Syrian Coalition: Negotiation Impossible as Long as Assad Regime Rejects Basic Principles of Geneva II

Khalid Saleh, head of the Media Office, calls on the international community to put pressure on the Assad regime to “clarify its position towards Geneva II, after its evasiveness and political manipulations were exposed after the leakage of a message sent by the regime to the UN Secretary General. The message stresses that the Assad regime has “reservations on some of the points contained in the invitations sent by the UN to attend the conference on the ground that they are incompatible with the legal position of the Syrian state and for not meeting the higher interests of the Syrian people.” Saleh points out that “negotiations would be impossible as long as the Assad rejects the fundamental principles of the Conference. The Assad regime has been showing total disregard for the resolutions made by international community, and has been using dissimulation in its political discourse, which means that all its past talk about believing in Geneva as a conference for peace is no more than political manipulation and wasting of time at the expense of the blood of the Syrian people.” Furthermore, Saleh said that the Assad regime tries to change the focus of Geneva II to “fighting terrorism instead of the formation of a transitional ruling body with full powers. I think that the letter sent by the Assad regime to the UN clearly shows that there is a huge gap between the goals of the Assad regime and those of the international community. Assad will not hesitate to set the region ablaze if he feels his grip on power is threatened.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)