleppo, similar deals could be agreed in other Syrian territory.
“We would like this to serve as an example to other towns,” Mouallem was quoted as saying.
Ahmed Ramadan, a member of the Syrian National Coalition’s political bureau, said that the Syrian rebels could accept the ceasefire agreement if the regime agrees to stop its use of controversial barrel bombs.
In exclusive comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ramadan said: “All opposition military forces will adhere to this agreement if the regime stops its bombardment of civilians by explosive barrels,” adding that “the truce agreement may be expanded to Idlib if it is successful in Aleppo.”
Ramadan added: “A truce in Aleppo and Idlib is the initial outcome of Russian and American efforts to persuade the Syrian regime to end the bombardment by explosive barrels and open humanitarian corridors to deliver aid to the besieged areas and release the detainees.”
I am a Canadian man and it is painfully obvious that The U.N. Security Council should have an emergency vote with regards to bringing the wanton slaughter meted out by the Assad-regime, ISIS to an abrupt end in Aleppo and Idlib, by force if necessary. Due to over 10,000 children that have been killed by the Assad regime, ISIS is a sickening tragedy. Couple this with the co-lateral damage sustained by innocent Syrian civilians is cause enough to FORCE an IMMEDIATE ceasefire in the Greater Aleppo Region and Idlib.
What is fundamentally wrong with the U.N. is that is has evolved into a platform to “discuss” resolutions or “peace-talks” when such atrocities have been and continue to be committed against the innocent population of upstanding Syrian men, women and children. This alone should be more than enough to motivate the U.S. to take a stand helping the Syrian people. Seeing that the U.S. clearly have the latitude to ignore the U.N.S.C. in the end, doing what they want anyways, where is the sense of immediacy, with regards to sending or bringing ANY aid from the West?
God Bless and hold the good, innocent people of Aleppo and all innocent Pan-Arab citizens.
Best,
Craig Williams