Media Statement

Syrian Coalition

Istanbul, Turkey

May 31, 2013

Bashar Al-Assad’s remarks on Al-Manar TV were not a surprise to the Syrian people when he admitted to being linked to Hezbollah. Furthermore, Assad and Syria are being used by the Iranian regime to market their ideology, as a passageway to Israel and a strategic location to receive arms.

The participation of Iran and its militias in the systematic war against the Syrian people is not new, nor did it spring up in the Battle of Qusair or when Nasrallah announced he was officially joining the battle: It has been obvious since the first months of the revolution. However, with the escalation of the Free Syrian Army's operations and attacks, its gains on the ground and the collapse of regime forces, Assad's allies have been forced to lay their cards on the table. This is despite the fact that their intervention poses dangers to national unity, risks internationalizing the Syrian crisis, and represents an attempt to drag the country into a sectarian bloodbath.

Although Assad boasts that he is the official guardian of national unity – as his father was before him – he is responsible for tearing the national fabric through shameless sectarian positioning. Moreover, he has invited Iran to become an active player in Syria, where they have massacred Syrians, created sectarian cleansing operations, and destroyed the structure of the Syrian state.

The Syrian Revolution has stripped away the facade of "resistance" and discredited the tactical arsenal of "resistance" and "liberation" built up by Hezbollah and Iran. It has shown that the sectarian militia has been a tool of Iran and is in fact a core component, as they proceed to engage in blatant attacks on our country and people.

Resorting to Russian aid indicates that aspects of the regime are crumbling internally, however the regime wants to reassure the killing brigades and boost their fading morale. Also, it unveils the truth of the Russian position, which is that it is not neutral and has chosen to support Assad.

The Syrian Coalition rejects Assad's sectarian discourse, leading to dangerous consequences. The Coalition demands Assad's departure and an immediate halt to the military operations of regime force. As Hezbollah and Iran are the primary conditions pushing for Assad to attend the Geneva II Conference, Assad will not respect any efforts for a future agreement, but will use them to buy more time for destruction, murder and organized terrorism.