Syria has been devastated by the civil war that began in
2011
Bolstering Syria's moderate opposition is crucial to
excluding extremists from power in the war-
gripped country, the UK's foreign secretary has
said.
William Hague was speaking as Arab and Western
foreign ministers gathered for talks with Syrian
opposition officials.
The London talks are trying to lay the groundwork for
planned peace negotiations in Geneva next month.
But a key group in Syria's main opposition alliance is
threatening to boycott the meeting dubbed Geneva II.
The Syrian National Council has been unwilling to talk
to representatives of Bashar al-Assad's government.
Ministers will say opposition unity is vital if peace talks
are to have any chance of success.
Extremist onslaught
In London, foreign ministers from 11 countries - the
so-called Friends of Syria group - are trying to
encourage opposition groups "to have a united
position" ahead of Geneva II, Mr Hague told the BBC's
Today programme.
Mr Hague admitted that an increasingly prominent role
was being played in Syria by Islamist rebels linked to al-
Qaeda, who are engaged in no kind of peace process
and who have been involved in bitter struggles with
more moderate forces.
"The reason we have to make sure we are supporting
and dealing with the moderate opposition committed
to a democratic, pluralistic, non-sectarian future for
Syria is precisely because if they don't have a role, then
all the Syrian people have got left is a choice between
Assad and extremists... on the other," Mr Hague said.
"The longer this conflict goes on, the more sectarian it
becomes. That's why we're making a renewed effort"
with Geneva II, Mr Hague said.
At Tuesday's talks, Britain, Egypt, France, Germany,
Jordan, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United
Arab Emirates and the United States are expected to
reaffirm their view that Geneva II must be about a
political transition in Syria away from the Assad regime.
Iran as yet has no role in Geneva II, but Mr Hague said
he was trying to use new positive diplomatic relations
with Iran to encourage it to play a "more constructive
role" - but that required Iran to back a "transitional
government in Syria made up of regime and
opposition, by mutual consent".
Earlier, the US Secretary of State John Kerry stressed
that Syria's opposition would never agree to President
Assad staying in power.
"He has bombed and gassed people in his country. How
can that man claim to rule under any legitimacy in the
future?" he said, dismissing suggestions that Mr Assad
could stand for re-election in 2014.
But President Assad reportedly told Lebanon's al-
Mayadeen television that he saw no reason why he
could not run.
"Personally, I don't see any obstacles to being
nominated to run in the next presidential elections," he
was quoted as saying by the channel.
Mr Assad told the channel that his government would
take part in the conference without preconditions, but
suggested the prospects that it would reach a
settlement were, at present, dim.
"No time has been set, and the factors are not yet in
place if we want to succeed," he told al-Mayadeen in
comments reported by AFP news agency.
"Which forces are taking part? What relation do these
forces have with the Syrian people? Do these forces
represent the Syrian people, or do they represent the
states that invented them?" he asked.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are key funders of opposition
forces in Syria, including jihadist groups.
Geneva positions
On Monday, the main opposition alliance, the National
Coalition, said it was postponing until early November
meetings to decide whether to attend the Geneva II
conference.
The dominant group in the coalition, the Syrian
National Council, is currently refusing to go.
The opposition has been further weakened by fighting
between the moderate Free Syrian Army and Islamist
rebel groups.
Western officials have been buoyed by the initial results
of the chemical disarmament effort in Syria, the BBC's
diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says.
But he adds that they are painfully aware that the
recent chemical deal has done nothing to alter the
course of the civil war or to reduce the burgeoning
humanitarian catastrophe in and around Syria.
Participants at the first round of talks in June 2012
(Geneva I) had sought to end the civil war by getting
Damascus and the opposition to choose a transitional
government.
More than 100,000 people have been killed since the
Syrian conflict began in 2011.
Comments
Post a Comment