Syria says will attend Geneva but won’t give up power

Iran, Turkey call for ceasefire before talks

DAMASCUS, Nov 27, (Agencies): Syria will send delegates to a Geneva peace conference under President Bashar alAssad’s orders, but his grip over the wartorn country will not be under discussion, an official said Wednesday.

The announcement was immediately condemned by Syria’s opposition, which restated its demand that the talks, dubbed Geneva 2, must lead to a political transition that excludes any role for Assad.

Despite the dim prospects for peace with both sides refusing to compromise, Iran said it and Turkey, which support opposing sides in the war, would press for a ceasefire ahead of the talks.

The Jan 22 peace conference is aimed at ending the nearly three-year-old civil war, a bloody stalemate which has killed an estimated 120,000 people and driven millions from their homes.

“Syria announces the participation of an official delegation under the orders of (Assad) and the demands of the Syrian people, with the top priority eliminating terrorism,” said a foreign ministry source quoted by state media.

The source also said the delegation was not going to Geneva to hand over power, and that the condition stipulated by Syria’s opposition and the West that Assad must not have a role in the country’s future was out of the question.

“Our people will not allow anyone to steal their right to choose their future and their leaders, and what is key about Geneva is to assert the Syrians’ rights, and not of those who are spilling the people’s blood.”

The source criticised “the French, British and other foreign ministries as well as their agents in the Arab world who have insisted that there can be no place for President Assad in the transitional period.

“The ministry reminds them that the age of colonialism is over, and they need to wake up.”

The main opposition National Coalition dismissed the announcement as “a pretence of cooperation with the international community as a cover to continue its war on the Syrian people”.

“The regime claims that the demand for the end of the Assad regime is a colonialist policy of the West. The truth is that it is the Syrian people who are demanding his removal,” said the statement issued by the office of Coalition president Ahmad Jarba.

Ceasefire

The Coalition reiterated its demand that Geneva 2 must lead to the creation of a “transitional governing body” with “full executive powers” that excludes Assad “and those associated with him”.

Iran, the Assad regime’s most powerful regional backer, said that both it and Turkey, which supports the opposition, would press for a ceasefire in Syria ahead of the planned peace talks.

“All our efforts should be carried out to finish the conflict and reach a ceasefire even before Geneva 2,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said at a news conference with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

Ceasefires have been announced before, notably around Muslim holidays, but none has ever held up despite pledges of commitment by both sides.

Even amid the talk of a peace conference, neither side seems willing to stop fighting.

While the opposition Coalition enjoys Western support, it is unclear how much control it has over the hundreds of rebel groups fighting on the ground.

A newly formed rebel alliance said Tuesday it wants to replace Syria’s regime with an Islamic state.

In its charter, the Islamic Front also said the only way to bring about its objective to bring down Assad was through “military rebellion”.

Meanwhile, Syria’s deputy foreign minister on Wednesday insisted that his war-torn country is not isolated diplomatically, according to remarks published by state news agency SANA. sensitive position. She added, “If all ministers do the same, then the country is in great danger. It is shameful for the Assembly that calls for addressing the unemployment problem to allow a minister to offend the citizens by giving preference to a foreigner over them.

Responding to the lawmaker, Dashti said, “Some people do not fully understand what we do, misquote us and exaggerate issues for personal gain.” She challenged Al-Hashem to present evidence that she offended the citizens, adding the MP has been offending her for quite some time.

Moreover, the minister asserted that she fully supports the Kuwaitis as she rewards the hard workers amongst them, whether in her position as minister or even before being appointed to the post.

On the Iraqi assigned at the minister’s office, Dashti said this employee works for more than 14 hours a day and he is a dedicated worker. She added that she personally pays for his salary and he is not registered at the Civil Service Commission.

Furthermore, the minister argued the law prohibits leakage of confidential information, yet some people do so through social networking sites. She said the issue is not whether the act is carried out by a Kuwaiti or a non-Kuwaiti, because it is more important to prevent the leakage to protect national security.

Ten MPs submitted a no-confidence motion against the minister, but MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak withdrew her name at the last minute; hence, the request was rejected.