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Syrian opposition leader in extraordinary appeal to Bashar al-Assad

The internationally recognised head of the Syrian opposition made an extraordinary personal appeal last night to President Bashar al-Assad calling for him to open talks and send his vice-president for negotiations.

Ahmed Moaz Al-Khatib with U.S. vice president Joe Biden at the Munich Security Conference Photo: GETTY

By Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent

Moaz al-Khatib, head of the Syrian National Coalition, the exiled opposition body recognised by the West and its Gulf allies as the legitimate alternative to the Assad regime, has already infuriated his own supporters by calling for direct talks with the regime.

Yesterday, he asked the Iranian government, hated by the opposition for its support of Mr Assad almost as much as the regime itself, to arrange talks with Vice-President Farouq al-Sharaa, seen as the most moderate of Syria's senior leadership.

"Dr Bashar, this country is in grave danger, come out of your bubble, if only for a moment," he said in an interview with Al-Arabiya television channel. Mr Assad is an ophthalmologist, and often referred to as "Dr Bashar" by his supporters.

"Look into the eyes of your children and you will recover some of your humanity. We can help each other."

Mr Khatib's offer of talks last week was denounced by other members of the Coalition, particularly those belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Syrian National Council faction. The opposition's formal policy is to oppose any talks with the regime until Mr Assad steps aside.

But they stopped short of unseating Mr Khatib afterwards at a meeting in Cairo on Thursday, after he said he was making his initiative "in a personal capacity". He insists that talks must still be predicated on Mr Assad's eventual departure from power.

Mr Khatib was formerly imam of the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, and survived inside the regime for many years despite occasional jailings.

Mr Sharaa has dissociated himself from some of Mr Assad's actions in attempting to put down the Syrian uprising, and has been suggested as an interim leader should Mr Assad be persuaded to step down.

"Since the start of the crisis, Mr Sharaa has seen that things are not going in the right direction," Mr Khatib said. "If the regime accepts the idea, I ask it to delegate Faruq al-Sharaa for us to hold discussions with him."