Thread: Syria warns against recognising opposition council

By Dominic Evans | Reuters – 1 hour 32 minutes ago



BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria warned on Sunday it would retaliate against any country that formally recognises the National Council set up by opponents of President Bashar al-Assad.
"We will take tough measures against any state which recognises this illegitimate council," Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told a news conference broadcast by Syrian television.
The formation of the council has been welcomed by Western countries including the United States and France. However, unlike the transitional council set up by Libyan rebels who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi, they have not offered it any formal recognition.
The United Nations says 2,900 people have been killed in Assad's crackdown on six months of mainly peaceful protests. On Saturday, activists said security forces killed at least two people when they opened fire on tens of thousands of mourners at the funeral of a Kurdish opposition figure.
Moualem described Mishaal al-Tammo as a martyr killed by terrorists, suggesting he was targeted because he opposed foreign intervention in Syria. Tammo's family have blamed Syrian authorities for his death.
Moualem also criticised European countries where he said Syrian embassies had been attacked by protesters, saying that if they did not meet their obligations to protect foreign missions Syria would respond in similar fashion.
He was speaking at a joint news conference with ministers from five Latin American countries, who were visiting Syria to show support for Assad's government.
(Reporting by Dominic Evans)

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I'm fairly certain the whole world are quaking in their boots.

let's hope Israel does so they can be bombed first, those fucks

This is still unconfirmed so no need to let the Syrians know yet.
China, recognises the Syrian opposition council.

Who were the five Latin American countries?

And the largely US domiciled Syrian National Council members have who as their leaders?

The Syrian National Council has what as it's objectives?

Who is funding the Syrian National Council and for what reasons.

Let us hope it's not "humanitarian" grounds.

Syria FM:



"DAMASCUS- Syria's foreign minister has warned the international community not to recognize a new council formed by the opposition, saying it is "illegitimate."

Walid al-Moallem warned that Damascus will take measures against any country that recognizes the Syrian National Council. He did not elaborate.

In a joint press conference with a delegation of ALBA countries' foreign ministers on Sunday, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem said that the visit of ALBA countries' foreign ministers to Damascus underlines the deep relations between Syria and ALBA countries.

Al-Moallem told reporters Sunday that Damascus is a proponent of national dialogue and all opposition groups "are invited to participate for the future of Syria."

He criticized European countries where Syrian missions have recently been attacked by protesters, warning that if those nations don't abide by international agreements Syria will retaliate the same way.

Al-Moallem said ''The timing of the delegation's visit and their coming from overseas gives an idea about the scope of this solidarity.'' according to state-run news agency SANA.

Answering a question on announcing the so-called ''National Transitional Council'' in Istanbul and its bids for gaining international recognition, al-Moallem said ''I am not interested in what they seek, and we will adopt strict measures against any country which will recognize the illegitimate council.'' SANA report added.

Al-Moallem said that vandalism and violent acts moved to target the Syrian diplomatic missions abroad, adding the countries in which these missions are based are responsible for protecting them.

Al-Moallem wondered "Do the armed terrorist groups want holding a national dialogue? ...Do the armed groups, which assassinate the intellectuals and scholars, want reforms in Syria? ... These groups kill people for money; therefore I don't see any relation between what they do and the reform program and the scheduled dialogue."

He added that the national opposition is invited to participate in the national dialogue and in building the future of Syria.

Al-Moallem added that the EU countries have laws regulating peaceful demonstration so that not a protest or gatherings are allowed without prior license.

Regarding the killing of Meshaal Tammo in Qamishli on Friday, al-Moallem said “Meshaal Tammo was killed by an armed terrorist group; Tammo was a Syrian Opposition who stands against the foreign interference into Syria.”

For his part, Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodrيguez Parrilla said "We denounce the acts of sabotage and assassination in Syria to undermine its security and stability."

"The ALBA countries support Syria and urge the UN and the Security Council to play an objective role in Syria," Parrilla added.

In turn, Ecuador Foreign Ministry Sub-secretary Pablo Villa Gomiz said "We hope that the foreign interference in Syria would not be exploited for undermining the sovereignty, security and stability of the Syrian people."

Villa Gomiz added "We came to Syria to express the ALBA solidarity with Syria's sovereignty and independence."

In turn also, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said ''We conveyed to Syria and the Syrian people and President Bashar al-Assad, on behalf of ALBA countries' leaders, our genuine solidarity with Syria and rejection of all forms of Western and imperialistic interference in the internal affairs of this country. The Syrian people have the right to solve their own problems.''

''We expressed support to the Syrian people in the national dialogue efforts for finding peaceful solutions, and rejection of distortion and lies disseminated by media in an attempt to market a different image of Syria,'' he added. Nicaragua Deputy Foreign Minister Maria Rubiales said that she conveyed a message of support from President Daniel Ortega and the Nicaraguan people to the Syrian people and leadership who have usually stood by the people and leadership of Nicaragua in face of the imperialism attempts of aggression in the 1980s.

Rubiales added " We are in the same trench…We defend peace and sovereignty…Defending Syria is defending all of our nations against the imperialism aggressions…Attacking Syria means attacking the ALBA countries and the peoples of South America."
"

Originally Posted by FarangRed

Who were the five Latin American countries?

These are it's members:

The member nations are Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela

"The president of Syria's National Transitional Council, Borhan Ghalioun, was expected to visit Egypt on Saturday to hold talks with the Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), according to sources who spoke to Al Jazeera.
However, AFP confirms that Ghalioun, along with 90 other members of the Syrian opposition, were in Stockholm on Saturday for a meeting with Europeans who could help them strategise their struggle against President Bashar Al-Assad.

The conference in Sweden was hosted by the Olof Palme International Center, a Swedish non-governmental organization that works on international development and labor issues.

The visit to Egypt was meant to be part of a regional and international tour to gain recognition for Syria’s recently-formed National Transitional Council, which mirrors Libya’s NTC.

It remains unclear whether another member of the National Council is currently meeting in Cairo with SCAF, or whether the whole arrangement has fell through.

In an effort to gain access to the meeting which was set to take place in Cairo today, Ahram Online spoke with Tha’er Al Nashek, a Syrian activist and opposition figure currently residing in Egypt.

Al Nashek, a member of a grouping of twelve opposition figures who works on the Support and Victory for the Syrian people initiative, shed light on the deeply fragmented opposition scene, starting with the fact that he did not receive confirmations on the exact status of Ghalioun’s visit.

Al Nashek said that he knows of two different stories why the meeting has stalled: either Egypt’s SCAF has not approved the visit or the meeting is to take place sometime later, albeit on a smaller scale, and with little press coverage.

He further added that he opposes the use of the term 'Transitional' or even 'National" in the Syrian Council's title.

“I and my colleagues do not consider ourselves a part of the council because we were not invited and we did not attend the Ankara meeting,” Al Nashek stated.

“The bigger problem is that the Council claims to be fully representative of all the different currents of the Syrian opposition, while they are far from being so."

"I consider them simply an alliance," he said.

Other experts have noted, as Al Nashek's comments implied, that Syrian opposition forces, which includes the Muslim Brotherhood, Kurdish and Assyrian parties, are neither unified nor organised enough to mount an effective campaign against Assad, especially at a time when the Syrian regime intensifies its bloody repression at home.

For one, President Bashar Al-Assad’s military continues its offensive against rebels, most recently killing Kurdish opposition leader, Mashaal Tammo on Friday. Moreover, the civilian death count has climbed over 3,000 people."

I am starting to think the true objectives of the Pentagon and Obama administration is to put those places back into the hand of Muslim extremists so they can create their little Islam fiefdom and leave the rest of the Christian world at peace. Basically giving them what they and OBL have been asking for decades, a chance to rule their country with drastic Islamic laws, without the interference of the west like they did in the past by supporting brutal western dictators.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

a good counterbalance to the Shi'a mess that the 'Merkins have caused in Iraq.

Isnt it about 50/50 sunni shia in Iraq?

Originally Posted by OhOh

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

a good counterbalance to the Shi'a mess that the 'Merkins have caused in Iraq.

Isnt it about 50/50 sunni shia in Iraq?

No. It's about 60% Shi'a, 35% Sunni, and others including Xians.

Syria is Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawites and Ismailis 13%, Christian (various Churches) 10%, Druze 3%.

The Alawites (Shi'a) are the ruling party, hence the slight desire of the Sunni to fuck them off, and their close ties with Iran.