The rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) issued a statement on Thursday outlining its goals and principles, saying the "protection of peaceful protests" is its top priority.

The rebel group, made up largely of dissidents from the regular army, also listed among its priorities "helping the Syrian people obtain their freedom" and referring to international courts those responsible for "war crimes against the Syrian people."

The statement, a copy of which was received by AFP in Beirut, bears the title "Founding Declaration" and also explains the structure of the rebel army fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

The rebel force consists of a temporary military council whose members are officers with the rank of major and above, and whose leader is elected by the council for a three-month period which can be renewed only once, it said.

The FSA also pledged total commitment to international standards of human rights and said that its members and officers are banned from membership in any political or religious faction.

It also promised it would not "intervene in the political process after the fall of the Assad regime."

The statement came as the main opposition Syrian National Council, with which the FSA is affiliated, accepted the resignation of its first leader, Paris-based academic Burhan Ghalioun.

Ghalioun told AFP that the opposition had failed to live up to the sacrifices of the Syrian people since their uprising against Assad's rule began in March last year meeting with a deadly crackdown.

"We were not up to the sacrifices of the Syrian people. We did not answer the needs of the revolution enough and quickly enough," Ghalioun told AFP, adding that the bloc was split between Islamists and secular activists.