'We should put an end to the war in Syria' - Manaf Tlass: Voice of ...

The International community, including Russia and the USA, is ready to jointly search for ways of a political solution to the conflict in Syria. This was demonstrated at the negotiations of Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and the US partners during the Conference on security in Munich. It was there that the Russian Minister for the first time met with one of the leaders of the Syrian opposition Moaz al-Khatib. This meeting demonstrated that a part of the Syrian opposition is ready to negotiate with representatives of the regime about a political transition period in Syria, as it was stipulated by the Geneva agreements.

Among the opponents of President Assad there are those who were considered his companions-in-arms a year ago. One of them is young Brigadier General Manaf Tlass, the son of the former Minister of Defense of Syria, Marshal Mustafa Tlass. The General very rarely contacts mass media, and by his own admission, he has never given interviews to the Russian press. However, he made an exception for the Voice of Russia.

- What is your attitude to the news that Moaz al-Khatib is ready for negotiations with representatives of the regime? After all, some of the oppositionists criticized him for this.

- I support any initiative that may put an end to the war in Syria. So, that's good.

- General, you are not only a well-known person in Syria, but you are also President Bashar al-Assad?schildhood friend...

- There are such turns in history, when friendship ends. I have repeatedly tried to persuade the President that it was necessary to search for a political solution of the crisis. But there always were people in his surroundings, who urged a military solution. Assad considered the opinion of the top brass. As for me, I said that the military solution can lead to the destruction of Syria. Syria is a mosaic country, where a lot of different confessions are mixed. It is essential that representatives of all religious communities take part in the change of the regime. So that afterwards they all live in peace, regardless of their religious beliefs. And state institutions and infrastructure should be preserved.

Every day of the war will later require at least another month of the country?s recovery. Ballot boxes instead of rifles and machine guns - that's what is needed in Syria today. Both warring parties in Syria should lay down their arms. This can be done under the supervision of the United Nations Organization. And our Russian friends can help us with this.

The Syrian people are waiting for Russia to keep its word and help to stop the war in Syria. Not long ago, it was possible to exert more pressure on the regime for the reforms to be carried out. It?s too late now. Now it is necessary to facilitate a transitional period in Syria.

- The West has staked on the National coalition of the opposition forcescreated in 2012. What do you think about this?

- The coalition still acts in a narrow political space. It is necessary to cooperate with other forces, to be closer to reality, to the events inside Syria. Meanwhile, there are tendencies in the coalition, which do not meet the structure of the Syrian society.

- What do you mean?

- Military councils, created within the coalition, are something like the purely Sunni army. This should not be so. If the military councils are created, they should also represent all the communities.

- What is the situation in the oppositional Free Syrian Army? Is it united?

- No. It is necessary to unite it, too. There is a shortage of officers, it is necessary to improve the structural organization.

- Tell us, General, is there a danger of the use of chemical weapons in Syria?

- I'm a General of the Republican Guard, and not of chemical troops. But there is no guarantee that the regime will not use chemical weapons. Everything is possible.

- And can the opposition get hold of the chemical weapons?

- As I have already said, there is a lot of disorder in the ranks of the armed opposition. And, of course, we must not allow chemical weapons fall into the hands of some grouping. And again, cooperation between officers from both sides is needed for this. The military will understand each other. And acting together, the military can put the facilities with chemical weapons under reliable control. And, of course, the support of the international community is needed. We should put an end to the war in Syria.

Source: http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_02_04/We-should-put-an-end-to-the-war-in-Syria-Manaf-Tlass/

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