Syria’a SNC chief says going to Geneva to remove Assad

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jarba idris 2Syria’s main opposition chief Ahmad Jarba has said his Syrian National Coalition (SNC) group has agreed to attend an international peace conference only to secure the removal of President Bashar al-Assad from power.

“The Geneva II negotiation table is a one-way road aimed at achieving all the demands of the revolution… And first and foremost stripping the butcher (Assad) of all his powers,” Jarba said in Istanbul yesterday after his SNC group voted to attend Wednesday’s peace conference in Switzerland.

Jarba stressed that the talks would be “a turning point” in the war to topple Assad and his regime.

He accused Assad and his government of “state terrorism” and said the regime was responsible for the presence in Syria of Al-Qaeda-linked fighters like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Jarba also stressed that taking part in the conference does not mean the opposition and its armed wing, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) , will stop military operations against Assad’s forces.

“We will carry olive branches and weapons until victory,” he said and called the deadly violence in Syria that has claimed more than 130,000 lives since March 2011 “the massacre of the century”.

According to SNC officials the group will form a delegation within 24 hours and will be made up of diplomats, politicians, representatives of the Free Syrian Army and legal experts.

Free Syrian Army chief of staff, General Selim Idriss, called on yesterday for a “peaceful resolution” of the war in Syria and urged opposition leaders attending the peace conference to work for the removal of Assad from power. “We urge the brothers who will go to Geneva II to adhere to the goals of the revolution,” he said in a video posted on the Internet. He said these goals were “the removal of the criminal Assad and his cronies from power, so that they have no role left in Syria in the future”, along with all army and security officers implicated in the killing of Syrian civilians.

The United States and Britain welcomed on Saturday the decision by Syria’s opposition leaders to attend the international conference that aims to bring an end to the war there. US Secretary of State John Kerry praised a decision which he called ” a courageous vote”, while British Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed the vote by Syria’s opposition which he called “ a difficult” decision.

“This is a courageous vote in the interests of all the Syrian people who have suffered so horribly under the brutality of the Bashar al- Assad regime and a civil war without end,” Kerry said in a statement.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague reiterated that any deal agreed to end the conflict would require the removal of President Assad from power.

“The UN Secretary General has made clear that the aim of the talks is to agree a political transition and an end to the conflict,” the British foreign secretary said.

Photo : Syria’s main opposition chief Ahmad Jarba ( L) and Free Syrian Army chief of staff, General Selim Idriss. Both aim at securing the removal of President Bashar al-Assad from power during the Geneva II peace talks

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8 responses to “Syria’a SNC chief says going to Geneva to remove Assad”

  1. It good to have dreams, However its even better to have realistic ones. The SNC best option is to go to the meeting, shut their mouths and only speak when spoken to. The most amusing thing is these clowns think they can dictate terms with regards to Assad’s removal. The big boys have decided and decision is Assad stays.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      Farq2u2. Everyone invited to the palace except Jumblatt. ??? :-)))

      1. You had to put the u2, didn’t you. Well right back at you Mr Sarcasm. -:)

    2. wargame1 Avatar

      Its true but this is the diplomatic game Syria need to play. There is UN resolution ,there is EU USA Russia China who are at the moment calling the shot. Now the Syrian need to play the game. The rebel on the ground is not playing diplomatic game so these diplomatic talk doesn’t make any impact on the ground. Those powerful nation will try to manipulate as they have been doing it against the Palestinians for more than 50 years. The Palestinians know it but the diplomatic game needed to be continued. The change will come from the ground. When the rebel capture and kill Assad then what these UN will do ? All of these entities will have to follow the demand of the rebel. We live in a civilized world where we need to maintain these formalities but deep down we know that there is no possibilities of any change. How about stop going and cutting all ties with UN USA Europe etc ? They will always pick some other interested party from Syria and make another SNC. So do not bother what they do in Geneva. Focus on the rebel achievement. The ultimate change will happen from there Not in Geneva. But again the diplomatic game is a part and parcel of the political game and ignoring it and going to the jungle in a cave is equivalent. Play it and play it good.

  2. It good to have dreams, However its even better to have realistic ones. The SNC best option is to go to the meeting, shut their mouths and only speak when spoken to. The most amusing thing is these clowns think they can dictate terms with regards to Assad’s removal. The big boys have decided and decision is Assad stays.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      Farq2u2. Everyone invited to the palace except Jumblatt. ??? :-)))

      1. You had to put the u2, didn’t you. Well right back at you Mr Sarcasm. -:)

    2. wargame1 Avatar

      Its true but this is the diplomatic game Syria need to play. There is UN resolution ,there is EU USA Russia China who are at the moment calling the shot. Now the Syrian need to play the game. The rebel on the ground is not playing diplomatic game so these diplomatic talk doesn’t make any impact on the ground. Those powerful nation will try to manipulate as they have been doing it against the Palestinians for more than 50 years. The Palestinians know it but the diplomatic game needed to be continued. The change will come from the ground. When the rebel capture and kill Assad then what these UN will do ? All of these entities will have to follow the demand of the rebel. We live in a civilized world where we need to maintain these formalities but deep down we know that there is no possibilities of any change. How about stop going and cutting all ties with UN USA Europe etc ? They will always pick some other interested party from Syria and make another SNC. So do not bother what they do in Geneva. Focus on the rebel achievement. The ultimate change will happen from there Not in Geneva. But again the diplomatic game is a part and parcel of the political game and ignoring it and going to the jungle in a cave is equivalent. Play it and play it good.

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