Asharq Al-Awsat, Istanbul, 4 Dec 2011 – The Syrian National Council [SNC] has claimed that the Iranian regime has contributed to the suppression of Syrian protesters.
During a press conference held in Istanbul against the sidelines of the Arab – Turkish Media Forum on Thursday, SNC spokesman Ahmed Ramadan revealed that the Syrian opposition had informed Moscow and Beijing that they have the right to bet on the al-Assad regime, but any new Syrian government will take this into account should the al-Assad regime collapse.
Whilst Samir al-Nashar, who heads the Secretariat of the Damascus Decleration, said “if the US had continued to gamble on the Hosni Mubarak regime, then [US Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton would not have been able to appear in Tahrir Square.”
He also said “I believe that the Russians, based on certain statements issued here and there, are reviewing their position [on Syria], as are the Chinese.” Al-Nashar also revealed that the SNC has been in communication with Tehran, adding “we are not against dialogue with any party, and we respect Iran as a central power in the region, however before any dialogue can take place the Iranians must correct their position [on Syria], because they have contributed to the suppression of the Syrian people by providing the Syrian regime with information, as well as logistical support.”
Al-Nashar claimed that “they [the Iranians] provided the Syrian regime with equipment to spy on the Syrian political activists, benefitting from their experience in suppressing the Green Revolution….whilst they also participated in the planning of field operations against peaceful [Syrian] activists, and we therefore cannot deal with Iran unless it corrects its position with regards to the Syrian revolution.”
He added “the [Syrian] regime has used warships to bomb Al-Raml refugee camp in Latakia…which is a measure that they did not even use in the October war [Yom Kippur War] against Israel.”
SNC Executive Committee member, Samir al-Nasher, also stressed that the Syrian opposition is not calling for military intervention in Syria, but rather would prefer to see the international community pressure the al-Assad regime.
He also claimed that the SNC had informed the Chinese that “you are allowing the [al-Assad] regime to commit crimes” adding, “we want to delegitimize the al-Assad regime.”
Al-Nashar also revealed that the Syrian youth are chanting the slogan “I would rather die than be arrested” in light of the revelations regarding the treatment that Syrian political activists are receiving at the hands of the Syrian authorities. He also confirmed that the SNC is committed to seeing the end of the Bashar al-Assad regime, particularly because “he [al-Assad] was bequeathed power…he did not come to power via elections and he has no legitimacy, and if he continues his policies then he will face a fate similar to that of Gaddafi.”
For his part, SNC spokesman Ahmed Ramadan, responding to a question put to him by Asharq Al-Awsat on the threat previously made by the Syrian president that any intervention in Syria would set the Middle East on fire, said that “the statements made by al-Assad or his foreign minister Walid Muallem disregarding the international community are extremely foolish.”
He also revealed that “the al-Assad regime-affiliated Shabiha [militia] issued 22 death threats to Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby to his telephone…when the Arab League issued its decision against the regime.” He added “they [the Syrians] do not respect anyone, the noose is tightening around them but still they imagine that they will be able to remain in power by way of their killing machine.”
As for the Arab and international pressure to oust the al-Assad regime, Ramadan said that some western states are not fully informed about everything that is happening in Syria. He said “I met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu before his famous meeting with al-Assad, and I told him that this visit would end in failure, because those that they [the diplomats] are talking to are not in the street…he [Davutoglu] asked me to wait 5 days, but Turkey’s proposals did not receive any response from the Syrian regime.”
He added “the Turks do not want to pre-empt the Arab positions with regards to the Syrian revolution, and Turkey is convinced today that the al-Assad regime is over…and they have burned their bridges with the Syrian regime.”
The SNC spokesman claimed that “the Syrian regime at home is losing on all levels, and cannot find anybody to defend it. The Syrian regime is truly isolated…and even the Iranians are not defending its policies. It has completely lost its legitimacy, and we are now working for the post-Assad period.”