Haitham al-Maleh, head of the Syrian Coalition’s Legal Committee, lampooned Muallem’s insistence on Iran’s participation at Geneva II. “The actual rulers of Syria are Iran and Russia, and Syria’s actual Foreign Minister is Sergey Lavrov not Walid Muallem,” Maleh stressed. Maleh also said that Assad and his gang are just like “chess pieces that are being moved by Iran. Assad is too weak to manage the crisis he is facing after the Syrian people rose up demanding his overthrow.” Maleh went on: “Russia is fully aware that Assad cannot play any role in the transitional phase, the Russians are absolutely certain of Assad’s downfall. However, they need real guarantees to ensure the safety of their agent in the region.” Maleh stressed that Assad’s resignation is not enough, but he must be prosecuted and held accountable for the crimes he commits against the Syrians people. We will not accept sitting down with him at the negotiating table or with anyone who has blood on their hands.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)
