Meeting of Syrian Opposition Groups Ends with Fist Fights

AP
Connor Simpson 857 Views Jul 3, 2012

How can Kofi Annan expect to form a unified government in Syria when meetings of the Syrian opposition end with women crying and fights breaking out? At a meeting hosted by the Arab League in Egypt today, the various Syrian opposition groups tried to discuss what their plan of action would be going forward, but the meeting ended in absolute chaos

A Syrian Kurdish group quit the meeting, provoking mayhem and cries of "scandal, scandal" from delegates. Women wept as men traded blows, and staff of the hotel used for the meeting hurriedly removed tables and chairs as the scuffles spread.

Oi vey. The Kurdish group were angry because an item that said the Kurds must be recognized was rejected. They stormed out of the conference while other attendees shouted that they were begging for attention. 

Annan's new plan calls for a unified Syrian opposition, something the conference clearly couldn't come to agree on, and something that may not even be possible.  They voted against forming one unified committee to represent them, and instead each party will remain separate with the Syrian National Council serving as the head of the opposition. An Arab League official told Reuters that they may never be able to work together, because "They are so different, chaotic and hate each other."

There was one good sign for Annan. The groups agreed that Bashar al-Assad absolutely had to go (just like everyone else), but other members of the current government were welcome to participate in whatever new government is formed after/if/when Assad is removed as long as they don't have "hands stained with blood."

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