Opposition
Political leaders are hysterical about the move by the 13 fighting groups. Either in denial or desperately bending the
statement, Analysts say.
Mr. Ahmed To'ma, the Interim Prime Minister of
the Coalition government revealed to agencies that he is preparing to issue a
statement in response to the 13-Islamist defection from the main stream
opposition group.
Hassan Hassan, Syrian analyst and columnist in 'The National' Newspaper, based in Abu Dhabi, said the Syrian conflict has just got a
lot more complex. ''I'm just thinking not only Syria but the world around it
will pay for leaving this fester.''
George Sabra, the Leader of National Council said he didn't think the 13 groups
"rebelled" against the NC but they're seeking
"consultation".
Islamists have justify their "Communique No.
1," last Wednesday by saying, ''We've fought against Assad and sacrificed
everything. Yet we started to see NC-affiliated groups fighting us.They also
agreed to divide Syria (federalism) and to form a government with the regime,''
according to Hassan.
The statement reflects the lack of unity between the political opposition, based in exile, and the disparate rebel groups fighting President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria's civil war, which has killed over 100,000 people so far. It also highlights the growing irrelevance of the Coalition and its military arm headed by Gen. Salim Idris, who heads the Supreme Military Council supported by the West, amid increasing radicalization on the ground in Syria, the Associated Press said.
The rebel groups' statement was titled
"Communique No. 1," a term used before in Arab countries following
military coups that suggests the creation of a new leadership body.
A video released on the Internet showed
Abdel-Aziz Salameh, political chief of the Liwaa al-Tawheed brigade that is
particularly strong in the city of Aleppo, reading the statement.
Syria's rebel movements vary greatly in their levels
of internal organization, and it was not possible to immediately verify whether
the other signatories' leader or fighters on the ground had approved the
statement. But there were no immediate reports that any of them had rejected
it.
But the rebels themselves are also deeply divided, AP reported, with many groups blaming jihadis and al-Qaida militants in their ranks for the West's reluctance to intervene militarily in Syria or give them the advanced weapons they need. There is also growing concern that the dominant role the extremists are playing is discrediting the rebellion.
Editing by Mohamed Hamdan; @freeexpresso
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