Opposition Figure: Assad Serious about Talks, Takfiri Groups Main Hurdle to Peace

A prominent Syrian opposition figure said President Bashar al-Assad’s government is serious about achieving a solution to his country and these are the Takfiri groups who are the main impediment to peace in Syria.

“The Syrian government has vested important authorities on the opposition groups inside Syria and it has tried very hard for the success of talks with the opposition and achievement of a common solution otherwise a dissident like Hassan Abdelazim would not appear on the (Syrian state) television and easily criticize the government,” Nabil Fayyaz told the Arabi Press news website.

He noted that the main problem is now posed by the Salafi-Takfiri groups which do not care for the efforts made by the UN-Arab League Joint Envoy on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi.

This week President al-Assad in a meeting with Brahimi underlined his government’s full commitment to any sincere, impartial and independent effort which aims to resolve the crisis in Syria, but meantime urged an immediate stop in the shipment of arms to terrorists.

President al-Assad said the real problem in Syria is confusing political demands with terrorist actions, considering that work on the political axis is continuing, particularly regarding the serious call for a Syrian dialogue that is based on the wishes of all Syrians.

“The success of the political work is linked with exerting pressure on the countries which are funding and training the terrorists and allowing smuggling of weapons into Syria, to stop such acts,” he added.

President Assad also said that those which have called for the intervention of the aliens in Syria should not attend the national talks or be present in the government, stressing that Al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun (Muslim Brotherhood) should not be a partner in the future talks in Syria.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

The US and its western and regional allies have long sought to topple Assad and his ruling system. Media reports said that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling the President Bashar al-Assad’s government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.

Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons – most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past – has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.