EGYPT: Syria's divided opposition make unified calls for an end to violence and the fall of President Bashar Al-Assad's regime

Record ID: 281040

  • Title: EGYPT: Syria's divided opposition make unified calls for an end to violence and the fall of President Bashar Al-Assad's regime
  • Date: 4th July 2012
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 3, 2012) (REUTERS) SYRIAN OPPOSITION LEADER KAMAL AL-LABUANY AT PODIUM AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN OPPOSITION LEADER, KAMAL AL-LABUANY, SAYING: "The attendees agree that the change reverberating in Syria will only take place by the will of the Syrian revolutionaries who are revolting against this oppressive regime. The conference also requests
  • Embargoed: 19th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA87N502B6XYU67ELH6G4N1YOU5
  • Story Text: A meeting of Syria's splintered opposition in Cairo descended into scuffles and fistfights on Tuesday (July 3) that dealt another blow to Western leaders seeking a unified front against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
    The meeting also failed to resolve many of the differences between the rival Syrian opposition groups, further complicating efforts to find a viable alternative to rule by Assad, whose forces have killed thousands of Syrian civilians and combatants.
    At a news conference, Syrian opposition leader Kamal Al-Labuany read the final statement.

    "The attendees agree that the change reverberating in Syria will only take place by the will of the Syrian revolutionaries who are revolting against this oppressive regime. The conference also requests the placement of clear mechanisms that will provide for the protection of civilians and a time frame for the immediate implementation of the decisions of the Arab league and the (United Nations) security council. Also, requesting it (security council) to take the necessary steps to impose these decisions," he said.

    "The attendees all agree that the political solution to the crisis in Syria begins with the fall of the regime, represented by Bashar Al-Assad along with his government and the guarantee of trying those involved in the killing of Syrians," he added.
    Reading from the one-page statement, he also said the opposition groups agreed on the "importance of preserving civil peace and national unity".
    Assad has clung on far longer than other Arab leaders who faced popular uprisings, in part due to his willingness to use overwhelming force but also because of divisions among his population, the opposition and the international community.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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