Saudi Arabia reportedly wants to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the next summit of the 22-member Arab League on May 19 in Riyadh. It could end Assad’s regional isolation. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will soon fly to Damascus and personally present the invitation to Assad, according to sources in the Saudi capital. Syria was expelled from the league in 2011 at the start of its bloody civil war.
The prince spoke about it a month ago, saying talks were ongoing with Syria on the issue. According to Faisal bin Farhan, more than a decade of civil war in Syria has shown that the isolation of the regime has had no effect. Furthermore, in March Saudi Arabia put its rivalry and feud with Iran on the back burner and resumed diplomatic relations with that Shiite country. Iran is a major backer of the Assad regime.
Earthquakes
The Saudi prince would have gone to Damascus sooner were it not for the big earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. According to United Nations estimates, these have caused at least 6,000 deaths and 12,000 injuries in Syria. Since Syria is isolated from Arab countries and Western countries, international aid has been very slow and difficult.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan then said that things cannot go on like this with Syria. The Syrian people are suffering from the sanctions and the regime is not. According to the prince, there is almost consensus within the league that Syria should be a part of it again. Several Arab countries, including Egypt, have already held talks with Damascus on their own initiative.
Half a century of dictatorship
The Assad clan has ruled the country dictatorially for more than fifty years. The clan is from the northwest and belongs to a religious minority, the Alawites, who have more ties to the Shiites than to the Sunnis, who make up about 70 percent of the Syrian population. During the civil war, a number of Gulf Arab states for years supported large-scale groups and militias who wanted to overthrow the Assad regime.
Source: BNR
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