Syrian Opposition Hypes ‘Unity Agreement,’ But Many Groups Not Represented

Group Seeks International Recognition

The Syrian National Council (SNC) has long claimed to be the true leadership of the Syrian rebellion, and now there is another umbrella group over them. Dubbed the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces (CORF), the faction made up of SNC and some other exile groups now claims to have successfully unified the entire opposition.

Having successfully negotiated among themselves to do that, the group is now pressing hard for international recognition as the “representative of the Syrians,” a sort of world-backed government-in-exile.

CORF is taking a lot of pages out of the SNC’s book in this regard, but as CORF moves forward with plans to appoint provincial governors-in-exile, the most obvious thing they have in common seems to be little effort to bring the rebel fighters into the faction.

Rather, it seems the group is putting the cart before the horse, announcing itself as the representative and ruler of all, and then assuming they will be able to count on their support by virtue of their own declaration.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.