The lead negotiator in the Syrian opposition claimed on Sunday that the peace talks are under pressure all because of the US Secretary of State John Kerry. He said that the Syrian opposition is pressured to attend the peace talks in Geneva this weekend to negotiate on issues such as a halt to air strikes.
The opposition's High Negotiation Committee, which are political and armed opponent groups of President Bashar al-Assad, has stated that it refused to attend the negotiations until the government stops the bombings, removes blockades, and releases detainees. And these are the steps mentioned in a United Nations Security Council resolution, which are passed a month ago.
Negotiator Mohamad Alloush stated that John Kerry, who met HNC officials on Saturday, had "come to pressure us to forgo our humanitarian rights ... and to go to negotiate for them". "There will be a big response to these pressures," Alloush stated to Reuters, without giving any more details regarding the issue. But when asked if the peace talks would pursue this week, the Syrian negotiator claimed "we leave this to the coming hours".
Ocean Side Post noted that the opposition council, the High Negotiations Committee was founded in Saudi Arabia just last month. As the war on the Islamic State group grinds on, USA forces are building an air base in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province. A political leader of the Saudi-backed Islamist armed group Jaish al-Islam, Mohamed Alloush was named as its chief negotiator at the talks.
Government forces were able to capture the city "thanks to the support of the friendly Russian aviation", Latakia Governor Ibrahim Khder al-Saalem, then, stated. The sectarian was torn between mostly Shiite Iran and predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia, which has helped fuel the war, while Assad is also backed by Russian Federation. "Particular attention was given to the need to form a genuinely representative opposition delegation", the statement mentioned via Bills Insider.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports were also claiming that the United Nations might invite two separate opposition delegations to the Geneva talks in an evident negotiation. The plan calls for cease-fires in accordance to the talks, a new constitution and elections in a year and a half. And as of the now, Syrian peace talks set to begin on January 25, will most likely be delayed by a few days.
