Syrian Opposition ‘Yet to Decide’ Whether to Commit to Ceasefire

The Syrian opposition has yet to decide whether it will commit to a U.S.-Russian plan to stop fighting in Syria on Saturday, chief opposition negotiator Mohamad Alloush told Orient News on Wednesday.

Alloush said the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which he is a member of, would give the final answer.

“We have until Friday,” said Alloush, who heads the political office of the Jaish al-Islam terrorist group.

The Saudi-backed HNC, which groups political and armed opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, said on Monday in a statement it had “given its acceptance of international efforts for a cessation of hostilities.”

But it said acceptance of a truce was conditional on fulfillment of previous demands including an end to blockades, free access for humanitarian aid, a release of detainees, and a halt to aerial and artillery bombardments against civilians.

One opposition concern is that the agreement allows for continued attacks on the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front – whose terrorists are widely spread out in opposition-held areas – and other groups designated as terrorists by the U.N. Security Council.

An HNC spokesman said on Tuesday the U.S-Russian plan for a “cessation of hostilities” included “obscure terms” and was heavily influenced by Russia, which is mounting air strikes in support of Assad.

Rebels fear Russia will use that as a pretext to bomb them.