AMMAN - The Friends of Syrian alliance called on Iran and its Lebanese Hezbollah ally on Thursday to withdraw fighters immediately from Syrian territory and described their armed presence in the country as a threat to regional stability.In a communique issued after a meeting in Amman, the alliance said any transitional government in Syria being proposed as a core of a U.S. and Russian peace initiative must have authority over the army and the executive, which are now in President Bashar Assad's hands.The meeting of 11 Western and Arab nations, as well as Turkey, which constitute the core group of the alliance, also warned of "severe consequences" if use of chemical weapons by Assad's forces is confirmed.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)