Al-Jarba to QNA: HH the Emir Says Qatar Will Always Be with Syrian People

Doha, July 31 (QNA) - "HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani affirmed that Qatar will always be with the Syrian people and will never give up supporting Syrians," said President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces Ahmad Assi Al-Jarba. Talking to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of his visit to Doha, the President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces said that Qatar is a key country in the Syrian issue and among the first countries that supported the Syrian Revolution. Al-Jarba said that he and a delegation from the Coalition met HH the Emir, where His Highness affirmed Qatar was and will remain always supporting the Syrian people and their issue and revolution. He added that he discussed with HH the Emir the political issues, such as the Geneva Conference among others. Al-Jarba said that he came to Doha leading a delegation from the Coalition to mobilize political and military support and relief for the Syrian people. In a response to a question about the features of the political settlement of the Syrian crisis given that some political forces had demanded that President Bashar al-Assad continues in power, Al-Jarba said in an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) that any solution to the political issue should not include Bashar and his clique. He said that Bashar should be punished for his crimes in which more than 200,000 persons had been killed and "that is why we can never accept him to remain in power during the next phase". He said that the political solution to the Syrian crisis should include mainly the departure of Bashar al-Assad and his corrupt junta. The National Coalition supports a political solution if it serves the objectives of the revolution and the Syrian people, Al-Jarba said. He added: "Geneva conference represents an aspiration but certain circumstances may prevent us from going to Geneva, especially when the situation on the ground is not in favor of the revolutionaries." He explained that the Free Army is now and reinforcing its positions after suffering a retreat due to the involvement of troops of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah in the war to support Bashar al-Assad. He indicated that Hassan Nasrallah told a TV channel that forces of Hezbollah entered Syrian territories in order to secure the capital. He stressed that they will participate in negotiations only when the Free Army and revolutionary forces are stronger on the ground. "Now the situation is better than twenty days ago," Al-Jarba stated, saying there is a major attack on Homs and Damascus's outskirts carried by regime forces. Homs, however, remains steadfast despite the fact that there is a real war raging on, he said. Al-Jarba expected that the Free Army will bring Horan and Damascus, Aleppo and Idlib north and east under its control, adding that Homs will be an challenge to Bashar al-Assad's forces. "We hope this and we think that the revolutionaries have an unshakable conviction to fight when they have enough arms." He criticized the Arab, regional and international reactions, saying that there was no reaction at all. He said Hezbollah has been placed on the terrorism list for years and is involved in a war not on their lands to kill citizens and civilians. "Indeed, there are many Syrian citizens who had been killed by weapons of Hezbollah and we feel that there is a strong reaction to this effect. We also feel that there is a conspiracy against the Syrian people." Al-Jarba noted that neither the United Nations nor the Security Council did issue a resolution, terming this as unacceptable. The good thing, he said, is that the EU had enlisted the military wing of Hezbollah as terrorist organization and this is an advanced position. He said that the Iranians are involved in Syrian war and 'I consider that Syria is now under occupation and the whole world is watching this in the absence of a strong and real reaction'. Al-Jarba affirmed there are contacts with Russia but it is obvious that Russia had taken a decision to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad forever. He said that he met the US Secretary of State John Kerry, describing the meeting as positive and 'we have asked military and political support'. He expressed his belief that the US position may change positively for the benefits of Syrian Revolution. (QNA)