U.S. Backs Syria Opposition despite Chief's Resignation
The resignation of the "courageous" chief of Syria's opposition is regrettable but will not affect the U.S. government's support for the rebels, officials said Monday.
Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib's abrupt decision to step down from the National Coalition has underscored divisions among the opposition, but U.S. officials said Washington would not withdraw its backing for the group.
"We're sorry to see him go," White House deputy press secretary Josh Earnest told a press conference.
But he said "Khatib's announcement does not change the U.S. policy of support for the Syrian opposition and the Syrian opposition coalition."
The United States backs "the coalition's vision for a tolerant, inclusive Syria that respects the rights of all Syrians.
"And the opposition to (President Bashar Assad's) brutal rule is bigger than one person, and that movement will continue," he said.
The White House spokesman praised Khatib as a "courageous and pragmatic leader," adding that "the opposition has been well-served by his leadership."
Khatib's surprise resignation, announced on Sunday, has highlighted concerns in the West that hardline elements are gaining influence among the fractured opposition fighting to oust Assad.
But State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell insisted Washington was still pressing for unity among the opposition, saying: "This is not about one individual or another. It's about the opposition as a whole."
"There may be different leadership that may come and go; there may be different folks who play different roles, but we want them to continue to focus on that important vision" of a tolerant, inclusive Syria, he said.
U.S. diplomats were meanwhile reaching out to Khatib, who has said he will make an address as he heads the delegation "in the name of the Syrian people" to an Arab League summit in Doha on Tuesday.
Washington is keen to see what he says, Ventrell added. "There's no doubt that this is a deeply frustrating situation. And we really applaud Khatib for being so courageous."
The National Coalition, set up in Doha in November, is a dissident group recognized by dozens of states and organizations as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
Khatib's move came just days after the first election in Istanbul of a rebel prime minister, Ghassan Hitto, and just over two years after the outbreak of a popular revolt against Assad inspired by the so-called Arab Spring.
Source: Agence France Presse
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