TURKEY/SYRINA: Free Syrian Army (FSA) says it observed ceasefire and only responded after "assaults" from Syrian army

Record ID: 276450

  • Title: TURKEY/SYRINA: Free Syrian Army (FSA) says it observed ceasefire and only responded after "assaults" from Syrian army
  • Date: 29th October 2012
  • Summary: LEADER OF SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL ABDULBASSET SIEDA ADDRESSING TO THE MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEADER OF SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL, ABDULBASSET SIEDA, SAYING: "This regime should go. All the violence and sectarianism emphasises that it's this regime which commits all the cruel acts and they will never stop. A transitional phase has started and that's what we are witness
  • Embargoed: 13th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey, Syrian Arab Republic
  • City:
  • Country: Turkey Syrian Arab Republic
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA8PXFS6LNIFUZ2J9UYUWQQVX43
  • Story Text: Syrian opposition members met in Turkey on Monday (October 29) for a three-day meeting on 'transition in Syria' in a bid to forge a united front to confront the escalating conflict in their homeland.
    The leader of Syria's National Council, Abdulbasset Sieda reiterated that the incumbent administration must go.
    "This regime should go. All the violence and sectarianism emphasises that it's this regime that is doing all the cruel acts and they will never stop. A transitional phase has started and that's what we are witnessing clearly," he said.
    Senior commanders of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) were among the participants. FSA spokesman Army Ammar al-Wavi voiced hope for overcoming the differences between Syria's fractious opposition.
    "There is a disagreement between the various fractions of the opposition but these problems can be solved. We believe that we can tackle this hurdle with further discussions." he said.
    A four-day truce between President Bashar al-Assad's government and rebel forces to mark the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha failed as hostilities barely paused for the Muslim holiday.
    Al Wavi accused the Syrian government for the failure of a conditional ceasefire.
    "We asked for a ceasefire for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha but we had conditions ourselves. We said we would continue to defend ourselves and our people in the face of an attack by the regime and the Syrian regime continued its assaults from the very first day. So we retaliated, defending ourselves and our people" he said.
    A former leader of the Syrian Muslim Brothers, Ali Sadr Al-Din Al-Bayanouni were said he was sceptical of peace initiatives.
    "Our message to (international mediator Lakhdar) Brahimi is that we believe his initiative will fail because Bashar Assad will not honour his pledges. He never did. He is just trying to gain time and kill more people," he said.
    Brahimi called for a ceasefire that began on paper on Friday, the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, hoping to build momentum to end a conflict in which an estimated 32,000 people have been killed.
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