Syrian opposition leader wants more action from Canada to end violence in Syria

MONTREAL – The head of Syria’s main Western-backed opposition group is pressing the Canadian government to do more to end the conflict in his home country.

George Sabra, president of the Syrian National Council, says the Syrian government’s purported use of chemical weapons in recent days is another sign that a political solution isn’t possible.

He wants Canada to offer more humanitarian aid and be a stronger international voice against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Sabra is in Montreal this weekend, for the first stop on a Canadian tour to meet with Syrian-Canadians.

He’s also scheduled to visit Toronto and Ottawa.

Sabra says he’s planning to meet with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in the coming days.

Baird has said a political solution remains the best way to end the civil war in Syria.

He made the comments on Friday, while at the same time pointing to what he calls “overwhelming” evidence of a chemical weapons attack against civilians in that country.