Crown Prince says world betrayed Syrian opposition

Arab News

Crown Prince Salman said the international community has let down the Syrian opposition, calling on the Arab League to grant Syria’s seat at the summit to the Syrian National Coalition.
“There is a legitimate resistance in Syria that was betrayed by the international community and left as a prey in the face of an oppression force,” the prince, who is also Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, said at the opening session of the 25th ordinary Arab Summit in Kuwait.
The prince called for changing the balance of power on the ground in Syria, where he said terrorist groups from several areas has entered the country.
“The crisis in Syria has reached catastrophic levels as half of the Syrian people either suffer from displacement of fled their country as refugees,” Prince Salman said at the summit, which was attended by 13 heads of Arab states.
Prince Salman called for greater support to the Syrian National Coalition, which he stressed is the sole representative of the Syrian people.
“It is strange that we do not see today taking Syria’s seat at the summit and assuming its natural place. We hope this situation will be corrected,” said the Prince.
At last year’s summit in Doha, Arab leaders agreed to give Syria’s seat to the coalition. Iraq and Algeria have reservations about giving it to the Syria National Coalition, while Lebanon did not wish to take a stand. The rest of the Arab states want the coalition to take up the seat, with conditions.
Ahmad Jarba, president of the coalition, urged Arab leaders Tuesday to grant Syria's vacant Arab League seat to the coalition and let it take over Syria's embassies in the Arab countries.
"Leaving Syria's seat empty sends a message al-Assad...'Kill, kill the seat is waiting for you once the battle is settled'," Jarba said in a speech at the opening session of the summit.
“Reality dictates that the Syrian embassies in the Arab capitals should be given to the coalition after the regime lost its legitimacy and nobody remains to cater to Syrians’ interests in Arab capitals, making their situation worse,” Jarba said at the session.
Addressing the heads of the Arab states present at the summit,” Jarba called on Arabs states to put pressure on the international community to commit to its pledges to provide heavy weapons to the rebels.
In his speech, he called for increasing humanitarian aid to the Syrians suffering inside and outside Syria and especially to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

Terrorism: Major threat to the region
“We all suffer from terrorism…we are required to double our efforts and join international efforts seeking to put an end to this dangerous phenomenon regardless of its types, goals or sources,” Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah said at the summit, the first to be held in Kuwait.
Prince Salman said terrorism, especially in the region, poses serious threat to the peoples of the region, their stsbaility and development.
“We are required to be cautious and take necessary measures to combat and uproot terrorism….terrorism has become a tool to spread chaos, division and sow seeds of sedition, which necessitates a joint, unified stand to face it,” Prince Salman said in his address.
“Saudi Arabia condemns all types of terrorism and will spare no effort to continue to fight it through issuing regulations and taking procedures that criminalize terrorism and those behind it,” said the Prince.
On the Palestinian issue, the leaders stressed its remains the core issue in the Middle East, noting that any solution should lead to the creation of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
They condemned all Israeli attempts to juadize Jerusalem and alter the identity of the city, slamming the Israeli violations against Al Aqsa Mosque.

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Seamless decision-making is a rare commodity during Arab summits because the League’s 21 member states hold differing regional views. There have been notable exceptions, such as the 2002 Beirut Summit that floated the Arab Peace Initiative and the emergency summit held last year, endorsing Geneva II talks to end the Syrian civil war. The fact that Arab leaders can agree on common goals negates accusations that the Arab League is little more than “a glorified debating society.”
However, few are holding their breath expecting great things from the upcoming Arab Summit to be hosted by Kuwait for the first time since it joined the League in 1961 on March 25 and 26. So far, 13 heads of state have confirmed their attendance. It’s sad to say that Arab governments have rarely been this divided on numerous issues.
Kuwait is keen to maintain its role as a neutral bridge-mending mediator. Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Minister for Cabinet Affairs, is optimistic. “Wisdom always prevails among Arab leaders during difficult times…” he told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding, “Kuwait always plays the role of calming and supporting cooperation and joint [Arab] interests.
High on the agenda is the violence spilling over from the Syrian conflict into Lebanon. On the wish list of the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman is the League’s backing for a strengthened Lebanese military to defend the country against Israeli incursions and terrorism. Saudi Arabia has already donated a whopping $3 billion toward a weapons upgrade. He will also ask for humanitarian assistance for the more than one million Syrian refugees who’ve fled to Lebanon.
Talks on the Syrian crisis are unlikely to be fruitful following the failure of Geneva II participants to make progress. Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government and Iran’s proxy in Lebanon Hezbollah cheer the Assad regime, while other member states have no appetite to insert boots on the ground. The Syrian opposition would like to claim Syria’s seat in the League but on that they’re crying to the wind. There might, however, be consensus on the need for humanitarian corridors and increased aid.
As always, Palestine will loom large within the proceedings. And on this perennial issue there’ll be few disagreements. At a time when the US-brokered peace process is in shambles over Israel’s fast-tracked “settlement” land grab, its attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and Benjamin Netanyahu’s unwillingness to make concessions unless the Palestinian National Authority first recognizes Israel as a “Jewish state,” talks are poised to collapse.
According to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the League will draft a resolution rejecting the concept of a Jewish state because such recognition would undermine refugees’ right of return and could deprive Palestinians choosing to remain where they are of compensation.
So what makes this 25th Arab League Summit different from all others?
There’s an unprecedented and growing rift between Gulf States centered upon Qatar’s maverick foreign policy, which several of its neighbors believe directly threatens regional security. At its core is Doha’s unwavering support for the Muslim Brotherhood that’s been declared a terrorist organization by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is unapologetic for being out of step with GCC allies in the belief his tiny country has the right to choose its own course. Earlier this month, the Kingdom, the UAE and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Qatar to protest Doha’s interference in their affairs. A joint statement issued by the trio indicated that they feel Sheikh Tamim has reneged on a commitment given last year “not to support any party aiming to threaten the security and stability of any GCC member.”
Points of contention include Qatar’s harboring of Muslim Brotherhood leaders and the platform given by Al-Jazeera to the global organization’s de facto spiritual leader Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi to stir-up dissent in Egypt and heap insults on neighboring Gulf countries. It is further alleged that Qatar gives material support to Houthi rebels in Yemen as well as the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front in Syria.
The dispute between Qatar and hitherto brotherly states does not feature on the Summit’s schedule. It will rather be the elephant in the room, unspoken except during behind-closed-door discussions or at peripheral meetings. Kuwait is anxious to see the parties involved patch-up their differences but is also eager to avoid stormy sessions.
Cracks in the GCC serve none of its members, especially when the Obama administration is stretching out its hand to Iran which some analysts feel is a prelude to some sort of geopolitical “Grand Bargain” on the lines of that made between the US and the Shah.

Email: Sierra12th@yahoo.co.uk

Linda S. Heard