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Iran conference on Syria warns against arming the opposition
Source: Agencies |
November 19, 2012, Monday
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IRAN held a conference yesterday to reconcile Syria's government with opposition factions and end the country's civil war, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The report said the one-day meeting of some 200 opposition members and Syria's National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar could be a step toward a future, broad-based opposition gathering.
Meanwhile, Damascus deems hostile a decision by France to host an ambassador from the newly formed Syrian opposition National Coalition, a Syrian minister in Iran said.
Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi warned at the opening of yesterday's meeting that providing opposition groups with heavy arms could put the entire region at risk of "organized terrorism."
He said that arming Assad's opponents, as Damascus accuses Qatar and Saudi Arabia of doing, violates international law and principles of non-intervention in countries' domestic affairs.
Salehi reiterated Iran's traditional stance on Syria, blaming "foreign intervention and irresponsible armed groups" for the country's uprising. He said Iran supports peaceful solutions to end the crisis.
The Islamic Republic has supported Assad in the 20-month uprising, repeatedly accusing the West and Israel of instigating the conflicts.
France's decision to host an ambassador from the National Coalition was condemned by Ali Haidar, minister for national reconciliation.
"France is acting like a hostile nation. It's as if it wants to go back to the time of the occupation," referring to the French mandate in Syria after World War I.
France "seeks to speak on behalf of the Syrian people, but our people do not attach any importance to this action," Haidar said.
French President Francois Hollande announced on Saturday that he would allow the National Coalition to appoint an ambassador to Paris.
The coalition, formed in Doha on November 11, is committed to building a transitional government composed of representatives of all ethnic and religious groups in Syria.
It refuses to engage with the Damascus regime before Assad's departure.
Yesterday, Haidar confirmed that no coalition representatives had been invited to the Tehran talks. "Invitations were extended to all those who accept dialogue, not to those who refuse to talk as a matter of principle," he said.
Rebels in Syria, termed terrorists or armed opposition groups by the Damascus government, reject any Iranian involvement in finding a solution to the crisis that has now lasted more than 20 deadly months.
The report said the one-day meeting of some 200 opposition members and Syria's National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar could be a step toward a future, broad-based opposition gathering.
Meanwhile, Damascus deems hostile a decision by France to host an ambassador from the newly formed Syrian opposition National Coalition, a Syrian minister in Iran said.
Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi warned at the opening of yesterday's meeting that providing opposition groups with heavy arms could put the entire region at risk of "organized terrorism."
He said that arming Assad's opponents, as Damascus accuses Qatar and Saudi Arabia of doing, violates international law and principles of non-intervention in countries' domestic affairs.
Salehi reiterated Iran's traditional stance on Syria, blaming "foreign intervention and irresponsible armed groups" for the country's uprising. He said Iran supports peaceful solutions to end the crisis.
The Islamic Republic has supported Assad in the 20-month uprising, repeatedly accusing the West and Israel of instigating the conflicts.
France's decision to host an ambassador from the National Coalition was condemned by Ali Haidar, minister for national reconciliation.
"France is acting like a hostile nation. It's as if it wants to go back to the time of the occupation," referring to the French mandate in Syria after World War I.
France "seeks to speak on behalf of the Syrian people, but our people do not attach any importance to this action," Haidar said.
French President Francois Hollande announced on Saturday that he would allow the National Coalition to appoint an ambassador to Paris.
The coalition, formed in Doha on November 11, is committed to building a transitional government composed of representatives of all ethnic and religious groups in Syria.
It refuses to engage with the Damascus regime before Assad's departure.
Yesterday, Haidar confirmed that no coalition representatives had been invited to the Tehran talks. "Invitations were extended to all those who accept dialogue, not to those who refuse to talk as a matter of principle," he said.
Rebels in Syria, termed terrorists or armed opposition groups by the Damascus government, reject any Iranian involvement in finding a solution to the crisis that has now lasted more than 20 deadly months.
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