Key Syrian opposition group withdraws from Saudi-hosted talks

The talks between Syrian opposition groups in Saudi Arabia this week called for an all-inclusive, democratic Syria and said Moscow’s regional ally President Bashar al-Assad should leave power at the start of a transitional period. Other factions claimed Ahrar al-Sham still signed off on the closing statement, but this is being disputed by some other groups.

Several Western diplomats were at the tightly secured luxury hotel where the talks took place without taking part in the sessions, and sources there said a Russian diplomat was at the hotel when unofficial discussions began on Tuesday.

“We were surprised to receive information about an emergency meeting of “the Friends of Syria Group” on December 14, which is known to adhere to the…position of overthrowing the legitimate government in Damascus”.

The meeting was aimed at welding the opposition groups into a unified team for potential talks with the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

“The outcome is somewhat positive… but it is fragile and the process can collapse at any time”, he said.

“While this important step forward brings us closer to starting negotiations between the Syrian parties, we recognize the hard work ahead, and remain determined to continue toward a political settlement that brings an end the conflict”.

Participants also committed to a political system which “represents all sectors of the Syrian people”, and would not discriminate on religious or sectarian grounds – in a gesture towards minority Alawite, Christian and Kurdish populations.

“The real test for the government, ” Hillo said, is whether “it will give civilians a peace dividend, ” meaning resuming services and allowing humanitarian access.

At one point on Friday, Putin appeared to hold out an olive branch to the West, making what appeared to be Russia’s first explicit statement of support for rebels opposed to Assad in the fight against Islamic State.

Assad said organizations considered to be “terrorist around the world, like ISIS (Islamic State) or al-Nusra”, have hundreds of millions of dollars and “a almost full army like any other state”, a situation he said was only possible due to the direct support of countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, said the Syrian opposition factions had made progress in their talks.