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Opposition leader says Al-Assad must be removed militarily

May 4, 2014 at 12:10 pm

The only solution to Syria’s three year war is to use military force to overthrow President Bashar Al-Assad then opposing parties can negotiate a political solution, the head of the opposition said.


Ahmad Al-Jarba, president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces told London-based newspaper Asharq Alawsat that major world powers now understand that without arming Syrian rebels with quality weapons, the Syrian regime will continue to have the upper hand in the war.

“The US decision to supply the Syrian rebels with anti-tank missiles shows that the international community has finally understood this equation,” Al-Jarba said.

Al-Jarba, who will travel to Washington in the coming days for talks, described the upcoming presidential elections scheduled in June as a “farce” stressing that the Syrian people have already rejected them while the international community refuses to recognise them.

He remarked on his recent visit to China, saying the Chinese government was open to the opposition’s coalition unlike Russia.

Commenting on his latest visit to Saudi Arabia, Al-Jarba said the visit came within the framework of continuous coordination with the most prominent supporter of the Syrian revolution and the two sides were currently focused on supplying the rebels with weapons to end the battle with the regime.

Al-Jarba praised the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as key supporters of the Syrian revolution and which have taken a leading role in providing aid to Syrians in neighbouring countries.

Accusing Al-Assad of acting as a puppet that is being played by Iran and Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah, Al-Jabra said Assad’s forces control only 40 per cent of Syria.

Al-Jarba criticised Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki who described the Free Syrian Army as a bubble saying: “Al-Maliki tries to cover up for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah and extremist militias who enter Syria through Iraq to fight among Assad’s regime. Al-Maliki is known for providing financial and military support to Al-Assad and his regime.”

He urged the international community to stand up to the crimes committed in Syria and intensify its efforts to help the Syrian people.