- Title: TURKEY: Syrian opposition disappointed over U.S.-Russian initiative
- Date: 14th September 2013
- Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (SEPTEMBER 14, 2013) (REUTERS) SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION AMBASSADOR FOR GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC) COUNTRIES, ADIB SHISHAKLY, IN HOTEL LOBBY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION AMBASSADOR FOR GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC) COUNTRIES, ADIB SHISHAKLY, SAYING "We are very disappointed the international community turning the whole situation to
- Embargoed: 29th September 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Turkey
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Crime,Conflict,International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA21B9NOQYYRRK4T5N8YB9HTYGC
- Story Text: A spokesman for Syria's opposition coalition on Saturday (September 14) said in Istanbul, Turkey that the group was disappointed with the U.S. - Russia agreement to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, averting the possibility of any immediate U.S. military action against President Bashar Al-Assad's government.
The agreement after three days of talks in Geneva between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demands that Assad give a full account of his secret stockpile within a week.
Speaking from the Istanbul hotel lobby where the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) are in exile, the SNC Ambassador for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Adib Shishakly, said it was a mistake to focus on the chemical weapons when regime forces are killing so many with conventional arms.
"We are very disappointed the international community turning the whole situation to appear its a chemical weapons issue. It's not a chemical weapons issue. The regime continue to kill the people every day," he said.
The US Secretary of State John Kerry said in Geneva the plan to force Syria to hand over all its chemical weapons for destruction would start very soon and the process must be swift or Damascus risks punishment.
This could be a military strike with the UN Security Council's approval or, if Russia were to veto such action, a US military action with or without support from the Congress or any international body.
Shishakly said he did not trust Assad to comply and urged the international community to consult with the Syrian opposition before making any decisions on Syria.
"Any deal, or anything discussed between Russia and the U.S., it wasn't in coordination with the Syrian Coalition. Our view is this regime cannot be trusted," he told Reuters Television.
"We said it many times, and the regime does not comply with any deadlines, with any red lines, with anything in the past," he added.
The disappointment amongst Syrians not aligned to the Assad regime was widespread.
Syrian refugees like Ali, who crossed into Turkey on Saturday fleeing the war in Syria, said he didn't trust politicians and that they were making deals at the people's expense.
"What can I tell you? The chemical weapons deal is a lie. Everyone is making deals on the back of the Syrian people," he said.
"Even if Assad gives away his chemical weapons, he freely bombs our country, for people are cheap for Bashar al-Assad," he added.
"That's something we didn't expect -- that chemical weapons would be used and it would become such a big global story, and yet the world will just turn a blind eye to it," Syrian Aisha told Reuters Television.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said earlier that a report by U.N. chemical weapons experts would confirm that poison gas was used in the Aug. 21 attack.
Ban also said that Assad "has committed many crimes against humanity", although he did not say whether it was Assad's forces or rebels who used the gas.
The original drive for a political solution to the conflict, dubbed the "Geneva Plan" and calling for a transitional government, went nowhere as Assad refused to cede power and the opposition insisted he could not be a part of any new political order.
The latest talks prompted Obama to put on hold his plans for U.S. air strikes in response to the chemical weapons attack. Obama is now also spared facing a vote in Congress on military action that he had appeared increasingly likely to lose at this stage.
Experts say removing Syria's hundreds of tonnes of chemical weapons, scattered in secret installations, will pose huge technical problems in the middle of a civil war. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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