Saudi-Backed Syrian Opposition Remains Adamant 'Assad Must Go'

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC) backed by Saudi Arabia strongly believes Syrian President Bashar Assad should not play a role in Syria’s future, Monzer Makhous, a member of the opposition group, said Thursday.

GENEVA (Sputnik) — His remark came after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said earlier in the day during his visit to Ankara it was up to the Syrian people to decide the longer-term status of President Assad in Syria.

While Russian officials have repeatedly said that the Syrian people must decide the fate of their leadership, Washington and its regional allies used to call for Assad's resignation.

"Our position remains unchanged, Assad must go," Makhous told reporters at a press briefing in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaking alongside Makhous, HNC member Fatah Atassi said the Committee believed Assad should not be on Syria’s future transitional government and questioned the reasoning behind Tillerson’s statement.