Syria oppn opens 1st embassy in Qatar,says world let it down

“There is an international willingness for the revolution not to triumph,” he told reporters at the embassy,which was festooned with balloons in the red,green,white and black of Syria’s national flag.

Alkhatib,a Sunni Muslim cleric who resigned this week as leader of the Syrian National Coalition,but who is staying on as a caretaker,also alluded to internal differences plaguing the opposition umbrella group formed in Qatar in November.

“The only way to victory is unity,” he declared.

Damascus raged against summit host Qatar for helping the opposition into Syria’s seat at the League,while Russia and Iran also criticised the move to delegitimise Assad’s rule.

Yet although the 22-member Arab bloc lent its support to giving weapons to Syrian rebels,it is unclear how much impact the opposition’s diplomatic advances will have inside Syria.

Alkhatib said he was surprised by a rebuff from the US and NATO to his request for Patriot missiles based in Turkey to help protect rebel-held parts of northern Syria from Assad’s helicopters and warplanes.

“I’m scared that this will be a message to the Syrian regime telling it ‘Do what you want’,” Alkhatib said.