Key Syria Opponent Says No to Moscow Talks with Regime

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

A key Syrian opposition official said in a statement on Friday that he has declined an invitation to take part in a Russian-led bid for new talks to end the conflict.

Moaz al-Khatib, ex-leader of the main opposition Syrian National Coalition, who recently established his own dissident movement, had visited Russia last year for discussions.

But on Friday, he said via his Facebook page that "the necessary conditions" for a dialogue have not yet been met.

Khatib also cited the regime's ongoing shelling of opposition-held areas in Syria as a reason for his refusal to attend the Moscow talks slated for later this month.

"I received a written invitation from the Russian leadership to meet with several Syrian personalities in Moscow this month, and after consultation with the gathering I work with, I decided to decline," said Khatib.

"The conditions we believe are necessary for success have not been met, neither has the call for the shelling and killing of our people been heard," he said.

Khatib added: "While we do not reject the prospect of any future meeting with a regime delegation, we would require the regime to release the detainees, especially the women and children."

Khatib's statement comes four days after the newly elected head of the National Coalition, Khaled Khoja, said the main opposition grouping had ruled out taking part in the talks.

Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, has been trying to relaunch peace talks that would include meetings between delegates of the regime and the fractured opposition.

It invited 28 opposition figures, including members of the tolerated domestic opposition as well as individual Coalition members, to Moscow in January.

It is unclear how the talks will go ahead now that the Coalition and Khatib have both ruled out attending.

Syria's war began as a peaceful, pro-democracy movement, but later morphed into a brutal civil war after the regime unleashed a massive crackdown against dissent.

Two rounds of talks in Geneva, Switzerland last year brought together the regime and the opposition, but failed to secure any results.

The war has killed more than 200,000 people and forced half the population to flee their homes.

Comments 3
Missing humble 10 January 2015, 11:45

The Butcher has killed more people than the Israeli ever did. Supporters of the Butcher you may join him in Hell.

Default-user-icon sae k tokyo (Guest) 10 January 2015, 15:24

Excile groups are irresponsible, that’s what I think. Excile groups demand is quite perverse. I question what bloodshed as well as heritage fallen into ruin, still demande more advanced carriabke anti surfacd missiles so forth. As US-led coalition, combat with ISIS ! Should not such terroridt’s leader at a top leader for your oppositiin of dissidents. Your group is not completly clear which direction for democracy you step up. In any case, just destroyed oil station by US strikes you may those are not relevant but in reality, as s rumour, some of them are your work of oil selling under name of al-Qaida. Moaz al- Khatib simply a member of al-Qaida. I almost consider whst kind of excile groups of SZNC ?

Default-user-icon JCWilliams (Guest) 10 January 2015, 21:03

So does the shelling stop because this Saudi funded stooge in a 3 piece suit gets a press release?