A Syrian opposition diplomat told Al Arabiya on Monday that the “coming hours” will mark a crucial phase in the Syrian conflict and will be filled with developments “the region and the world have not witnessed in years.”

“Wait until tomorrow [Tuesday] and you will hear a very important speech, while in the following three to four days will be filled with developments that the region and the world have not witnessed in years,” said Monzer Makhous, the Syrian National Coalition’s (SNC) ambassador to Paris.

Makhous said the “very important” speech will not come from the Syrian opposition but from “Friends of Syria” countries which he said are “about to execute their humanitarian, moral, and political duties towards Syria.”

Elaborating more, he said that an international military action is on the sight and that the Syrian Free Army will do its part. The military actions, he noted, will be “comprehensive.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday said there was little doubt that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against civilians, noting that “this international norm cannot be violated without consequences,” he added.

President Obama last year said the use of chemical weapons would constitute a “red line.”

“Make no mistake. President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world’s most heinous weapons against the world’s most vulnerable people. Nothing today is more serious,” Kerry said in a televised statement Monday.

Detailed of the looming military action, however, remain unclear.

Andrew J. Tabler, senior fellow in the Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, told Al Arabiya that the White House’s recent contacts about Syria show that President Bashar al-Assad has lost his last chance.

Tabler noted that Obama’s reticence over the form and timing of the anticipated military action is a “normal procedure” in such cases.

Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:41 - GMT 06:41