Washington meeting with Khaddam and Al-Bayanouni failed 

Mardini, Elaph, Nov. 1 (translated by mideastwire.com)

–

Elaph, an independent news website, reported in its November 2 issue about the latest developments in the relationship between the recently founded Syrian opposition National Salvation Front and the American administration. The website wrote: “Western diplomatic sources revealed to Elaph that the meeting between the National Salvation Front and the American administration which took place recently didn’t result in any positive developments because of the questions asked of the members of the National Salvation Front which they weren’t able to answer such as: what is the true attitude of the Front towards democracy? Why are democratic activities absent in the institutions of the Salvation Front? Why did many of the members of the Front withdraw because of the individual behaviour of the leadership of the Front?…”

The website added: “The questions of the American administration were directed mostly to the Syrian dissident ex vice president Abdul-Halim Khaddam and the General Guide of the Islamic Brotherhood in Syria Sadr-Eddine Al-Bayanouni. The questions directed to Al-Bayanouni included: ‘What is the true attitude of the Islamic Brotherhood towards the chauvinistic political religion and towards the ideological state? What is their attitude towards movements that the United States consider to be terrorist like Hamas and Islamic Jihad? And based on their repeated announcements about their following of the modern civil model for the modern state and their abandonment of political violence then why haven’t they changed the name of their party Islamic Brotherhood which is always linked to the heritage of Hassan Al-Banna which gave birth to all the extremist organizations that followed the track of political terrorism and aroused and are arousing waves of violence and terrorism throughou! t the Islamic world?”

The website continued: “The sources confirmed that the questions to Khaddam included: ‘What is Khaddam’s true attitude towards the Ba’th regime and party in light of his statements which show that he is still a Ba’thist and is still trying to give deeds of innocence to the current regime though defending the founder of this regime? What are the practical solutions drawn up by the Front for the problems and protection of ethnic and religious minorities such as the Kurdish and Allawi minorities? What are the practical programs followed by the front to change the Syrian regime in the light of the absence of any bases inside Syria for the parties and factions participating in the Front especially Abdul-Halim Khaddam?’. The American administration according to the sources also wondered ‘why doesn’t the front employ craftiness to divide the ranks of the Syrian opposition by isolating some of the other Syrian opposition groups?’…” – Elaph, United Kingdom