Syria Opposition Suffering More Divisions

Syrian Opposition Leader Moaz al-Khatib expressed his astonishment over US rejection to deploy Patriot missiles in Syria.

“International powers’ refusal to provide Patriot missile support for rebel-held areas of northern Syria sends a message to the regime to do what you want,” al-Khatib said on Wednesday.
He further stated: “Yesterday I was really surprised by the comment issued from the White House that it was not possible to increase the range of the Patriot missiles to protect the Syrian people.

In an interview to Reuters, he stated that would not rescind his resignation as leader of the main Syrian opposition coalition but would still perform leadership duties for the time being.
In another reflection of the Syrian opposition’s failures, a group of prominent Syrian opposition members criticized Tuesday the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in the so-called “Syrian National Coalition” and accused regional governments of “hegemony” over the body.

In a letter addressed to the Arab League, the group warned that the opposition was experiencing a crisis as a result.
“The crisis in the Syrian opposition is worsening… because of what is happening inside the Coalition and the actions of those who dominate it,” the letter said.
It criticized “the conflicts between the leaders of the coalition, the dictatorial control exercised by one of its currents over its decisions and actions, and the flagrant hegemony of diverse Arab and regional players.”

The letter came amid discontent in the opposition over the election of the first rebel prime minister, Ghassan Hitto.
And it follows accusations that countries backing the rebels, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have directly interfered in the decisions of the Coalition.
Moreover, the letter urged the “abandoning of the project of an interim government, which has caused broad national division and has been strongly opposed by the leadership and fighters of the Free Syrian Army.”
The signatories, who include several opposition figures such as Michel Kilo, Abdel Razzak Eid, Walid al-Bunni and Basma Kodmani, called instead for the creation of an executive body or consensus government chosen by a broad spectrum of the opposition.

The letter also urged “restructuring the Coalition to balance it and keep it beyond the control of any one party or current.”
During last week’s meeting to elect the prime minister, several members of the Coalition walked out, and others have since announced they are freezing their participation in the body.