Qatar's new emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has stated that the emirate still supports Syria's main opposition group, the so-called Syrian National Council (SNC).In a meeting with SNC members in the Qatari capital Doha on Monday, Sheikh Tamim said the crisis in Syria would remain on top of Qatars foreign policy agenda as before.
George Sabra, Abdul Basit Sida, and Mohamed Farouk of the SNC delegation also met with new Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah.
The SNC will be holding a meeting in Istanbul on Thursday to select a leader, and Burhan Ghalioun, George Sabra, and Louay M. Safi are the front-runners, according to reports.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants.
In an interview broadcast on Turkish television in April, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.
If the unrest in Syria leads to the partitioning of the country, or if the terrorist forces take control the situation will inevitably spill over into neighboring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East and beyond, he stated.
By Press TV
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