Worried about the current situation of the Syrian opposition, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned of efforts by extremists to “hijack” the so-called Syria revolution.

Worried about the current situation of the Syrian opposition, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned of efforts by extremists to “hijack” the so-called Syria revolution.

"There are disturbing reports of extremists going into Syria attempting to take over what has been a legitimate revolution against an oppressive regime for their own purposes," Clinton said during a visit to Croatia on Wednesday.

The opposition should "strongly resist the efforts by the extremists to hijack the Syrian revolution".
"We are working very hard with many different elements of opposition inside and outside Syria," Clinton told reporters.

She said Washington's efforts "are focused on pressuring the regime through increasing and tightening sanctions, meeting the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people who are displaced, assisting those countries that they seek refuge in, and helping the opposition unite behind a shared, effective strategy that can resist the regime's violence and begin to provide for a political transition."

The top US official added that the opposition umbrella group the Syrian National Council (SNC) "can no be longer be viewed as the visible leader of the opposition."
"They can be part of the opposition, but the opposition must include people from inside Syria and others."

She called for an opposition "leadership structure" to ensure that all Syrians are represented and protected, adding: "There has to be a representation of those who are on the front line fighting and dying today."

"It is not a secret that many inside Syria are worried about what comes next.  They have no love lost for the Assad regime, but they worry, rightly so, about the future,” Clinton said.

"And so there needs to be an opposition that can speak to every segment and every geographic part of Syria."