Syrian Rebels Refuse to Give Regime 'Written Guarantees' on Ceasefire

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Syria said Sunday it will not withdraw its forces from protest hubs without "written guarantees" that the opposition will also lay down its arms, a demand swiftly rejected by rebels, who said they will not give guarantees to a regime they do not recognize.

"To say that Syria will pull back its forces from towns on April 10 is inaccurate, with (U.N.-Arab League envoy) Kofi Annan having not yet presented written guarantees on the acceptance by armed terrorist groups of a halt to all violence," the Syrian foreign minister said in a statement.

"Mr. Annan has not submitted written guarantees from the governments of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on stopping their funding to terrorist groups," the ministry added.

But Riad al-Asaad, commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army, refused the regime's demand for a "written guarantee" to end the fighting

Al-Asaad said that his group does not recognize President Bashar Assad's regime and for that reason they will not give guarantees.

He told The Associated Press by telephone from Turkey that if the regime abided by Annan's six-point plan to end the violence, his group would cease fire.

Al-Asaad also said the government should withdraw its forces to bases and remove checkpoints from streets.

Later on Sunday, al-Asaad told Agence France Presse his fighters will respect Annan's six-point plan.

"We are committed to the Annan plan," al-Asaad told AFP in Beirut by telephone.

"We will present our guarantees and our commitments to the international community, but not to this (Syrian) regime," the FSA chief added.

On Thursday the U.N. Security Council formally endorsed April 10 as the deadline for Syrian troops and big guns to be withdrawn from cities, but Damascus said on Friday the number of "terrorist acts" has risen since the deal was reached with Annan.

His six-part peace plan foresees the withdrawal of the Syrian army from the cities on Tuesday, with a complete end to fighting 48 hours later.

"Syria is not going to repeat what happened in the presence of Arab observers when armed forces left towns," the ministry statement said.

"Armed terrorist groups reorganized and rearmed to control entire neighborhoods, committing every possible terrorist act, killing and kidnapping people and destroying public and private property."

It said that during his meeting in Damascus with President Bashar Assad, "Annan said his mission was based on respect for Syrian sovereignty."

"He said he would work to stop the violence, disarm armed groups... initiate a comprehensive national dialogue with opposition movements in Syria," the ministry said, adding that "it is this principle on which Syria accepted Annan's mission and his six-point plan."

The ministry also expressed Syria's willingness to cooperate with the envoy.

"Syria is ready to continue cooperating with Mr. Annan and we will continue to inform him of the steps we are taking to implement the plan, in the hope of obtaining documented guarantees," it said.

Comments 7
Default-user-icon Neal (Guest) 08 April 2012, 12:20

it doesn't matter Guarantees or not they have no intention in honoring any agreements in the first place . for 40 years that's how this regime has survive by oppressions and killings why would they change now ?

Default-user-icon Disgusted (Guest) 08 April 2012, 13:20

The violence will go on... The Assad gang has no intention ever to give in to the Syrian population's demands for reforms, democracy, freedom, free speech, etc... No free society is allowed to replace this evil gang... They have to be extracted the same way other dictatorships extracted... Be it Nazism, communism, Khadhafi and Saddam, etc... The West and the Arabs should have realized this long ago and they may have but were unable to do anything about it so far...

Default-user-icon Minx (Guest) 08 April 2012, 13:43

I was waiting for this to come from the Syrian Regime...This is typical of their policy ( who comes first, the chiken or the egg)to gain more time in order to kill as much Syrians as possible to create more fear hoping that this revolution will eventually subsides.

Default-user-icon Live and learn (Guest) 08 April 2012, 19:37

Funny two days before the deadline on the Anan plan he agreed unconditionally on and after using the deadline given to desperately try and wipe out the opposition by force without success the Syrians now wants written grantees, as if the Assads ever abided by anything they promised written or otherwise. This is the same scenario in every war the Syrians ever engaged in here in Lebanon except one, that's when the commander in chief of the opposing forces deserted and ran away as soon as the Syrian attack began taking with him the million$ he was supposed to pay his soldiers with.

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 08 April 2012, 19:46

the end of the assad regime and especially bashar's family will be horrible.

Default-user-icon The Truth (Guest) 08 April 2012, 21:11

The government is just looking for an excuse to continue the fighting. If the rebels sign the paper they'll fabricate an incident to say that the rebels violated the cease fire, if they don't they'll use that as an excuse to continue killing.

Missing realist 09 April 2012, 05:13

He who sees those losers thinks they are in the golan heights. What is the SAFEST place in Syria now?? Answer: the Golan heights!! LOL