Syrian opposition rejects Iranian initiative, terms move bid to save regime

BBC Monitoring Middle East

Text of report by Saudi-owned leading pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat website on 18 December

[Report by Caroline Akum from Beirut: "The Syrian opposition rejects the Iranian initiative, seeing it attempt to rescue Syrian regime; Ahmadinezhad cancels visit to Turkey against background of the patriot missiles crisis"]

The Syrian opposition found nothing new in the Iranian initiative, seeing it as an attempt to protect the Syrian regime. At the same time, the opposition rejected any dialogue with this regime. Abd-al-Basit al-Sida, former chairman of the Syrian National Council, added: "The Iranian initiative, which came too late, is no more than an attempt on the part of Iran to save face of the Syrian regime and rescue its head, Bashar al-Asad." In a statement to Al-Sharq al-Awsat, Al-Sida said: "In the wake of the remarkable developments on the ground and the progress that the revolutionaries are making, the Iranian initiative reflects the isolation Al-Asad is beginning to face. Anyone reading the Iranian initiative well will find that Iran is trying to put forward its plan as a compromise to protect the regime and, at the same time, satisfy the opposition."

Al-Sida said all these attempts and what is said to be points for a solution are general, unclear concepts. The Iranian initiative is unrealistic because it does not define Al-Asad's fate nor puts forward drastic solutions. As things stand, the Syrian opposition did not and will not accept what Iran proposes because what is happening in Syria is a popular revolution, not a dispute between the government and the opposition. The most important thing that the Syrian opposition wants is a severance of relations with this regime once and for all. He added: "We are not in a confrontation with Iran, and would like to emphasize that we want to have the best of ties with Iran, but not at the expense of the revolution and the Syrian people. Therefore, Iran should cease to supply the Syrian regime with weapons and funds. Iran should prepare itself to the post-Al-Asad era, which has become close."

For his part, Fahd al-Masri, official in charge of the media in the Free Syrian Army, said that the Syrian opposition rejects the Iranian initiative in part and parcel, because it does not contain anything regarding the need for Al-Asad and his regime to step down. He said this initiative is an attempt to rescue Al-Asad and his loyalists, not Syria and the Syrian people. In a statement to Al-Sharq al-Awsat, he said: "Iran is not part of the solution to put forward initiatives and proposals, because it is a basic part of the crisis. After all, a killer cannot serve as an arbiter and offer solutions."

It should be recalled that the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced an initiative comprising six points for solving the crisis in Syria. The initiative primarily calls for an immediate end to all acts of violence and military operations under UN supervision. It also calls for offering aid to those affected and cancelling economic sanctions against Syria to pave the way for a return of the refugees and the displaced.

The initiative also calls for unleashing a comprehensive national dialogue as a prelude to the formation of a consensual transitional government. The primary responsibility of this government will be holding free elections to form a new parliament and a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution, and holding presidential elections.

The initiative calls for the release of detainees held by both parties, and stresses the need for refraining from spreading false reports on developments in the Syrian arena. It calls for preparing the atmosphere to all media outlets to disseminate true reporting. It calls for the formation of a committee to assess the damage, particularly the damage to the infrastructure, and to begin reconstruction.

The initiative came at a time when the Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad cancelled an official visit to Turkey, which was scheduled to take place yesterday, following a warning by Iran to Turkey over NATO's decision to deploy Patriot missiles near the Syrian border.

Source: Al-Sharq al-Awsat website, London, in Arabic 18 Dec 12