The first signs of divisions among Syrian opposition groups emerged Monday over the contentious issue of arming the pro-democracy protesters, dpa reported.
The Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCC) rejected calls by some opposition groups to arm the protesters, saying such a move would be "unacceptable politically, nationally, and ethically."
The LCC, one of several online groups that have been organizing and documenting the protests, said arming the protesters would minimize popular support for and participation in the rallies.
The group said in a statement that it understood the motivation to take up arms, but rejected it. "The method by which the regime is overthrown is an indication of what Syria will be like post-regime," it said.
"If an armed confrontation or international military intervention becomes a reality, it will be virtually impossible to establish a legitimate foundation for a proud future Syria," the statement said.
The regime of President Bashar al-Assad has cracked down on the pro-democracy protests that started mid-March, triggering international condemnation. The United Nations says more than 2,200 people have been killed.
Mohammad Rahhal of another group, Syrian Coordination Committees, supported the decision to arm the protesters.
"We made our decision to arm the revolution which will turn violent very soon because what we are being subjected to today is a global conspiracy that can only be faced by an armed uprising," he told the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper on Sunday.
In Turkey meanwhile, some opposition members announced the formation of a National Transitional Council to lead activists calling for al-Assad's ouster.
While a council spokesman said the members were chosen after consultations with activists and protesters in Syria, according to Al Jazeera, some members told regional broadcasters that they were not notified about or consulted on their appointments.
The council is to comprise 94 members - 42 in Syria - and be led by Burhan Ghalioun, a sociologist at the Sorbonne in Paris.
Hundreds of Syrian dissidents had gathered in Istanbul last month and agreed to form a council in order to unify the opposition.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have sharply criticized the Syrian crackdown by Syrian forces against government opponents, according to Turkish media.
Both called on al-Assad to stop the actions against protesters if he wished to avoid the fates of the leaders of Egypt and Libya.
"We have now reached the point where everything is too little, too late. We have lost confidence (in al-Assad)," Gul was quoted as saying.
In Tehran, the government on Monday rejected as baseless accusations by the European Union over the alleged involvement of Iran's Revolutionary Guards in suppressing the Syrian protests.
The EU last week said the Revolutionary Guards' Al-Qods force provided al-Assad with technical help, equipment and other support, and announced sanctions against the guards.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the Syrian government and people were mature enough to handle their own affairs and settle their problems with no need for any interference from the EU.
At least five people were killed Monday in the town of Sarmein in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, and more than 60 wounded in attacks by security forces. One person died in the suburbs of Damascus.
Several people were wounded and houses were burnt down in the central town of Rastan when security forces launched a raid to carry out arrests, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Residents of Rastan, which has been the site of intense anti-regime protests, were fleeing Monday, after troops began deploying at the southern entrance of the town, in Homs province, activists said.
...