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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| US lauds vote for Aleppo council |
| 2013-03-06 |
| WASHINGTON — The United States on Monday praised the holding of elections for a council to run rebel-held areas of Syria’s Aleppo province, as well as the new opposition leader’s first visit to the country. Ahmed Moaz Al Khatib’s decision to visit the largely rebel-held northern province was a “really courageous choice,” State Department deputy acting spokesman Patrick Ventrell said. “We commend him for his courage and his dedication to connect with Syrians who continue to suffer from the regime’s violence on a daily basis.” Khatib, head of the Syrian National Coalition, slipped into the country on Sunday as elections were being held for the Aleppo provincial council. The vote was being held in the Turkish town of Gaziantep for security reasons, but the future body will be based inside Syria. “We view this as a positive sign of the opposition’s commitment to free and democratic procedures even though campaigning and elections weren’t possible inside of Syria because of the pervasive insecurity,” Ventrell added. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 USAID reps to be visiting shortly... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2013-03-06 10:38 |