The head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition Ahmed Jarba has called for providing the opposition fighters in Syria with anti-aircraft missiles, asserting that no political breakthrough would be possible unless there is a "military progress" on the ground.
Jarba's call came during a late Monday meeting with U.N.-Arab League envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in Kuwait, where both are due to attend the Arab League summit, that would kick off Tuesday.
During the meeting, Jarba blamed the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad for the "failure" of Geneva II talks earlier this year.
"The rude behavior of the regime delegation to the talks has shut all doors to any political settlement that is needed to end the suffering of the Syrian people," he said in a Facebook statement following the meeting.
Brahimi, for his part, said he would not call for a third round of Geneva II talks unless he is certain that it would be productive.
"There are many indications that the regime is planning presidential elections later this year, which contradicts with the principle of negotiations," he said, noting that holding the polls would render any talks "useless."
Syria's opposition and government representatives met in Geneva for a second round of talks last month.
The talks, however, did nothing to bring to an end the conflict that has been ravaging Syria for three years now.
Jarba is expected to deliver a speech at the Arab summit's inaugural session on Tuesday.
Ahmed Bin Helli, deputy head of the Arab League, said Friday that Syria's seat at the Arab summit will be vacant despite Jarba's attendance.
The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in late 2011, after a peaceful uprising against Assad escalated into an armed insurrection following a violent government crackdown.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around 146,000 people have been killed in the violence-wracked country since the conflict began.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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