SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION PRESIDENT TO MEET U.S. SECRETARY

New York, 17 Ramadan 1434 /26 July 2013 (MINA) – The President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SNC), Ahmed al-Jarba and his delegation are going to meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in New York next Thursday (1/8).

Erin Pelton, U.S. spokesman for UN said in his Twitter account that Kerry is scheduled to meet Jarba and Najib Ghadbian (SNC ambassador to UN), and several SNC officials, including Michel Kilo, and Burhan Ghalioun.

The meeting was scheduled to discuss the preparation of an international conference in Geneva and to find political solution to the Syrian conflict that has been going on since 2011.

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SNC said in a statement that Jarba will give a briefing to members on the UN Security Council in preparation for the conference in Geneva II which will be held next month.

Kerry and Jarba will meet for the first time since he was elected as a president of the Syrian National Coalition on July 6, 2013 last. Anadolu reported as monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).

SNC is a coalition of opposition groups in Syria’s civil war established in Doha, Qatar, in November 2012. Damascus Politician, Moaz al-Khatib is considered to be a moderate, was elected as the president of the coalition group. But he later resigned on April 21, 2013.

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Riad Seif and Suheir Atassi, a prominent activist with secular democracy thought was elected as the representative who replaced al Khatib after he resignation and Mustafa Sabbagh was elected as the general secretary. The coalition has 114 members of the board, although not all of them consistent (some of them resigned).

On March 19, 2013, the National Coalition chose Ghassan Hitto as interim prime minister.

On July 6, 2013, the coalition chose a new leadership. Ahmad Asi Al-Jarba was elected as the president and Anas Al-Abdah as the general secretary.

Members of al-Nusra Front and 13 other groups said in a video on YouTube that they unanimously rejected the conspiracy project called the National Coalition and announce the built of Islamic state in Syria.

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A day later, the commander of one of the groups, Liwaa al-Tawhid Brigades appeared in a video with members of the Military Council of Aleppo and the Transitional Military Council. They stated that they support the National Coalition and corrected his previous statement. (T/P04/P03)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)