Khatib blames regional countries for prolonging Syria war
Former Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib says he's open to negotiations with both the Syrian and Iranian governments as a matter of "principle" to help end the bloodshed in Syria.
DOHA, Qatar — The Syrian political opposition is still suffering from competing regional influences, undermining its effectiveness, former opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib told Al-Monitor.
“The opposition faces a major problem … the regional and international powers are contributing to the opposition’s division,” the former head of the Syrian National Coalition said in an exclusive interview at the Brookings Institution’s US-Islamic World Forum in Doha.
Khatib has previously cited foreign interference in the coalition, presumably from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as a reason for his resignation as president of the coalition in March 2013.
“Syria is currently placed under the pressure of regional powers, some are with the regime, and others are against it. These powers are struggling and pushing toward their own interests,” he told Al-Monitor.
