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Kerry presented to Syrian opposition Russian-Iranian dictates / ORIENT NEWS

Orient Net – Special Publication Date: 2016-01-24 – A senior official in the Syrian opposition told Orient Net that the meeting between the U.S Foreign Secretary John Kerry and Dr. Riad Hijab, the the General Coordinator of the High Negotiations Committee, yesterday in Riyadh, was “catastrophic and very bad.” The same source revealed that Kerry has conveyed clear Russian and Iranian messages adding that Kerry threatened the Syrian opposition in case they don’t commit to this view.

The source which preferred to be kept anonymous added that Kerry said: “What is going to take place in Geneva III is talks but not negotiations and they are supposed to lead to forming a “national unity government” but not a transitional governing body. The same source added that Kerry told the Council’s delegation that the U.N special envoy Staffan de Mistura has the right to intervene in forming the opposition’s delegation and appointing it counselors. Kerry also said that trust building procedures which the opposition is demanding such as releasing the detainees, lifting the siege imposed on some towns and cities, stopping the bombardment of civilian areas and giving access to human relief are part of the talks to be held in Geneva.The source pointed out that Kerry said during the meeting that Assad has the right to run for presidential elections in the future.

Kerry, according to the same source, confirmed that his country will not intervene in Syria except for fighting “terrorism” adding that he urged the Supreme Negotiating Council to go to Geneva otherwise they will lose their allies warning them of bearing the responsibility for that. The same source commented that the general trend among the Syrian opposition is to refuse all dictations and to consider this period as “a national war of liberation and a move to popular resistance pointing out that all of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar still stand next to the Syrian opposition and [we] are expecting them to move from words to actions.” Other sources in the Negotiating Council added that the American attitude is currently under a huge retreat assuring meanwhile that the Syrian opposition will not go to Geneva under the current conditions referring that it would be better not to get engaged in such doomed political process. http://orient-news.net/en/news_show/100806/0/Kerry-presented-to-Syrian-opposition-Russian-Iranian-dictates