RUSSIA: Syrian opposition member gives news conference in Moscow where he confirms several Western governments have promised the opposition help, including weapons

Record ID: 281596

  • Title: RUSSIA: Syrian opposition member gives news conference in Moscow where he confirms several Western governments have promised the opposition help, including weapons
  • Date: 12th November 2012
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (NOVEMBER 12, 2012) (REUTERS) MEMBER OF THE OPPOSITION SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL MAHMOUD AL-HAMZA ADDRESSING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MAHMOUD AL-HAMZA, MEMBER OF THE OPPOSITION SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL, SAYING: "It is within the plan of the new coalition to create a general military leadership for the whole army in Syria. If we have such a leaders
  • Embargoed: 27th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA596PVF1TSLW359YYSSH65OB3P
  • Story Text: A member of the opposition Syrian National Council said on Monday (November 12) that Western nations have pledged to help foes of President Bashar al-Assad get more weapons.
    Mahmoud al-Hamza of the Syrian National Council addressed a news conference in Moscow following the formation of a new Syrian opposition coalition over the weekend to oust Assad.
    "It is within the plan of the new coalition to create a general military leadership for the whole army in Syria. If we have such a leadership, there will be a provisional government, and we will get the weapons. In the West, as we were told, they are afraid that those weapons - and they will give us quality, maybe heavy weapons - will fall into the hands of extremists who indeed already operate in Syrian territory, and we don't deny it," al-Hamza told journalists, speaking in fluent Russian.
    "I don't have detailed information about what kind of weapons we are talking about, but we were promised. That's what Riad Seif, who has met the representatives of different governments, European (governments), no less than 10 governments, told us, and he said they promised help, including weapons," he added referring to Riad Seif, a respected Syrian dissident who proposed the new opposition body.
    Russia said on Monday a new Syrian opposition coalition should seek an end to the Syrian crisis through negotiation and reject outside interference.
    The Russian Foreign Ministry gave the coalition, which has Western and Arab backing, a cool reception in a statement which cited media as saying the members had agreed not to enter talks with Assad's government.
    Russia's "main criterion ... remains the readiness of such alliances to act on the platform of a peaceful resolution of the conflict by Syrians themselves, without external interference, through dialogue and negotiations," it said.
    Representatives of groups including rebel fighters, veteran dissidents and minority groups agreed - after days of wrangling and cajoling by Arab, U.S. and other officials - to join a new assembly that can form a government-in-exile.
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