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| Syria National Council to decide on unity leadership | Syria National Council to decide on unity leadership |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Syrian National Council is facing a key decision on whether to join other groups in a more unified opposition. | The Syrian National Council is facing a key decision on whether to join other groups in a more unified opposition. |
| The Syrian National Initiative aims to merge the disparate military and political groups to form a credible alternative to the Assad government. | The Syrian National Initiative aims to merge the disparate military and political groups to form a credible alternative to the Assad government. |
| Western and Gulf states have been pushing for such a body, which would act as a conduit for humanitarian - and possibly military - aid. | Western and Gulf states have been pushing for such a body, which would act as a conduit for humanitarian - and possibly military - aid. |
| Meanwhile, UN agencies are in Geneva to discuss the aid operation in Syria. | Meanwhile, UN agencies are in Geneva to discuss the aid operation in Syria. |
| Improving access for aid workers will be top of the agenda at the sixth meeting of the Syrian humanitarian forum, which brings together UN aid agencies and member states. | Improving access for aid workers will be top of the agenda at the sixth meeting of the Syrian humanitarian forum, which brings together UN aid agencies and member states. |
| The Syrian government has strictly limited the presence of foreign aid agencies. | The Syrian government has strictly limited the presence of foreign aid agencies. |
| The uprising against President Assad's rule has become increasingly violent since it began in March last year. | The uprising against President Assad's rule has become increasingly violent since it began in March last year. |
| Activists estimate that more than 35,000 people have lost their lives. The UN says some 1.2 million Syrians have been displaced, and more than two million are in need of aid. | Activists estimate that more than 35,000 people have lost their lives. The UN says some 1.2 million Syrians have been displaced, and more than two million are in need of aid. |
| Turkey said some 8,000 people had crossed over its border on Thursday night, bringing the total number of Syrians in the country to nearly 120,000. | |
| Although the devil may prove to be in the detail, the mood among many SNC members seems to be one of grudging admission that they have to go along with the strongly Western-backed initiative aimed at producing a unified new opposition leadership in which the SNC itself would not enjoy a majority role. | |
| If the SNC withholds approval, the whole package on offer - recognition, huge funds, possibly much-needed quality arms supplies - would be withdrawn and the opposition left more divided than ever. | |
| One possibility is that the SNC may go back with a qualified Yes, but seek assurances for its own continuing role as a distinct entity and guarantees that Western promises would be kept. | |
| Assuming the package is agreed, the next step would be the formation of a 60-person unified political leadership, in which the SNC (under the current proposal) would be given 22 out of 60 seats, with provincial councils taking another 14, and the others allocated mainly to activists from inside the country. | |
| That would be followed in short order by a Friends of Syria meeting in Morocco, at which the new leadership would obtain formal recognition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syria people, and pledges of massive funds, running into billions of dollars, to administer the "liberated" areas. | |
| Opposition circles hope the West would also give a green light to regional powers to start supplying the rebels with anti-aircraft missiles and other materiel that could tilt the balance on the ground. | |
| 'Failure forbidden' | 'Failure forbidden' |
| The opposition meeting is taking place in the Qatari capital, Doha, under the auspices of the Arab League, with Western powers from the international Friends of Syria group also attending. | The opposition meeting is taking place in the Qatari capital, Doha, under the auspices of the Arab League, with Western powers from the international Friends of Syria group also attending. |
| So far, the Syrian National Council, itself an umbrella group, has been the most prominent opposition, but it has failed to produce a united front in the bid to topple President Bashar al-Assad. | So far, the Syrian National Council, itself an umbrella group, has been the most prominent opposition, but it has failed to produce a united front in the bid to topple President Bashar al-Assad. |
| It has also been criticised for the fact its members are largely based outside Syria. | It has also been criticised for the fact its members are largely based outside Syria. |
| The US has said it wants to set up a broader opposition leadership council in which the SNC's influence is diluted. | The US has said it wants to set up a broader opposition leadership council in which the SNC's influence is diluted. |
| The Syrian National Initiative, proposed by prominent dissident Riad Seif, would supplant the Council and bring together Syria's exiled and internal opposition, allowing it to become the conduit for foreign assistance. | The Syrian National Initiative, proposed by prominent dissident Riad Seif, would supplant the Council and bring together Syria's exiled and internal opposition, allowing it to become the conduit for foreign assistance. |
| But the BBC's Jim Muir, in Doha, says the SNC is wary of signing up as a minority element in a new leadership, without clear guarantees that the new body will be given the kind of support needed to tilt the balance against the regime. | But the BBC's Jim Muir, in Doha, says the SNC is wary of signing up as a minority element in a new leadership, without clear guarantees that the new body will be given the kind of support needed to tilt the balance against the regime. |
| The SNC, which has been holding its own talks in Doha all week, will elect a new executive and president on Friday morning, before deciding whether to back the initiative. | The SNC, which has been holding its own talks in Doha all week, will elect a new executive and president on Friday morning, before deciding whether to back the initiative. |
| If it does not, says our correspondent, it risks being heavily blamed for pursuing its own interests above those of the people. | If it does not, says our correspondent, it risks being heavily blamed for pursuing its own interests above those of the people. |
| Such a move would open a stark rift in the opposition, he adds, especially between "insiders" who are strongly represented in the new leadership plan, and those who have been in exile for years. | Such a move would open a stark rift in the opposition, he adds, especially between "insiders" who are strongly represented in the new leadership plan, and those who have been in exile for years. |
| Mr Seif said opposition leaders had made progress on the first day of talks, and that some SNC members had indicated their acceptance of a plan to set up a new leadership group composed of 60 members. | Mr Seif said opposition leaders had made progress on the first day of talks, and that some SNC members had indicated their acceptance of a plan to set up a new leadership group composed of 60 members. |
| Veteran opposition figure Haytham al-Maleh told AFP news agency: "We hope we can reach an agreement [on Friday] after the Syrian National Council has succeeded in selecting a new leadership." | Veteran opposition figure Haytham al-Maleh told AFP news agency: "We hope we can reach an agreement [on Friday] after the Syrian National Council has succeeded in selecting a new leadership." |
| Burhan Ghalioun, ex-leader of the SNC outside Syria, said the atmosphere was "positive" and that failure was "forbidden". | Burhan Ghalioun, ex-leader of the SNC outside Syria, said the atmosphere was "positive" and that failure was "forbidden". |
| 'Getting worse' | 'Getting worse' |
| The meeting on aid access in Geneva comes after the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it could not cope with the growing needs in Syria. | The meeting on aid access in Geneva comes after the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it could not cope with the growing needs in Syria. |
| There are currently "a lot of blank spots", and an unknown number of people were not getting access to the aid they needed, said Peter Maurer. | There are currently "a lot of blank spots", and an unknown number of people were not getting access to the aid they needed, said Peter Maurer. |
| The ICRC has not been able to get to certain parts of the country, he added, giving as an example the city of Aleppo, which has been badly hit by violence in recent months. | The ICRC has not been able to get to certain parts of the country, he added, giving as an example the city of Aleppo, which has been badly hit by violence in recent months. |