Sheikh Moaz al-Khatib, former head of the Turkish-Qatari branch of the Syrian opposition, was in Washington and made a declaration that did not attract enough attention. He strongly opposed a nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran and hinted at his concern over the talks between the American and Iranian foreign ministers, John Kerry and Mohammad Zarif.
Khatib stated that a nuclear agreement would put Syria at the mercy of Iran, which already occupies it, and would escalate the Shiite-Sunni war in Syria far beyond Syria’s borders – a hint at Sunni terror in the streets of Europe.
Although it is not clear why Khatib came to Washington, presumably he was invited to help plan joint U.S.-Muslim Brotherhood steps leading to a solution in Syria. Indeed, he made some proposals. Now that he has expressed adamant opposition to the nuclear agreement, however, the Obama administration will probably be “reassessing” its relations with him.
Moaz al-Khatib is one of the heads of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. He was preacher at the Umayyad Mosque. Apparently the Shiite takeover of the mosque, which was the heart and soul of Syria’s Sunni community, profoundly affected him. [See Shi’ites Establish Themselves in Sunni Mosque in Damascus]
Sheikh Moaz al-Khatib (After 58:00)
The surprising position of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood on the nuclear agreement that parallels Israel’s position is only one of several other Syrian surprises.
Indeed, the opposition organizations that oppose the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood praised Prime Minister Netanyahu for his electoral victory. Sherko Abbas, president of the umbrella organization of the Kurdish parties of Syria, issued a special congratulatory announcement. So did some of the important figures in the Sunni opposition groups including Abu Adnan, commander of the Federation of the Syrian Revolution of Tomorrow, and Moussa Nabhan, who is responsible for foreign relations for the “Sons of Syria” federation. In their congratulatory statements they thanked Israel for the humanitarian assistance it has been providing them in their hour of need.
