Syrian opposition chief calls for talks to form transitional government

Al Arabiya, 9 Dec 2012 – Syrian opposition coalition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib called Saturday for talks between all opposition groups to form a transitional government, saying his recently-formed coalition does not seek to hold on power and that it would dissolve after the country hold free elections.

In a televised speech shown on Al Arabiya, al-Khatib said the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has dragged the country into a “holocaust” and has destroyed the country and the army.
Khatib said the coalition is seeking greater recognition from more countries, adding that talks were underway to form a judiciary to be put in place immediately after the overthrow of the Assad’s regime in order to avoid chaos.

Khatib’s call came as opposition commanders from across Syria have joined forces under a united command they hope will increase coordination between diverse fighting groups and streamline the pathway for arms essential to their struggle against President Bashar Assad.

While many of the brigades involved in the fighting are decidedly Islamist in outlook and some have boasted about executing captured soldiers, two of the most extreme groups fighting in Syria were not invited to the opposition meeting in Turkey or included in the new council – a move that could encourage Western support.

Disorganization has bedeviled Syria’s opposition movement since its birth late last year, when some protesters gave up on peaceful means to bring down Assad’s regime and took up arms, forming the base of what became the Free Syrian Army.

But the movement has never actually been an army. Scores of opposition groups battle Assad’s forces across the country, many coordinating with no one outside of their own area. While some say they want a civil, democratic government, others advocate an Islamic state.

The new body, expected to be announced officially on Sunday, hopes to form the basis of a united opposition front.

Some 500 delegates elected the 30-person Supreme Military Council and a Chief of Staff on Friday and planned to meet soon with representatives from the opposition’s newly reorganized political leadership, participants said.

“The aim of this meeting was to unify the armed opposition to bring down the regime,” said a opposition commander from near Damascus who attended the meeting. “It also aims to get the situation under control once the regime falls.”

The move toward greater unity on the armed front comes as the U.S. and others try to strengthen the opposition’s leadership while sidelining extremist factions that have become a vital part of the opposition’s ground forces.