65 Syrian Opposition Members Invited to Attend the Riyadh Conference
12 armed factions consisting of 100,000 fighters are among those invited
Asharq Al-Awsat Tuesday, 1 Dec, 2015
http://english.aawsat.com/2015/12/article55345694/55345694

The National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces announced
yesterday that it received an official invitation from Saudi Arabia to
attend a conference which will be held in Riyadh and discuss the formation
of a united delegation for the opposition to negotiate with the regime. The
date of the conference is yet to be set, however sources indicate that it
might start on the 7th or 11th of this month.

Ahmad Ramadhan, a member of the National Coalition said in a statement to
Asharq Al-Awsat, that the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs “invited
65 members of the Syrian opposition to attend the conference in Riyadh”. He
also announced that 20 people from the Coalition, 7 people from the National
Coordination Body for Democratic Change, between 10 and 15 military leaders
and between 20 and 25 independent individuals, businessmen and religious
clerics have been invited.

Sources revealed that the invitation has been extended to 12 armed
opposition groups which are comprised of more than 10,000 fighters, and each
group is represented by at least one person. These groups are: the Free
Syrian Army (FSA), Fastaqim Kama Umirta, the Al-Jabhat al-Asala wal-Tanmiya,
the Thuwar al-Sham, Jabhat Ashamiyya, Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki, Faylak
al-Rahman, Faylak ashaam, Al-Ittihaad al-islaami liajnaad ashaam, Jaish
al-Islam and other groups.

The United Nations special envoy for the Syria crisis Staffan de Mistura
announced on the 21st of December that Saudi Arabia will host a meeting in
the middle of December which will bring together Syrian armed groups and
political opposition to the Syrian regime to set up a common platform for
the opposition before entering future negotiations for peace.

The meeting in Riyadh is supposed to achieve a more united opposition in the
upcoming negotiations in order to end the strife. Iran, on the other hand,
is providing financial and military support to the Syrian regime and
describes all armed Syrian opposition factions as “terrorists”.