Syria, Russia, Iran Slam Arab League

by VOA News March 27, 2013

Syria, Russia and Iran have criticized the Arab League for its decision to award Damascus's seat at the organization to anti-government representatives, as the opposition coalition opened its first embassy in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Opposition leader Mouaz al-Khatib had led the delegation that took Syria's vacant seat at the Arab League summit, which also voiced support for continued military aid to the rebels fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Harsh criticism

Russia's foreign ministry called the league's move 'illegal and indefensible' because it said the Syrian government is still a 'legitimate' United Nations member-state.

Iran, which has sent advisers, money and weapons to help Assad retain power, also vented its anger at the Arab League for recognizing 'the so-called provisional government.'

Khatib and Qatar's state minister for foreign affairs cut a ceremonial ribbon at the entrance to the embassy in Doha with Arab and western ambassadors in attendance.

Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma, called the developments in Doha 'an important victory for the West.' He said the move spells trouble for Assad because it legitimizes - and will increase - the already significant flow of arms to the Syrian opposition funded by wealthy Gulf Arab states.

'It was a big blow to the Syrian government. The entire Arab world was watching this. The Arab League also announced that it was now legal to give arms - and send arms - to the rebel cause. Now, of course, they had all been sending arms anyway,' said Landis. 'But it lifts this legal conundrum off of the whole issue.'

Syria's seat at the Arab League had been vacant since the group suspended its membership in 2011. Most Arab League members have called for President Assad to step down.

Khatib recently resigned as head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, but led the Syrian delegation at the two-day summit in Qatar at the invitation of that country's emir.

Landis said that while the Syrian opposition is extremely fragmented, larger coalitions are forming. 'There are over 1,000 militias. We're seeing a Darwinian process taking place and certain larger coalitions are emerging out of this factionalism on the ground. An Islamic front led by Salafists, al-Nusra to the right of them, linked to al-Qaida, and then the Supreme military command that the United States has helped get together that's linked to the civilian opposition that was just recognized at the Arab League,' he explained. 'Which is becoming more and more powerful and is the beneficiary of this new arms flow from Croatia.'

Landis said the continued open warfare between the 'more jihadist militias' and 'mainstream, moderate [groups]' will likely continue for the foreseeable future, making overt Western intervention extremely problematic.

Patriot missiles

​​Also Wednesday, Khatib said the refusal of international powers to provide Patriot missile support for rebel-held areas of northern Syria sends a message to Assad to 'do what [he wants].'

NATO said Tuesday it had no intention of intervening militarily in Syria after al-Khatib said he had asked the United States to use Patriot missiles to protect rebel-held areas from Assad's air power.

The increasingly isolated Syrian president Wednesday urged leaders of the five-nation BRICS economic forum to help end the bitter two-year conflict.

Assad sent a letter appealing to the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to 'work for an immediate cessation of violence' and guarantee a 'political solution' in Syria.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.