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Syria opposition meeting discusses appointing rival PM | Syria opposition meeting discusses appointing rival PM |
(35 minutes later) | |
Syria's main opposition coalition is meeting in Istanbul to discuss the appointment of a rival prime minister for rebel-held parts of the country. | Syria's main opposition coalition is meeting in Istanbul to discuss the appointment of a rival prime minister for rebel-held parts of the country. |
An alternative government could then be formed to oversee the provision of services in opposition held-areas. | An alternative government could then be formed to oversee the provision of services in opposition held-areas. |
Gen Selim Idriss, chief of staff of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), said at the meeting that he supported the move. | Gen Selim Idriss, chief of staff of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), said at the meeting that he supported the move. |
Meanwhile, the US condemned a Syrian airstrike on the border with Lebanon, calling it a "significant escalation". | |
Reports from Lebanon said that Syrian aircraft had fired four rockets at the border between the two countries, near the Lebanese town of Arsal. | |
There were no casualties from the raid. Lebanese officials had earlier said it was not clear whether the rockets had landed inside Lebanese territory. | |
"These kinds of violations of sovereignty are absolutely unacceptable," US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. | |
FSA backing | FSA backing |
Large swathes of northern Syria have been seized by rebels from government control in recent months. | Large swathes of northern Syria have been seized by rebels from government control in recent months. |
However, reports from those areas say that basic supplies such as electricity and water are limited. | However, reports from those areas say that basic supplies such as electricity and water are limited. |
Rebel-held areas are currently administered by a patchwork of local councils and armed groups who have been running some institutions, such as courts and prisons. | Rebel-held areas are currently administered by a patchwork of local councils and armed groups who have been running some institutions, such as courts and prisons. |
Gen Idriss told reporters that the FSA would work "under the umbrella" of any new government. | Gen Idriss told reporters that the FSA would work "under the umbrella" of any new government. |
"We demand an interim government for all Syrian territory, one that would be the only legitimate government in the country," Gen Idriss told the AFP news agency. | "We demand an interim government for all Syrian territory, one that would be the only legitimate government in the country," Gen Idriss told the AFP news agency. |
"Any institutions not following this government would be considered to be acting illegitimately and would be prosecuted." | "Any institutions not following this government would be considered to be acting illegitimately and would be prosecuted." |
Also on Monday, the US said it would not stand in the way of other countries arming Syrian rebels. | |
Last week France and the UK said they supported lifting the EU arms embargo on Syria to allow weapons to reach anti-government forces, citing guarantees from rebels that arms would not fall into the wrong hands. | |
However, other EU countries have expressed scepticism over any such move. The embargo is expected to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers later this week and a vote is due in May. | |
US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters on Monday: "The United States does not stand in the way of other countries that made a decision to provide arms, whether it's France, or Britain or others." | |
Last week saw the second anniversary of the Syrian uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, which initially began as a wave of peaceful protests but which is now often described as a civil war. | Last week saw the second anniversary of the Syrian uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, which initially began as a wave of peaceful protests but which is now often described as a civil war. |
An estimated 70,000 people have been killed and more than one million people have fled Syria since the uprising began, with thousands more displaced inside the country. | An estimated 70,000 people have been killed and more than one million people have fled Syria since the uprising began, with thousands more displaced inside the country. |