(Foreign Policy) Josh Rogin - Syrian opposition leaders of all stripes will convene in Qatar next week to form a new leadership body to subsume the opposition Syrian National Council, which is widely viewed as ineffective, consumed by infighting, and little respected on the ground. The State Department has been heavily involved in crafting the new council as part of its effort to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and build a more viable and unified opposition. Over the last several months, according to U.S. officials and Syrian opposition figures, the State Department has worked to broaden its contacts inside the country, meeting with military commanders and representatives of local governance councils in a bid to bypass the fractious SNC.
2012-10-31 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive