Saudi Arabia Hosts Opposition Conference Tuesday
Opposition groups are set to meet in Saudi Arabia this week to select representatives for future international talks on Syria, Reuters reports.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sent an invitation to all the moderate portions of the Syrian opposition of different types and trends, and from its ethnic, sectarian and political spectrum inside and outside Syria,” a Saudi official told the state-run news agency.
The lack of unity among rebel groups has long been a stumbling block to finding agreement between President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule.
The three-day conference to be held by Saudi Arabia, a supporter of Syrian opposition groups, will not include representatives of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) or the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front.
Members of Syria’s exiled political opposition said the meeting will bring together the heads of at least 65 political and armed groups.
Assad’s Fate in Syria a ‘Red Line’: Iran
Iran said Sunday that only Syrian citizens could determine the fate of Bashar al-Assad and that any external attempts to remove him would be a “red line,” Reuters reports.
While both Iran and Russia are keen on Assad staying in power, Western and Arab powers have said his ouster must be a part of any political solution to the crisis in Syria.
“Bashar al-Assad is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s red line because he was elected president by the Syrian people,” said Ali Akbar Belayati, top foreign policy advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“The Syrian people must decide their own fate, and nobody outside Syria’s borders can choose for the Syrian people,” he added.
Syria Says U.S.-led Coalition Killed Government Troops
A suspected U.S.-led coalition airstrike hit a Syrian army base Monday killing three troops, AFP reports.
In a letter addressed to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Syria’s foreign ministry called the attack a “flagrant aggression,” although U.S. military sources denied that coalition planes were in the area.
“The Syrian Arab Republic strongly condemns this flagrant aggression by the U.S.-led coalition forces, which blatantly violates the objectives of the U.N. charter,” the foreign ministry said in its letter.
“The Syrian foreign ministry demands the U.N. Security Council act immediately in the face of this aggression and take appropriate measures to prevent its recurrence.”
According to the ministry, three soldiers were killed and 13 wounded in airstrikes by four coalition fighter jets on a Syrian army base in the province of Deir Ezzor.
A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said the “reports of coalition involvement [in the attack] are false,” and that the only strikes in the area carried out on Sunday were some 35 miles (55km) away from the base.
Recommended Reads
- Los Angeles Times: Sending Special Forces to Iraq and Syria Is a Quiet — and Important — Shift in Policy by Obama
- Foreign Policy: Will an al-Qaida Ally Be a Peacemaker in Syria?
- CBS: As Pressure Mounts, ISIS Militants Hide Behind Kids
- Reuters: Clashes Between Syrian Fighters Pose Challenge for Turkey, U.S.
- Bloomberg: The Kurds Trying to Beat Islamic State Have Lots of Other Problems
Top image: President of the Syrian National Coalition Khaled Khoja, right, is joined by the Syrian National Coalition special representative to the U.S. and the United Nations, Najib Ghadbian, on September 30, 2015, as he speaks to reporters during a news conference at U.N. headquarters. Saudi Arabia will be hosting the Syrian opposition and some insurgent groups next week as preparations come underway for peace talks between President Bashar al-Assad’s government and his opponents by the beginning of next year to try end Syria’s deadly civil war. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)