Leader of the most influential tribes in Syria recently held a series of secret discussions with UN special envoy, Staffan de Mistura, in Swiss’ Geneva.
The tribal chiefs, who formed a new tribal coalition, also met President Obama’s representative, and ministers from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, the supporters and financers of opposition forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad.
The leaders, who enjoy a huge influence over hundreds of thousands of Syrian tribesmen, said they are desperately trying to end the vicious circle of war that has struck their country nearly five years ago.
Earlier, US urged some influential tribal leaders in Syria to join the fight against ISIS, and have their people enrolled in the Equip-and-Train program, especially designed by the US to produce ‘moderate’ rebels who are capable enough to stand against the harsh-hearted Islamic State’s militants.
The US aims at creating a conglomeration of forces competent enough to change the balance of powers against ISIS in Syria, following the example of “Sunni Awakening” which has helped the US troops defeat Al-Qaeda in Iraq years ago.
The tribal chiefs are supposed to meet king Abdullah of Jordan who had offered to arm Sunni tribes in Syria and Iraq in order to help them confront ISIS.
The newly-formed tribal coalition is not affiliated in any form with the Syrian National Coalition or the government in exile.
