Syria 'opposition' self-proclaimed defense minister quits
Iran Press TV
Tue May 20, 2014 1:21PM GMT
The self-proclaimed defense minister of Syria's foreign-sponsored opposition has stepped down following reports of profound disappointment with the body's head.
A source close to Saudi-backed dissident Asaad al-Mustafa, speaking on the condition of anonymity, has said he resigned on Sunday night to protest a lack of funds for his mercenaries from the so-called Syrian National Coalition (SNC) leader Ahmed Jarba.
An unnamed SNC member said Mustafa left after Jarba refused to appoint him as provisional prime minister, a post currently held by Ahmed Tumeh.
Mustafa was appointed to his post last November as part of a plan by the SNC to administer areas of Syria that are under control of foreign-backed militants.
Mustafa served as minister of agriculture under President Bashar al-Assad's father and predecessor, Hafez al-Assad, but defected after the foreign-sponsored militancy broke out in 2011
His resignation highlights divisions among Assad's opponents. Jarba will remain head of the SNC until June, when a new leader will be elected unless his term is extended.
The divisions within the foreign-backed opposition come as the Syrian army has been gaining further ground against militants.
On Tuesday, Syrian armed forces conducted intensified military operations on the outskirts of Aleppo, Daraa and Idlib, inflicting severe blows to intruding militants and eliminating more of their fortifications and war machines.
Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has put the death toll from the foreign-backed militancy against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at more than 160,000.
According to reports, Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.
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