Syrian Opposition Says Khatib Wants to Keep Assad

 Moaz Al-Khatib, who recently resigned as the leader of Syria’s National Coalition, responded this morning to ‘leaked’ news in Zaman Al Wasl newspaper that alleges he is working on keeping President Bashar Al Assad in power. Background below his statement.

 This is a translation of the statement, which he posted on his Facebook page [here]

 "A new smear campaign against me has suggested that I have been in touch with an officer at the Republican Palace, and there are other issues they have twisted. I confirm to everyone that I have the courage to announce in public what I think is right. Until now, I have not gotten in touch with anyone, and when I do I'll make that public.

Second, I am working on an initiative that will end the bloodshed and I’m in touch with several civil and military bodies to consult with them.

Third, in my political and personal capacity I meet every Syrian but I have not agreed with anybody on anything and I have not made any promises to keep Al Assad for any period and when I do, I’ll make that public.

Fourth, I am in touch with tens of Syrian forces but I am not part of any political party

Fifth, all my decisions without any exception have been made after consulting several parties and I do not have to mention these parties to anybody -- worth mentioning that some of them are members of the [opposition's] National Coalition but they don’t wish to be named.

Sixth, I did not resign and then retract and then resign, I have resigned once and my colleagues at the coalition did not even discuss it. At Istanbul meeting, and in protest of the international community’s impotence, I reminded of the resignation and said it was final. It was not a new resignation.

There are two other issues. The first is that the US foreign ministry claimed that I would stay until the end of my term but this is a purely Syrian decision that Syrians have to make. The second issue involves the coalition, I don’t want to mention now. "

 Zaman Al-Wasl is a news website that has a ‘leaks’ section affiliated to a certain group within the Syrian opposition to advance its own agenda. Al-Khatib mentions that in the comments to his post, saying “I was expecting some of my colleagues would not publish the lies of certain groups before checking with me, what a shame!”.

 In the ‘leaked’ statements, an opposition source is quoted as saying Al-Khatib advocates keeping Al Assad till 2014 and going to Damascus to negotiate. An officer at the Republican Palace was in touch with Al Khatib several times. The source uses various comments made by Al Khatib recently to build up his argument. The message is clearly to preempt any plan for a negotiated settlement with the regime. The source adds that Al Khatib wants to finish his tenure as a heroic leader who saved the country from complete destruction. The message of Zaman Al Wasl’s source can be summarised in this extract:

"The source said that Al Khatib has been trying for a while to come up with an initiative that promotes the idea that the revolution is in retreat, the popular movement is no longer willing to continue, the regime is becoming stronger and controls the areas and that the majority of civil and military revolutionaries do not want to continue, which all have been proven inaccurate by the subsequent events on the ground, from the liberation of Al Dhabaa air base to inflicting severe damages on Hizbollah in Al Qusayer and to the important military progress in Aleppo and Deir Ezzor."

The question remains who is behind these smear campaigns against Al Khatib, who already resigned? And why? This is surely not just bickering among the Syrian opposition, which is understandable if he is leading the opposition. He is certainly up for something the others feel threatened by. Good luck Syria with such opposition.