Syrian opposition takes seat at Arab League summit in Qatar

PanARMENIAN.Net - Syria's opposition National Coalition has taken the country's official seat at the Arab League summit in Qatar, BBC News reports.

The seat has been empty since the League suspended the government of Bashar al-Assad in November 2011.

The two-day meeting in Doha comes at a time of disarray within the National Coalition following the resignation of its head, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, on Sunday, March 24. Khatib has said he still intends to address the summit.

As the summit opened, the Emir of Qatar - president of the summit - invited the Syrian opposition to assume the official seat.

Both Khatib and the newly-elected interim Prime Minister Ghassan Hitto stepped forward and took the seat to the applause of the summit leaders.

The decision to invite the National Coalition to the summit has enraged Damascus. "The League has handed Syria's stolen seat to bandits and thugs," Syria's official daily al-Thawra said.