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May 31, 2013

Syrian Opposition Group Rejects Peace Talks; Assad Agrees to Attend 
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As the bloody conflict in Syria continues to deepen, Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad has agreed "in principle" to attend international talks
in Geneva. But Assad said any deal reached at the meeting would need to
be approved by the Syrian people.

President Bashard al-Assad: "Very simply, our only condition is that any
agreement as a result of any meeting inside or outside Syria, including
the conference, should be subject to the opinion of the Syrian people, a
referendum for the Syrian people, this is our only real condition,
anything else has no value, this is why we will go to this conference
feeling comfortable, we have no worries, they can put anything up for
discussion on the table, but nothing will be implemented without the
opinion of the Syrian people. And we are the legitimate representative
of the Syrian people so there is nothing we are afraid of."

The opposition group Syrian National Council said Thursday it will not
attend the peace talks next month. A spokesperson said: "The talk about
the international conference and a political solution to the situation
in Syria has no meaning in light of the massacres that are taking
place."

 

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