Syrian National Council meet in Damascus to back protests

Syrian National Council meet in Damascus to back protests

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slamonline.net _ News Agencies

2011-09-17 19:05:12



Turkey to make ‘final’ decision on Syria soon - Erdogan

Syrian National Council meet in Damascus to back protests



Islamonline.net _ News Agencies

After forming a council representing a united front in opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, more than 200 Syrian opposition figures on Saturday 17 September 2011 met near Damascus in an effort to unite anti-government groups.

The meeting, held at a private farm outside the capital, follows months of protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

Saturday's meeting comes as media reports increased Friday’s death toll resulting from Syrian forces crackdown on protesters to 14. Early reports claimed that Assad forces shot dead 12 people on Friday and deployed heavily across rural areas around Damascus.

It also comes two days after some 140 figures, including exiled opponents and 70 dissidents inside Syria, were chosen as members of the new "Syrian National Council", concluding a four-day meeting in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

The council aims to help topple Assad within six months and form an interim government thereafter, Basma Kadmani, a Syrian exile living in France, said at a news conference.

"The political vision of the council will give a push to the escalation of the revolutionary work we are seeing," Kadmani said. "This group, based on previous initiatives, and on what the street is demanding, is calling for the downfall of the regime with all of its limbs."

While not ruling out foreign military intervention in Syria as more protesters call for international protection, Kadmani said the focus for now was on stepping up diplomatic and economic pressure on Assad.



Saturday’s Meeting

The opposition meeting, however, coincided with another conclave organised by Syrian government as the official news agency (SANA) said that national dialogue sessions in various cities and universities continue on Saturday. It claimed that the sessions witnessed a broad participation of political, economic, social, and independent and opposition figures to reach joint national formulas that enhance democracy and political pluralism and meet the aspirations of citizens.

A participant in the meeting told Al Jazeera that "about three hundred participants from all Syria's opposition groups and figures are participating in the two-day meeting. There are participants from Kurdish parties and young activists from the LCC also taking part.

“We will try to elect an executive council, about 60 members, and this council will elect an executive bureau. Tomorrow, there will be a press conference in Damascus city by the Commission’s coordinator Hassan Abdul Azim. This meeting will draw the future of the opposition movement."

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