Fractured opposition seeks united front
Various groups meeting in Saudi Arabia ahead of possible peace negotiations
BEIRUT — Syria’s deeply divided opposition began talks on Wednesday in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh aimed at forging a united front ahead of possible peace negotiations with the government of President Bashar Assad early next year.
The gathering represents the most ambitious effort yet to bring together Syria’s fractured opposition, which spans the spectrum from moderate Assad foes to Salafist rebels who want to replace the regime with an Islamic government.
All previous attempts to unite the opposition have failed, and it is unclear whether this effort will succeed, given the vast differences among the factions.
The Riyadh talks have gained new urgency, however, as the international community intensifies efforts to end the fouryear-old conflict after the Nov. 13 Paris attacks and Russia’s intervention in Syria.
For the first time, rival world powers backing the various factions operating in Syria have rallied around the broad outlines of a diplomatic settlement, though many details have yet to be worked out, including the fate of Assad.
Under a plan put forward by the 17-nation International Syria Support Group, including the United States, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Syrian government and the opposition are scheduled to hold talks early next year on ways to secure a ceasefire and establish a transitional government.
Saudi Arabia is staking its influence over the outcome of the war on the meeting, which is taking place at a Riyadh hotel amid tight security and away from media scrutiny.
The meeting demonstrates that “the Syrian opposition is willing to engage in a political solution to the crisis,” said Khaled Khoja, head of the western-backed Syrian Opposition Coalition. He also said that any solution to the war would have to include the withdrawal of the Russian troops and Iranian-backed militias that have been fighting in Syria on behalf of the government.
More than 100 delegates are attending the Riyadh meeting, including representatives of the Damascus-based National Coordination Commission, which is somewhat tolerated by the Assad regime, and the Salafist Ahrar al-Sham rebel movement, whose founders had ties to al-Qaida and is considered extreme by most international backers of the peace process.
There is a broad recognition that any peace settlement would not succeed if rebel groups are excluded from the dialogue.
In a statement issued as the talks began, Ahrar al-Sham struck a cautionary note, complaining that some of the delegates “represent the regime more than the people” but also acknowledging the need to participate in negotiations.
It said it would not support any outcome that did not include the removal of Assad and the complete dismantling of his security apparatus, a position widely shared by many in the opposition but at odds with a growing international consensus that Assad will remain as part of a transitional process.