International community needs to protect civilians

In an interview with Arab Today on Monday, Ahmed Jarba, the new head of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, condemned ?the participation of Syrians in violent protests in Egypt. Jarba said he considered the mentioned Syrians to be acting as individuals and highlighted that they do not represent all Syrian people or the opposition coalition. When asked about fighters from different nationalities taking part in the Syrian conflict, Jarba said: “Hezbollah’s entry in ?addition to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and some extremist Iraqis, in support of Bashar al-Assad’s regime changed the rules of the game.” “We see Iran ?supporting the regime with money, boosting its economy and providing it with fighters and ?weapons therefore we as leaders of the coalition and the Free Army should change the strategy ?which has dominated for over a year,” he added.? Jarba called on the international community to fulfill its duties in protecting Syrians ?from Assad’s use of force against civilians, including the use of chemical weapons, which became evident in the attack on Homs. He ?stressed the need to urgently take all possible precautions to protect the people of Homs ?and to open humanitarian corridors.? According to Jarba, the priority of the coalition now is to make sure opposition fighters are well armed, explaining “we are facing gangs that are starting a genocide against the Syrian people and ?weapons are the only way to confront them and to stop their massacres.” The opposition leader said he intended to ask the Friends of Syria countries to establish safe zones to ?protect civilians as well as for foreign troops to enter Syria in order to “operate from the inside.”