Syria's top opposition leader declared on Wednesday that he is willing to negotiate with members of President Bashar Assad's regime to bring a peaceful end to the country's civil war, provoking an outcry from opposition groups that insist Assad must step down first.
The remarks by Moaz al-Khatib marked a clear departure from the opposition line, which has been categorical refusal to talk to the government.
Opponents of the Assad regime have been divided among political and military groups, many of them out of touch and at odds with each other. The political groups range from secular liberals to al-Qaida-linked Islamist extremists, while many of the armed rebel units operate independently. The divisions have hampered their progress and deterred potential backers from sending significant supplies of weapons or funds.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syria-opposition-leader-talk-assad-regime-18357925