Weapons priority for Jarba

(MENAFN- Arab News)  The new leader of Syria's main opposition National Coalition has set his priority on securing arms for rebels fighting regime troops since 2011, in remarks published on Saturday. Ahmad Assi Jarba spoke ahead of a tour of Western capitals next week during which he will meet French President Francois Hollande. "My first and foremost priority is securing arms for the Free Syrian Army fighters as soon as possible," Asharq Al-Awsat quoted him as saying. "We are facing gangs that are launching a war of extinction against the Syrian people and arms are the only means of facing them and ending their massacres," Jarba said. "I also plan to work on securing aid to our people," added the new opposition leader who was elected on July 6. Jarba is a veteran secular dissident. He was previously in charge of trying to obtain weapons for the rebels despite Western skepticism of supplying arms to the opposition that could fall into the hands of radicals. Jarba said the opposition supports "a political solution that would achieve all the aims of the revolution while organizing the transfer of power peacefully." However, any settlement allowing Syrian President Bashar Assad or figures of his regime to remain in power is "completely unacceptable," he told the daily.