Syrian opposition leader who wanted talks quits

Moaz al-Khatib announces his resignation as the president of the main coalition of the Syrian opposition in exile. Khatib, who pushed for talks between the Syrian government and its armed opponents, hits foreign nations for withholding aid to the rebels and for trying to manipulate events for their own interests. It is not clear if Khatib is referring to the reluctance of Western countries to provide weapons or interfering in the choice of an interim prime minister. A coalition member says Khatib resigned because of interference from Saudi Arabia, which threatened to cut off financing if its favored candidate for prime minister is not elected. Khatib’s resignation comes five days after the coalition elected interim prime minister Ghassan Hitto, who rejects dialogue with the Syrian government. Some say Khatib’s resignation could set back the opposition’s efforts to end the two-year-old conflict. The Syrian Opposition Coalition still faces challenges in establishing leadership, even though it is recognized by several countries as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

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