Vice-President of the Syrian Coalition Hisham Marwa said that Russia’s assassination of Jaish al-Islam’s commanders was aimed to thwart the upcoming peace talks, adding that Moscow is wriggling out of obligations imposed by the UN Security Council and the Vienna talks.
“The death of Zahran Alloush, who took up arms to defend his fellow Syrians, will not affect the revolution as his successors will continue the task with the utmost sense of responsibility, determination, steadfastness, and dedication to the goals for which the Syrian revolution broke out,” Marwa said.
This crime followed a declaration by Riad Hijab, head of the Supreme Negotiations Committee, that “conditions now are not appropriate for the resumption of negotiations due to Russia’s escalating bombardment of civilians and the mainstream armed opposition. It is as if the international community was indifferent to the political process in Syria.”
Vice- President Marwa also said that “Russia sought to thwart the political process by assassinating Alloush. The Assad regime and its allies are working desperately to foil the political process as any political solution would lead to the departure of Assad.”
Member of the Syrian Coalition Burhan Ghalioun said that “the assassination of Zahran Alloush, who officially agreed to engage in negotiations with the Assad regime, is a clear message to the Syrian opposition as a whole that the talks about a political solution are just a verbal hoax. The assassination also means that the Russians and Assad have already taken a decision to liquidate all rebel leaders. While this despicable crime represents a heavy blow to the negotiating process itself, it undermines the credibility of the 20 countries that endorsed it.”
Ghalioun also said that the Russians wrongly believe that they are able to crush the Syrian revolution and force the Syrian people to their knees before Assad who they seek to re-produce.”
President of the Syrian Coalition Khaled Khoja earlier mourned the death of Jaish al-Islam’s commander, calling on rebel factions to close ranks and continue with the task of overthrowing the Assad regime and repelling Syria’s invaders. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
