Syria: opposition 'milestone' agreement paves way for government talks

[webfact]

Syria: opposition 'milestone' agreement paves way for government talks



"This was an important milestone in getting to a place where, in early January, they can actually begin to have political negotiations with the regime. This was a critical first step of getting there"

RIYADH: -- Powerful rebel group Ahrar al-Sham has reportedly signed up to a Syrian opposition statement after two days of negotiations in Riyadh.

Political activists and rebels have agreed to set up a joint body to prepare for proposed peace talks with the Syrian government.

It came as rebel fighters and their families pulled out of Homs under a local ceasefire agreement.

American says the Riyadh statement is significant.

“This was an important milestone in getting to a place where, in early January, they can actually begin to have political negotiations with the regime,” said John Kirby, US State Department spokesman.

“This was a critical first step of getting there.”

The statement says President Bashar al-Assad should leave power at the start of a transitional period. It also calls for an all-inclusive, democratic civic state.

Earlier, Ahrar al-Sham said that it had pulled out of the Riyadh talks – objecting to the involvement of a political opposition group, considered to be pro-Assad. Later, it reportedly rejoined the negotiations.

Syria’s war pits the country’s army and allied militias, including Lebanese Hezbollah fighters backed by Iran and Russia, against an array of competing rebel and jihadi fighters – who include Arabs and Kurds.

Rifts among Assad’s opponents have hindered four years of Western efforts to mobilise a stronger political and military challenge to the president throughout a conflict which has killed 250,000 people and driven millions of refugees abroad.

The Riyadh meeting came amid escalating conflict in Syria and accelerated diplomacy to find a political solution to the war.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-12-11

[Harsh Jones]

According to their statement, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham has issued a list of demands:

1. All Iranian and Russian military personnel must leave Syria.
2. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) should be disbanded, along with their paramilitary units – they reference the Shabiha.
3. All of Syria shall be united – no partition.
4. Syria will become an Islamic state.
5. No negotiations with the Syrian Government.
6. Fighting ISIS is secondary because rebels have lost family members because of the war with the Syrian Army.
7. Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham asserts – once again – that Syria will be an Islamic state.
8. A secular Syria will only empower ISIS.
9. Any agreement without Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham will be considered “unsuccessful” and “unofficial”.

This is Saudi/American propaganda in its purest form. Russia has had military installations in Syria for DECADES. This is like saying the US has to leave Qatar or Saudi Arabia. And the state dept is trying to sell this as a win ???? Lol

[DaddyWarbucks]

Russia/Iran/Hezbollah will - sooner or later - dictate terms.