DOHA: Ahmed Tu’mah, chairman of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, says that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia has invited the Syrian opposition for a meeting in Riyadh.
Tu’mah told Al Sharq in an interview published yesterday that no date has been fixed for the meeting. He said the invitation by the Saudi king for a conclave was a direct outcome of Saudi air strikes on Houthis in Yemen.
The aim of the proposed Riyadh meet is to discuss arrangements in post-President Bashar Al Assad Syria, said Tu’mah, who has been calling for Yemen-like air strikes in Syria as well.
“We have no contact with Iran because we know they continue to support Al Assad. If they don’t stop their backing for the Syrian regime we wouldn’t contact them at all.”
“We have contacts with some groups in the Lebanese government because Lebanon is hosting a large number of Syrian refugees.”
Tu’mah said the Syrian National Coalition has differences with Americans as the latter want to first defeat the Islamic State (IS) and later target Al Assad.
“Our view, on the other hand, is that Al Assad and his regime must be defeated first, for if we defeat the IS first, they (the Syrian regime) would occupy those areas that are currently under the reign of the IS.”
“We want to remove the rootcause of all problems in Syria that is the Al Assad regime.” The US view is that if they target Al Assad first, the IS might take control of Syria.
Talking about expired passports of Syrians based abroad, Tu’mah said only the US, Turkey and Saudi Arabia had agreed to treat as valid the expired passports.
“We are now negotiating with European Union countries for a similar arrangement.”
As for issuing new passports or renewing the expired ones of Syrians, Tu’mah said it cannot be done since the National Coalition is not a member of the UN.
The Peninsula
