American ex-Nusra Front hostage: Qatar’s ransom payouts are tactic to fund terror

An American journalist who was abducted in Syria by al-Qaeda-linked militants in 2012 has spoken of how Qatar’s efforts to secure his release in 2014 left him with concerns over the Gulf state’s funding of terrorism.

Syrie : al-Nosra pourrait avoir reçu de l'«aide» des USA et de Riyad, selon un ex-responsable qatari

Dans un entretien sans langue de bois, l'ancien Premier ministre du Qatar a reconnu que l'aide militaire envoyée à l'opposition syrienne par le Qatar, la Turquie, l'Arabie saoudite et les Etats-Unis avait pu atterrir dans de mauvaises mains.

Syria’s oppositional HNC suggests urgent meeting of Friends of Syria Group in Paris

The chief coordinator of the Syrian oppositional High Negotiations Committee (HNC), Riyad Hijab, has called for an urgent meeting of the Group of Friends of Syria in Paris, the HNC said in a statement circulated in Geneva on Wednesday.

French FM accuses Russia, Iran of "complicity with Syria regime brutality"

The French top diplomat pointed the finger at the two countries over its "ambiguous policy" to handle the Syrian crisis...

'Sloppy process' of ousting Assad led to ISIL’s rise, Kerry says

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has placed the blame for the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS) on those who resorted to any means to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, creating what he called a “sloppy process.”

“In the very beginning … when the efforts to oust al-Assad took place, there were people who made calculations that the important thing is to remove al-Assad. Yes, there are some bad apples there, but we want to get him out. And that, unfortunately, resulted in funding different groups, and it was, frankly, a sloppy process,” Kerry told CNN International’s Christiane Amanpour during an interview aired on Sept. 24.

Καταστροφική η απόφαση της Δύσης να αυξήσει τη βοήθειά της προς τη συριακή αντιπολίτευση, λέει η Μόσχα

Η Ρωσία κατηγόρησε τη Δύση και τις χώρες του Κόλπου που έχουν ταχθεί κατά του καθεστώτος του Σύρου προέδρου Μπασάρ αλ Άσαντ για «καταστροφική» πολιτική, μετά τη συμφωνία στην οποία κατέληξαν να εντείνουν τη στήριξή τους προς τη συριακή αντιπολίτευση.

Ο υπουργός Εξωτερικών της Βρετανίας Ουίλιαμ Χέιγκ δήλωσε ότι οι «Φίλοι της Συρίας», η ομάδα των χωρών που εκπροσωπήθηκαν στη σημερινή σύνοδο του Λονδίνου, συμφώνησαν να αυξήσουν τη βοήθεια που παρέχουν στη μετριοπαθή συριακή αντιπολίτευση.

"Friends of Syria" hold London talks. Friends of Syria Core Group (London 11) Communique

LONDON: US secretary of state John Kerry and foreign ministers from Western and Arab nations met on Thursday to discuss new ways of supporting the Syrian opposition.

The Friends of Syria group gathered in London just days after UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi stepped down after almost two years of fruitless efforts to end the war.

Kerry to attend 'Friends of Syria' meeting in London

US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to London on Thursday for a meeting of the so- called "Friends of Syria" group, his spokeswoman said on Monday.

The top American envoy will discuss with his counterparts from 10 other members the ongoing efforts to ease humanitarian suffering inside Syria, support the "moderate" opposition, and advance a political transition, State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki told reporters at a daily news briefing.

Sponsors of Syrian opposition create new organization – Lavrov

Sponsors of Syria’s opposition are setting up a new organization that will bring together the groups that have withdrawn from the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.

MOSCOW, February 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Sponsors of Syria’s external opposition are setting up a new organization to place a stake on the military scenario again, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh Mohammed.

«Φίλοι της Συρίας»: Το καθεστώς Άσαντ εμποδίζει την πρόοδο στις διαπραγματεύσεις. (video UN -Lakhdar Brahimi)

Το καθεστώς Άσαντ ευθύνεται για την έλλειψη πραγματικής προόδου κατά τη διάρκεια του πρώτου γύρου των διαπραγματεύσεων, σύμφωνα με ανακοίνωση των «Φίλων της Συρίας», της ομάδας των έντεκα χωρών που υποστηρίζουν τη συριακή αντιπολίτευση.

Οι «Φίλοι της Συρίας» συναντήθηκαν στη Γενεύη σήμερα, λίγο μετά την ολοκλήρωση του πρώτου γύρου των συνομιλιών της Γενεύης 2 και κάλεσαν τον Άσαντ να μην παρακωλύσει περαιτέρω τους επόμενους γύρους.

UN Secretary General sent invitations to all Geneva-2 participants, Syrian gov't agreed - Lavrov

The UN Secretary General has sent invitations to all Geneva-2 participants and the Syrian government has agreed and listed its delegation members, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

The Syrian opposition is ready to provide lists in order to exchange prisoners with the country's authorities, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

The opposition said it was ready to discuss, compose and release lists for the exchange of prisoners, Kerry said at a news conference following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Friends of Syria agree no future for Assad....

The U.S.-led “Friends of Syria” grouping had agreed that President Bashar al-Assad and his family will have no role in the country’s future, Ahmad Jarba, head of Syria’s opposition National Coalition, said during a press conference held in Paris on Sunday.

However, Jarba did not announce if the opposition would take part in peace talks with representatives of Assad’s regime due to start next week in Switzerland.

The Coalition, which is under intense pressure to confirm its participation, has said it will decide on the issue on January 17.

Syria: Kerry's comments could cause peace talks to fail. -US and its allies desire a handover of power.

The Syrian government on Sunday condemned remarks made by US Secretary of State John Kerry and said his comments could cause the failure of proposed peace talks on the country's ongoing conflict, AFP reported.

The Syrian foreign ministry said Kerry's repeated statements “threaten to cause the failure of the Geneva conference, are a flagrant violation of Syrian affairs and an aggression against the Syrian people's right to decide their future”.

Syrian opposition sets conditions for talks. Opposition leader tells 'Friends of Syria' conference in London that President Assad has to go before they participate.

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The Syrian opposition will not attend talks in Geneva seeking to resolve the ongoing civil war unless several conditions are met, including the removal of Bashar al-Assad, the president.
"We cannot be part of those responsible for shedding the blood of our people," Syria opposition chief Ahmad Jarba said at a news conference on Tuesday following talks in London. 
Jarba maintained that opposition leaders be considered traitors if they agreed to the Geneva conference without first securing needed "foundations" - necessary preconditions in light of what he called prior "failures" by the international community to end the escalating conflict.