Syrian Opposition Suffering Blow: Three Leaders Quit SNC, Tens to Follow

Local Editor

In a severe blow to the main opposition Syrian part the so-called Syrian National Council, three leaders from the mentioned council announced their resignation from SNC ranks.

Haitham al-Maleh, Kamal al-Labwani and Catherine al-Talli announced on their Facebook pages Wednesday that were they quitting due to "differences and the inefficiency of the SNC."

Al-Maleh, a former judge was joined by opposition leader al-Labwani and human rights lawyer al-Talli in announcing their resignation.

Their departure comes at a time when the West and Arab powers are raising the pressure on the opposition to unite.

A SNC member who requested anonymity said 80 members of the 270- group also planned to defect and may form a new opposition movement to focus on arming the opposition groups.

Some Syrian opposition members have raised questions about the fate of money pledged by some Arab and Western powers to the SNC.

"People are angry about the executive board. We don't know what it is doing and it's not clear how they are spending the money being given to them or how much they have received," said Salam Shawaf.

Maleh told Reuters he was frustrated by a lack of transparency and organization in the SNC.

"I have resigned from the SNC because there is a lot of chaos in the group and not a lot of clarity over what they can accomplish right now. We have not gotten very far in working to arm the rebels," Maleh claimed.

Some view that Maleh's resignation may be part of a struggle over leadership roles in the opposition.

Labwani, a liberal who formed a group within the SNC called the Syrian Patriotic Group, said "the SNC is incapable of representing the aspirations of the Syrian people."

"We have exhausted all means to reform. All the ways to change (the SNC) have been blocked in our face... We are calling for a group resignation from the Syrian Patriotic Group," he said, declining to give a number of potential defections.

Talli, who was also on the SNC executive board, said she decided to resign so as not to be held responsible for the shortcomings of the SNC and its political mistakes.Source:News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org

Syrian Army Fully Controls Idlib, Opposition Hit by Resignations

Local Editor

The Syrian army has overrun Syria’s northwestern city of idlib, with militants have fled following four days of clashes.

Meanehile, the opposition has also suffered a setback as three major figures of the so-called Syrian National Council (SNC) announced resignation.

Agence France Press cited the “activist” Noureddin al-Abdo as saying that the militants have withdrawn.

"Since last night there has been no more fighting," said al-Abdo, reached by telephone from Beirut.

"The Free Syrian Army (FSA) has withdrawn and regime forces have stormed the entire city and are carrying out house-to-house searches."

"The FSA preferred to withdraw because everyone knows it cannot resist the army," Abdo said.

For its part, Syrian daily al-Watan reported on Tuesday that the city has fallen, saying regime forces had managed to capture it in record time.
"A major operation launched three days ago in Idlib... ended in record time with army units wrapping up search operations during which dozens of armed men and fugitives were killed," Al-Watan daily said.

The time in which Idlib has been controlled is considered a record since the city reportedly contains huge number of militants and ammunitions.

The control of Idlib comes just twi weeks after the seize of Baba Amro neighborhood in the city of Homs.

RESIGNATIONS

Meanwhile on Wednesday, the opposition was hit by resignations, with three prominent activists from the SNC announcing their demission.

Catherine al-Telli, Haitham al-Maleh and Kamal al-Labwani announced on their Facebook pages that they were resigning due to differences" and the "inefficiency" of the SNC.

Agence France Press quoted an official with the SNC that the there were “disagreements” between the activists and the council.

Maleh said he was quitting after the council's executive had rejected his efforts to reform and unite opposition ranks, complaining its head Burhan Ghalioun was "monopolising opinion."
"All avenues for change have been blocked," protested Labwani.

ASSAD REPLIES TO ANNAN

On the other hand, President Bashar Assad responded to the proposals handed by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, who met the Syrian leader during the weekend.

"Their responses are being considered," Ahmad Fawzi, spokesman for the envoy, told AFP, declining to comment on the substance of the Syrian response.

Annan is expected to make a statement later Wednesday in Geneva, after he said on Sunday that he offered “concrete proposals” to Assad.

During the meeting with Annan, Assad said he would back any "honest" bid to end the violence, but warned dialogue would fail if "terrorist groups" remained.

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