Felicity Arbuthnot
Marking abandonment of the last shred of pretense of observing
the rule of law, the Nobel Peace Prize winning European Union Foreign
Ministers are to meet with the leader of the Syrian insurgency in
Brussels on Monday 10th December, according to Lebanon’s Daily Star.
Mouas al-Khatib, now heading the self-styled Syrian National
Coalition: “will attend at least part of the meeting a spokesman for
Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign affairs chief “, confirmed today.
The Ministers strategy to end the tragedy in Syria is to arm the
insurgents, it seems and: “ … to look at ways of loosening an arms
embargo in order to help rebel forces, EU diplomats said.”
Al Khatib, the paper points out, has already visited London and
Paris, where the “coalition” has been recognized as the: “sole
representative of the Syrian people.”
EU Foreign Ministers did not endorse full recognition at a meeting on
19th November though considered the “coalition” to be: “legitimate
representatives” of the (un-consulted) Syrian people. The “sole
representative” is clearly hoping for the jackpot at this gathering.
Later in the week the EU, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
other allies are meeting factions of the insurgency in Marrakesh,
Morocco.
In the week the US has designated one of the Syrian groups, the Nusra
Front, to its list of “terrorist organizations”, alleging its links to
al-Qaeda, the decision would seem to have been made for Clinton also to
announce in Morocco, recognition of the al-Khatib collection as fully
“the legitimate representative” of the Syrian people: “an endorsement
Washington hopes will help the group mature in to a transitional
government.”
(“Treason: betrayal of one’s sovereign or country, especially by
attempting to overthrow the government. Any treachery or betrayal.”
Collins Oxford Dictionary.)
Last week EU Member States decided to review the embargo on Syria
“designed to cut off supplies” to the government, quarterly instead of
annually: “to facilitate the supplies of non-lethal equipment to the
rebels if necessary.” So “loosening the arms embago” and assistance in
illegality in every way, bestowed by the collective Nobel Laureates.
It has to be wondered, given US concern regarding the Nusra Front’s
links with Al Qaeda, whether anyone has read Mouas al-Khatib’s cv.
The highly educated fifty two year old, Damascus born al-Khatib is
President of the Islamic Civilisation Society, and a Member of the Board
of Trustees of Sheikh Badr al-Din al-Hassani Institute for Islamic
Studies. A graduate of the Department of Applied Geophysics at Damascus
University, he also holds a Diploma in Political Science and
International Relations.
The US Administration will not have missed his impeccable oil industry credentials.
He worked at Syria’s al-Furat Petroleum Company from 1985-1991. The
company was part owned by the Anglo-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell (Shell Oil.)
He maintained contacts with the company.
On the death of his father in 1992, he inherited his place as
preacher at Damacus’s Umayyad Mosque (“The Great Mosque.”) Built in 634,
it is custodian of a shrine believed to hold the head of John the
Baptist, revered as a Prophet by both Christians and Muslims. However he
was banned from preaching in the historic and illustrious place of
worship by Bashir al Assad’s father, Hafez.
Al-Khatib then founded the Islamic Civilisation Society and taught
Sharia Law and Islamic studies, in Damascus, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Nigeria, Turkey, the UK, USA. He settled in Qatar – now a Syria
opposition facilitator in the region.
Between 2003 and 2004 he returned to Syria as a lobbyist for Shell
Oil when Bashir al Assad, having inherited the Presidency from his
father in 2000, was opening up the country to oil and gas concessions.
He then returned again in 2012 to make what many considered
inflammatory speeches, was arrested, imprisoned, then pardoned. He again
left the country.
Many of his writings were initially remarkably conciliatory, but then
became more and more militant. Now Syria National Coalition Member
Mahmoud al-Hamza: “states that the Coalition agreement signed by
al-Khatib stipulates that a peaceful settlement will not be pursued.”
(i)
“The formation of the National Coalition
‘rules out any talks with Mr. Assad and stipulates that his regime must
be toppled’ is a victory for the war party and spells disaster for Syria
and the region.”
He should have a warm welcome in Europe and North Africa next week. However, Washington would appear to have missed something:
Mouas al-Khatib was implacably opposed to the Iraq invasion,
regarding Western presence to be sacrilegious. Osama bin Laden held the
same view. He is widely stated as having aligned himself to Osama bin
Laden at the time.
Note
i. http://humanrightsinvestigations.org/2012/11/12/ahmed-mouaz-al-khatib-president-of-the-syrian-national-coalition-of-forces-of-the-syrian-revolution-and-opposition/
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