Additional information about Syrian rebels and a continuation of Regarding the Syrian Rebels, Regarding the Syrian Rebels II and Regarding the Syrian Rebels III.
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At the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Syria last Tuesday (September 3, 2013) Secretary of State Kerry said:
"... as I think you know, it has been the president's primary goal to achieve a negotiated resolution. But you've got to have parties prepared to negotiate to achieve that."
"... The Russians are working with us and cooperating on this effort to try to make a negotiated process work. And I think they're serious about trying to find a way forward with that, ..."
"... the president is convinced, as I think everybody is, that there is no military solution, that ultimately, you want to get to Geneva, you want a negotiated settlement, and under the terms of Geneva One, there is an agreement which the Russians have signed onto, which calls for a transition government to be created with the mutual consent of the current regime and the opposition. And that transition government will establish the rules of the road for the Syrian people to choose their new government."
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Terms:
SNC: The Syrian National Council
SOC: The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces
The Friends of Syria Group: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and the United States.
The Action Group for Syria: the UN, the Arab League, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the EU, and Turkey.
Geneva I: the UN-backed meeting of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Turkey, Iraq (Chair of the Summit of the League of Arab States), Kuwait (Chair of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the League of Arab States) and Qatar (Chair of the Arab Follow-up Committee on Syria of the League of Arab States), and the European Union High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy held at the United Nations Office in Geneva and chaired by the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria.
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What are the positions of the SOC, the Friends of Syria Group, and the Obama Administration on negotiations for a political solution to the unrest in Syria?
The November 11, 2012 'Draft of the Syrian Coalition Doha Agreement' which established the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SOC) states:
The Doha meetings were critical for unity and all groups agreed upon the following conclusions:
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Fifth: Not to engage in dialogue or discussions with the current regime.
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http://www.etilaf.org/...
The February 15, 2013 framework for any political solution of the Interim Political Advisory Committee of the Syrian Coalition states:
... the committee developed the following framework for any political solution:
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2. Bashar Assad and security leadership who are responsible for the current destruction of the country are outside the political process and must be held accountable for their crimes.
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8. The friends of the Syrian people should understand lasting political solution that ensures the stability of the region and preserves the institutions of the state will only take place through changing the balance of power on the ground which requires supporting the Syrian coalition and Joint Chiefs of Staff with all possible means.
http://www.etilaf.org/...
The '
Syrian Coalition Principles' states:
The Syrian Coalition is dedicated to upholding the following principles for the Syrian revolution:
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• Not to engage in any dialogue or negotiations with the regime
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http://www.etilaf.org/...
The April 20, 2013 '
DECLARATION BY THE NATIONAL COALITION FOR SYRIAN REVOLUTIONARY AND OPPOSITION FORCES states:
5. The Coalition, due to the immense suffering of the Syrian people, is aiming at a political solution and a transition in Syria on the basis that Bashar Al Assad and his close associates cannot take part in it or be part of this solution for Syria. The exclusive authority mandated to discuss any political solutions or initiatives is the political committee of the Coalition.
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/...
The April 20, 2013 Joint Statement of the Friends of Syria Group following its meeting in Istanbul states:
With reference to their discussions in Rome Meeting of February 28, 2013, the Ministers reiterated their firm support for a political solution to the conflict in Syria within the framework of the Geneva communique. They welcomed the work of the National Coalition for a political solution in Syria and expressed their support to this end. They also restated their firm position that Bashar Al Assad and his close associates have no place in the future of Syria and that they must cede power to a transitional executive body to prevent further bloodshed in the country and prepare the ground for an orderly transition that would lead to a unified Syria where the rights and interests of all Syrians are protected.
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/...
On April 21, 2013 in his remarks following a meeting in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Syrian Opposition Coalition President Moaz al-Khatib, Secretary of State Kerry stated:
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We believe that today, what we did was come up with two important documents – one, a document which the Syrian opposition came up with – it’s their document – that expresses their vision for the future of Syria. ... It is a vision that is committed to a political solution, first of all. That’s the first goal, along the lines of the Geneva communiqué which offers Syria peace tomorrow if they would simply – if the Assad regime would simply come to the table and live up to the agreements of that international framework.
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... our first choice as a resolution to this crisis is a political choice, and that is true for every person standing here. Our first choice is to do what the international community framed as a top possibility last year, which is a mutually-consented-to transitional government that then frames the process for an elected transition for the new leadership of Syria. That is the path to peace, ...
http://www.state.gov/...
On May 7, 2013 Secretary of State Kerry at a press conference in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said:
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We believe that the Geneva communique is the important track to end the bloodshed in Syria, and it should not be a piece of paper. It should not be a forgotten communique of diplomacy. It should be the roadmap, the implemented manner by which the people of Syria could find their way to the new Syria, and by which the bloodshed, the killing, the massacres can end. Encouraging the stated intentions of the Syrian Government and the opposition groups to find a political solution, both have said they want to, both are committed to it. And recently, the opposition came to Istanbul and signed a set of declarations regarding its embrace of the Geneva communique.
And so to that end, Foreign Minister Lavrov and I have agreed that as soon as is practical, possibly and hopefully by the end of this month, we will convene – seek to convene an international conference as a follow-on to last summer’s Geneva Conference. And the specific work of this next conference will be to bring representatives of the government and the opposition together to determine how we can fully implement the means of the communique, understanding that the communique’s language specifically says that the Government of Syria and the opposition have to put together, by mutual consent, the parties that will then become the transitional government itself.
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... I think there has been a perception that Russia and the United States haven’t been particularly on the same page of cooperating in this effort. So what I think is significant is that we are here to say that we are going to cooperate in trying to implement the Geneva communique, and I think our understanding of that communique is very similar, and there’s actually more agreement even though our position has been that it’s impossible for me as an individual to understand how Syria could possibly be governed in the future by the man who has committed the things that we know have taken place. But that’s not – I’m not going to decide that tonight. And I’m not going to decide that in the end. Because the Geneva communique says that the transitional government has to be chosen by mutual consent by the parties. Who are the parties? The parties are the current regime and the opposition. So what we’re going to undertake to do is to try to get them in a position where they, representing the people they represent – Syria and the interests they represent – put people into a transitional government by mutual consent.
http://www.state.gov/...
The May 13, 2013 Joint Statement of the regional Friends of Syria Group (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey) following its meeting in Abu Dhabi states:
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In building on the core group Ministerial meeting in Istanbul on 20 April 2013, the Ministers reaffirmed their conviction that it is a political solution that will end the bloody conflict in Syria. Regrettably it is the Syrian regime of President Assad that has prevented this. The Ministers cited the Geneva communique of 30 June 2012 as the appropriate basis for the attainment of this solution if the legitimate aspiration of the Syrian people are met, and on the understanding that President Assad, his Regime, and his associates with blood on their hands have no place in the future of Syria.
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http://www.mfa.gov.tr/...
The May 22, 2013 Joint Statement of the Friends of Syria Group following its meeting in Amman states:
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The Ministers identified as the corner stone of a political solution the formation of a transitional governing body through mutual consent, ...
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The Ministers underlined that the attainment of the political solution that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people means, as stated in the Abu Dhabi joint statement of the May 13th 2013, that Assad, his regime, and his close associates with blood on their hands cannot play any role in the future of Syria.
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http://www.state.gov/...
On May 25, 2013 the BBC reported:
The main Syrian opposition coalition has said it is willing to attend an international peace conference expected to take place in Geneva next month.
But a spokesman for the National Coalition, Louay Safi, told the BBC that it would only go if President Bashar al-Assad agreed to step down.
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Speaking during a three-day opposition meeting in Istanbul, Mr Safi said the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces would be willing to participate in the conference, but only if President Assad and his associates hand over power as part of any settlement.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...
On June 8, 2013 the New York Times reported:
WASHINGTON — The Syrian opposition will not attend the proposed Geneva conference on the crisis in Syria unless rebel fighters receive new supplies of arms and ammunition, the top rebel military commander said Friday.
“If we don’t receive ammunition and weapons to change the position on the ground, to change the balance on the ground, very frankly I can say we will not go to Geneva,” Gen. Salim Idris said in a telephone interview from his headquarters in northern Syria. “There will be no Geneva.”
http://www.nytimes.com/...
The June 22, 2013 Joint Statement of the Friends of Syria Group following its meeting in Doha states:
The Ministers supported reaching a political solution that preserves the dignity of the Syrian people, stops the Syrian bloodshed, and allows the release of prisoners and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people. The Ministers expressed readiness to participate in the Geneva II meeting to fully implement the outcomes of the Geneva I meeting in order to achieve the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people, preserve the territorial integrity of Syria and promote national unity among all components of the Syrian national fabric. The Ministers affirmed their prior commitments in the previous meetings in favor of negotiations, which would lead to the establishment of a transitional governing body to which full executive powers would be transferred, including military and security institutions, that excludes the central figures and associates whose hands are stained with blood. In this context, Bashar al-Assad has no role in the transitional governing body or thereafter.
https://www.gov.uk/...
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In a July interview with Politically Speaking Lakhdar Brahimi, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria, said:
Q: As we speak efforts are underway to organize a peace conference. What would be the keys to a successful conference and what could be its outcome? In broad terms, what could a political solution in Syria look like?
A: Yes indeed, efforts are under way to organize that “Geneva II” Conference.
The United Nations — meaning the Secretary-General and I — are working closely with the Russian Federation and the United States to kick start that Conference. Others are joining the efforts in different manners.
The immediate objective is to bring in two Syrian delegations: One representing the Regime and the other the opposition, to start a serious discussion on how to implement the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012.
The ultimate objective is to end the war and help the Syrians put together a process, which in stages, would lead to what some are calling the New Syrian Republic.
http://www.un.org/...
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Background Information:
Soon after the SNC was established in Istanbul on October 2, 2011 the Arab League began a diplomatic effort to end the unrest in Syria.
The Arab League called for an end to hostilities by all sides, a recall of Syrian forces to their bases, the establishment of an Arab League Observer Mission in Syria, and negotiations between the Syrian Government and the opposition which were to lead to the formation of a national unity government which would govern until an internationally supervised election could be held.
Progress was made which resulted in the establishment of an Observer Mission on December 19, 2011, and the Observer Mission began operations in Syria on December 24, 2011.
On January 22, 2012 the Arab League adopted Resolution 7444 which restated the Arab League plan, extended and enlarged the Observer Mission, called for the appointment of a special envoy to monitor political progress, and also called for coordination with the UN.
On January 28, 2012 the Arab League suspended the troubled Observer Mission.
On February 16, 2012 the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/253 which endorsed Arab League Resolution 7444 and restated and expanded its objectives. The UN General Assembly resolution also called for the appointment of a special envoy.
On February 23, 2012 Kofi Annan was appointed the Joint Special Envoy for the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria.
On March 16, 2012 Kofi Annan submitted a six-point peace plan to the UN Security Council.
On April 14, 2012 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2042 which included the six-point peace plan, noted the progress towards a ceasefire that had been made, authorized an advance team of up to 30 unarmed military observers, and stated an intention to establish a United Nations supervision mission in Syria.
On April 21, 2012 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2043 which established, for 90 days, the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) 'to monitor a cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties and to monitor and support the full implementation of the Envoy’s six-point proposal'.
After a period of reduced hostilities, an intensification in hostilities caused the UNSMIS to suspend its activities on June 15, 2012. The UN Security Council extended the UNSMIS mission for 30 days when it adopted Resolution 2059 on July 20, 2012, and the UNSMIS mandate ended at midnight on August 19, 2012.
As hostilities increased and the viability of the UNSMIS mission was doubtful, the Action Group for Syria met in Geneva and discussed how a cessation of the violence and a negotiated political solution could be brought about. This meeting is often referred to as Geneva I.
Excerpts from Arab League, UN, and Action Group for Syria documents regarding a negotiated political solution to the unrest in Syria:
- From Arab League Resolution 7444
4. Calls on the Syrian Government and all strands of the Syrian opposition to enter into genuine political dialogue under the auspices of the League of Arab States within two weeks of this resolution with a view to implementing the following initiative:
(a) A government of national unity should be formed within two months of the dialogue, with the participation of the current Government and opposition under an agreed leader. Its task should be to implement the provisions of the Arab plan of action and prepare for free, multi-party parliamentary and presidential elections, in accordance with a law specifying the procedure and under Arab and international supervision;
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http://www.columbia.edu/...
- From UN General Assembly Resolution 66/253
8. Fully supports the League of Arab States decision of 22 January 2012 to facilitate a Syrian-led political transition to a democratic, pluralistic political system, in which citizens are equal regardless of their affiliations or ethnicities or beliefs, including through the commencement of a serious political dialogue between the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the whole spectrum of the Syrian opposition, under the auspices of the League of Arab States and in accordance with the timetable set out by the League of Arab States;
http://www.un.org/...
- From UN Security Council Resolution 2042
Reaffirming its support to the Joint Special Envoy for the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Kofi Annan, and his work, following General Assembly resolution A/RES/66/253 of 16 February 2012 and relevant resolutions of the League of Arab States,
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1. Reaffirms its full support for and calls for the urgent, comprehensive, and immediate implementation of all elements of the Envoy’s six-point proposal (annex) aimed at bringing an immediate end to all violence and human rights violations, securing humanitarian access and facilitating a Syrian-led political transition leading to a democratic, plural political system, in which citizens are equal regardless of their affiliations, ethnicities or beliefs, including through commencing a comprehensive political dialogue between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the Syrian opposition;
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Annex
Six-Point Proposal of the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States
(1) commit to work with the Envoy in an inclusive Syrian-led political process to address the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people, and, to this end, commit to appoint an empowered interlocutor when invited to do so by the Envoy;
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http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/...
- From UN Security Council Resolution 2043
1. Reaffirms its full support for and calls for the urgent, comprehensive, and immediate implementation of all elements of the Envoy’s six-point proposal as annexed to resolution 2042 (2012) aimed at bringing an immediate end to all violence and human rights violations, securing humanitarian access and facilitating a Syrian-led political transition leading to a democratic, plural political system, in which citizens are equal regardless of their affiliations, ethnicities or beliefs, including through commencing a comprehensive political dialogue between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the Syrian opposition;
http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/...
From the Action Group for Syria Final Communiqué
5. The parties must fully implement the six-point plan and Security Council resolutions 2042 and 2043. ...
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II. Clear Steps in the Transition
The conflict in Syria will only end when all sides are assured that there is a peaceful way towards a common future for all in Syria. It is therefore essential that any settlement provides for clear and irreversible steps in the transition according to a fixed time frame. The key steps in any transition include:
• The establishment of a transitional governing body which can establish a neutral environment in which the transition can take place. That means that the transitional governing body would exercise full executive powers. It could include members of the present government and the opposition and other groups and shall be formed on the basis of mutual consent.
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http://www.un.org/...
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