U.S. seeks new, credible Syria opposition

Washington, DC, United States (4E) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the U.S. wants new political opposition in Syria that includes people in the country fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

In a press conference in Zagreb, Clinton said the Syrian National Council (SNC) is composed of Syrian expatriates who have not been in Syria for decades, so it is not a true representative of the Syrian people.

“We’ve made it clear that the SNC can no longer be viewed as the visible leader of the opposition. They can be part of a larger opposition, but that opposition must include people from inside Syria and others who have a legitimate voice which must be heard,” Clinton said.

She added, “There needs to be an opposition that can speak to every segment and every geographic part of Syria. And we also need an opposition that will be on record strongly resisting the efforts by extremists to hijack the Syrian revolution.”

Clinton revealed that efforts are underway to form a new group that will take over the government once Assad is ousted. She said people and organizations from inside Syria that should lead the proposed group have been chosen and they will have a chance to meet in Doha, Qatar next week.

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