Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
November 11, 2021
The Syrian people have always been confident of the commitment of their Arab brethren to abide by the decisions of the Arab League, the positions of the Arab peoples, the requirements of international law and UN resolutions regarding a solution in Syria and the relationship with the Assad regime.
We still believe that our brothers in the United Arab Emirates will return to this unified Arab position, and that they will not provide a path or be a party in any attempt to rehabilitate a murderous, bloody regime that has displaced millions of Syrians and killed hundreds of thousands by bombing, execution and under torture.
The government and people of the United Arab Emirates have stood by the Syrian people in their struggle, and provided them with political, diplomatic, legal and relief support. We hoped that our brothers in the UAE leadership would take such a step.
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) affirms its rejection of any re-engagement with the Assad regime. It warns of the dangers of extending a helping hand to a criminal regime that has proven that it can ally only with murderers and criminals and seeks to implement Iran’s schemes to destabilize the region.
The Syrian people are expecting positions that are consistent with the wisdom, magnanimity and insight of the Arab sage the late Sheikh Zayed by assuming a rational position, adhering to the principles of international law and international humanitarian law, and standing by the just causes.
Promoting the restoration of relations with the Assad regime represents a grave strategic mistake and a move towards a dead end. Indeed, there is no future for this regime except in law courts and prisons. No one will be able to grant legitimacy to a gangster regime that is responsible for killing, displacing and detaining millions, and that committed massacres using chemical weapons and barrel bombs.
Any attempt to rehabilitate the Assad regime will necessarily mean rewarding the criminals and their allies, and supporting a project that seeks to perpetuate tyranny, corruption and terrorism. Such moves will only serve the Iranian project, which has become a nightmare for everyone in the region. Rehabilitating Assad means supporting Tehran’s plans in the entire Arab region, consolidating its expansionist ambitions and quest for regional hegemony, and strengthening its interventions in the Arab region, which makes it a strategic mistake.
Bringing an end to the accumulated crises in Syria cannot be achieved through unilateral, uncalculated initiatives or steps. Any solution will only succeed by implementing UN resolutions and holding war criminals accountable, in parallel with working for a transition to a new civil system of rule in accordance with the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
It is imperative that the Arab states assume their responsibilities with regard to urging the international community, UN Security Council, and international actors towards establishing a strict international mechanism in which sanctions are combined with practical measures with a specific time frame that ensure an end to the carnage in Syria and the suffering of tens of thousands of detainees in the Assad regime’s prisons and guarantee the safe return of refugees and IDPs.
The Syrian Revolution continues. The Syrian people still believe in truth, justice and dignity, and they are continuing their struggle and are able to devise the means necessary to achieve victory.
