Syrian Coalition: Assad’s Remarks about National Reconciliation Are Detached From Reality

Hisham Marwa, in his latest statement said that Assad’s ideas about national reconciliation and external conspiracy are detached from reality. “This shows that Assad is politically unstable, and is almost delusional when he refers to a problem that needs to be resolved after he has killed more than 200,000 civilians, displaced more than eight million people and arrested hundreds of thousands of people.” Marwa stresses that “national reconciliation cannot be achieved through showing up on television and designating the Syrian people terrorists, and then vowing to kill and torture them. True reconciliation can only be achieved when perpetrators of crimes are brought to justice and held accountable for the crimes committed against civilians. Bashar al-Assad, however, seeks to continue to bring the Syrian people to trial on charges of terrorism and to honor the killers under the pretense of protecting national security.” Moreover, Marwa points out that if Assad is honest in this initiative he dubbed national reconciliation, he should at least allow entry of humanitarian aid to besieged areas, which he tries to subdue by blocking food and medical supplies. The Assad regime’s announcement that they will be accepting applications from all who wish to become candidates in the presidential election within 10 days is a blatant departure from Geneva I declaration, which stresses that the formation of a transitional governing body is the first steps towards a political solution. (Source: Syrian Coalition)