Syrian Coalition: Defeating ISIS Requires Toppling the Assad Regime

Hadi al-Bahra, president of the Syrian Coalition, said that defeating ISIS requires the elimination of its root cause, namely the Assad regime which created the ideal environment for ISIS to flourish. “We should not forget that the FSA has very early sensed the danger of ISIS and has taken the decision to fight this extremist group without consulting with the international community,” Bahra said. He also stresses that “the air strikes carried out by the US-led coalition are unlikely to achieve the desired results without the presence of ground troops to complete the task, calling on the US-led coalition to coordinate with the FSA and arming it in the battle against ISIS and the Assad regime. “People see US-led coalition planes hitting ISIS targets but turning a blind eye to Assad’s air force, which is using barrel bombs and rockets against civilian targets in Aleppo and elsewhere.” Bahra also made clear his opposition to ceasefire proposals being explored by the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, which have been discussed in recent days in a flurry of unofficial reports and leaks. He said local ceasefires would only benefit the regime unless they were part of a comprehensive, negotiated political solution to a conflict that has cost 200,000 Syrian lives and displaced half the population since March 2011. “The Syrian people feel there is a hidden agenda and cooperation between the coalition and Assad’s forces because Assad assumes he has a free hand,” he said. “Syrian public opinion is a front which we need to win.” He reiterated rejection of holding dialogue with Iran “because it is an ally of the Assad regime and an essential partner in its crimes, postulating Iran’s withdrawal of its militias and military advisers from Syria and its assumption of neutral position on the Syrian conflict to hold any dialogue. When asked about the Friends of Syria conference held recently in London, Bahra said the meeting reviewed the situation in Syria on the humanitarian, political and military levels and discussed stepping up relief aid to Syrians. “Most of our friends reaffirmed their commitment to the previous support programs, stressing the need to deliver aid to the areas that are not under the control of the Assad regime in cooperation with the UN organizations. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Al Jazeera)