Gulf States Recognize New Syrian Opposition Group

The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council has recognized the new broad-based Syrian opposition group on Monday as the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people in the first formal endorsement of the opposition group seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

Syrian anti-government groups met in Qatar this week and finally struck a deal on Sunday, which is backed by the US and other Western countries, reports Fox News.

The group was under immense pressure from the international community to form a new opposition leadership that includes representatives from the country’s disparate factions, which are fighting to oust President Assad.

The opposition has been divided for months despite repeated calls from their Western and Arab supporters to create a cohesive and representative leadership that would serve as a conduit for foreign aid.

The Gulf Cooperation Council announced in its statement that if will offer “support and endorsement to this entity to realize the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people.”

ABC News notes that the council added that it hopes the new body formed by the deal will help allow for a quick political transfer of power, putting an end to the bloodshed in the Middle Eastern nation. The GCC has also called for Arab and international recognition of the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces (the new Syrian opposition body).

Now that they have received recognition from the GCC, the president of the new coalition, Maath al-Khatib, along with top opposition figure George Sabra, have flown to Cairo for meeting with the Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby. They are expected to petition for recognition by the Arab League.