BICOM

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, in his first meeting with Syrian opposition leaders in London yesterday, emphasised the importance of a united Syrian opposition. Hague said that Britain could not recognise the Syrian opposition while it remained disjointed and poorly organised. “I’ve emphasised the importance to them of achieving a united platform and a unified body among the opposition,” Hague said. “At an extreme moment in their nation’s history it is important for opposition groups to be able to put aside their own differences and come to a united view of the way forward,” Hague added.

The fact that Hague met two different opposition groups, the Syrian National Council and the National Coordinating Board, as well as a number of individuals, illustrates how fragmented and beset by personality differences the outside resistance to the Assad regime is. Opposition groups are expected to meet with the Arab League on Friday, where Britain and others hope they will be able to unite and commit to supporting the league’s peace plan for Syria.

The Foreign Secretary recently appointed Frances Guy, the former ambassador to Beirut, to liaise with opposition groups. Hague yesterday also warned the Syrian regime that it “will find that more and more governments around the world are willing to work with the opposition to step up the level of their contacts as part of the increasing pressure on this regime and its completely unacceptable behaviour”.

The United Nations has reported that the Syrian security forces have killed 3,500 people since protests began in March.