The Secretary General of the Syrian Coalition, Badr al-Din Jamous, denied reports about Moscow’s invitation to the President of the Syrian Coalition. “The Coalition has not received an invitation from the Russians to dialogue with them,” the Secretary General stressed. Jamous described Russia’s attempt to involve the likes of Qadri Jamil and other remnants of the regime in the Geneva II negotiations as arbitrary, adding that “these people are not true members of the opposition but rather a false opposition the regime has tried to produce in order to negotiate within Geneva II. Rather, said the Secretary General, they are an original copy of the Assad regime in its ugliest form.” The Secretary General also stated that the “ Syrian Coalition will determine the representatives of the people of Syria in Geneva II as it is the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian revolution.” Jamous responded to current meetings with what he described as “disguised opposition” by saying there were conditions put forth by the Coalition before going to Geneva and those conditions are being ignored and that “anything happening outside of the Syrian Coalition is ‘tweeting outside of the flock.’” Jamous added that “the Syrian people are the only ones who have a final say in regards to participation in Geneva II, and that all kinds of pressures and political maneuvers will not deter the Syrian people from achieving the demands of the revolution, and will not force the Syrian Coalition to betray the blood of Syrians.”
It is noteworthy that the head of the Syrian Coalition, Ahmad Jarba, had earlier stated that the decision regarding Geneva 2 is in the hands of the Syrian people as the “Coalition is nothing more than an executor for the will of the people.” In a speech at a Friends of Syria meeting Jarba said “If we say yes to Geneva 2, we will hear loud echoes from the streets saying “Down with the Coalition and Geneva together.” Jarba criticized the international community’s lack of balance in its political speech and its inability to stop the massacres committed by Bashar Assad against the Syrian people and said: “We asked for a no-fly zone or strike that would deter the regime, which has shed a lot of blood, but you didn’t answer our call… and today you want us to sell the blood that you were unable to stop from bleeding.” The head of the Coalition said that if Geneva 2 is not consistent with the principles put forward by the Coalition then it would be nothing but “a humiliating settlement” that does not meet the aspirations of the Syrian people.
He also considered Geneva II as a move by some states to attempt to whitewash their humanitarian faces in front of their own people after they were tarnished by their shameful positions “towards Bashar Assad’s massacres and atrocities.” Jarba pointed out that in the event the international community insists on maintaining its position of refusing to hold Assad accountable, and standing against the will of the Syrian people, then participation in Geneva 2 will be impossible. Jarba threatened a refusal to participate in the game of international politics saying “rather than three nos there will be five nos: 1. No negotiations 2. No peace 3. No recognition 4. No retreat and 5. No to the impotent international community.
Jarba cited the requirements of the Syrian Coalition for approval to enter Geneva 2, the first of which was “to secure humanitarian corridors to areas under siege and the release of detainees, foremost being all women and children.” He continued by pointing out that “we cannot sit at the negotiating table when children and women die in prisons and starvation is being systematically practiced by the regime as a weapon against the Syrian people.”
Jarba said the Coalition refuses to negotiate with Bashar Assad unless “it’s based on the transition of power with all its components and institutions, along with the departure of the criminal dictator” and demands that there should be a specific timetable for all stages of negotiation” saying that the element of time is an integral part of the negotiation terms and principles of the National Coalition. Jarba also called for “the inclusion of items binding on both parties to implement the agreement under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations” and stressed that “no other group represents the Syrian people better than the National Coalition for it represents all the components of the revolution.” He ruled out acceptance of “Iran as a mediator at the negotiating table, in addition to mercenaries of the militant Hezbollah Abu al-Fadl Abbas Brigade and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard” who are considered to be the most important pillars of military and political forces supporting Bashar al-Assad during the committing of massacres in Syrian cities which revolted against the injustice practiced by the regime. Jarba pointed out that supplying “military support, especially qualitative arms against aircraft, would create the condition for providing a real balance on the ground that would help revolutionary forces to force the regime to negotiate and not continue to kill unarmed civilians so brazenly.” At the end of his speech, Jarba called for the immediate withdrawal of all heavy weapons deployed by the regime in the villages and cities of Syria, and the mercenaries of the Hezbollah terrorist militia, Abu al-Fadl Abbas.” He said, “the spread of terrorism in some areas of Syria has been masterminded and supported by the regime, while other causes are due to the failure of the international community to help” people being annihilated by a power hungry insane dictator.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)
