Key Syrian opposition group withdraws from Saudi-hosted talks

PanARMENIAN.Net - A powerful Syrian insurgent faction pulled out of an opposition conference held in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, December 10, in protest at the role given to groups it said are close to the Syrian government, the Associated Press reports.

Ahrar al-Sham, a Saudi-backed ultraconservative group that operates mainly in northern Syria, said in a statement that it was withdrawing also because some of its comments and recommendations have been disregarded at the meeting.

The group's withdrawal came at the end of the two-day conference in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, which sought to form a unified opposition front ahead of proposed peace negotiations with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

Speaking in Paris, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters that he had spoken to Saudi Foreign Minister al-Jubeir and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to organize the next Syria meeting, tentatively set for Dec. 18 at the United Nations headquarters in New York. He added that while he was "working toward" the U.S. meeting the arrangements were "not locked in yet."

Speaking at a news conference earlier on Thursday, Al-Jubeir said that Assad has two choices, "either to leave through negotiations" or be forcibly removed from power, arguing that the Syrian people would not accept any other outcomes. He said he hoped the various opposition factors could come up with a common vision for Syria.

The largest bloc at the meeting, with around 20 delegates, is the Western-backed opposition group known as the Syrian National Coalition. Also in attendance are representatives of the Syria-based National Coordination Body, an organization sometimes accused by other opposition members of being too conciliatory toward Assad's government.