Syrian Opposition groups have reached an agreement in principle on certain major points to form a united leadership to pursue the ongoing war against President Bashar al-Assad.
The rebel leadership has been holding marathon talks in Qatar to form an umbrella organization to bring together all the fighting rebels. Qatar along with United States and the United Arab Emirates has been pressing the opposition to unite, as they feel it is the only way for the activists to secure an international recognition. The efforts are aimed to prepare a strong united leadership that can propose and form a transitional government.
Riad Seif, a potential candidate for the new opposition chief as envisaged by the United States, said the talks will continue and there is a 90 percent chance that they would reach a deal. Meanwhile, the Syrian National Council (SNC), dominated by exiles, has asked for more time fearing that it might be sidelined in a new broad coalition. However, it is learned that the opposition groups would go ahead with the U.S.-backed initiative soon with or without the foreign-based SNC.
Reuters reported that the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Qatar's prime minister, Turkey's foreign minister, and many U.S. government officials addressed the opposition groups pressing them to unite.
According to Britain-based watchdog the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other monitors, more than 38,000 people have died since the uprising against President Assad erupted in March 2011. Thousands have fled the country every since as the protest movement turned a bloody armed rebellion.
