Hadi al-Bahra, president of the Syrian Coalition, calls on the Tunisian government to reconsider its decision to open an administrative office in Syria, noting that this move would send a wrong message to the Assad regime. “We are opposed to this move and any other similar moves that would give the Assad regime more opportunities, and send him wrong signals to continue with its crimes,” Bahra told the Qatari Al-Watan newspaper today. Commenting on Assad’s escalated attacks on civilians, especially in the city of Al Raqqa, Bahra expressed astonishment at the US-led anti-ISIS coalition’s ignoring of regime forces while targeting ISIS militants only. “Assad is exploiting the international anti-ISIS coalition to step up its attacks on civilians. Tackling the symptoms of the problem while ignoring its root cause is unacceptable and will not solve the problem of extremism in Syria and the region as a whole. When asked about Russia’s latest initiatives to find a political solution to the conflict, Bahra said that “if Russia is serious about finding a solution to the conflict, it must stop its financial and military support for the Assad regime. Making such proposals while continuing this substantial support for the Assad regime means that Russia wants to impose a solution on the Syrian people, and that it does not it seek to be an impartial mediator in any peace talks aimed at achieving the aspirations of the Syrian people. (Source: Syrian Coalition)