The Syria Monitor

Reactions to Khaddam-Bayanouni from Opposition in Exile

Farid Ghadry of the Reform Party of Syria published a scathing diatribe on his weblog, and in an interview with Bahia Mardini of Elaph (Arabic. 3/25/06), he blasted Khaddam's past, his lack of popular support. He claimed that Khaddam has no backing from the US government, and that he [Ghadry] is lobbying US Congress members to include a clause in the "Freedom for Syria" act that would explicitly withhold US support from anyone with ties to corruption and crimes against the Syrian people, meaning Khaddam. He also expressed regret at the MB's willingness to work with Khaddam.

In contrast, US-based dissident Ammar Abdulhamid suggested in his English and Arabic weblogs that the Syrian opposition cannot afford to ignore the Khaddam-Bayanouni alliance, and indeed, is not: "Khaddam’s break with the regime and his reaching out to Bayanouni and other opposition figures has, in reality, introduced a different kind of dynamism onto the scene, and opposition figures can feel it in their bones. Despite the fact that few nay-sayers have already appeared (though I wouldn’t read too much in their nay-saying at this stage), most, I repeat, most active opposition figures inside and outside the country are talking to Khaddam and Bayanouni, directly or indirectly, while most of the rest are complaining about being excluded."

Participants in the Brussels meeting, like the Liberal National Democratic Gathering (Arabic. Ahrar Syria, 3/2/06) and its Secretary General Husam al-Dairi (Arabic. Al-Bawaba, 3/18/06), as well as the Kurdish Leftist Party (Arabic. Via "Free Syria", 3/24/06) all defended the meeting and expressed their solidarity with and support for the opposition inside Syria, insisting they were not seeking to replace it.

For his part, Bayanouni revealed that Khaddam had contacted the MB in 2003 and told them of his plans to defect. (Reuters, 3/25/06).

Finally, a series of essays by various Syrian activists debated the issue in the past few days with views falling somewhere within the spectrum outlined above: some were critical, some were supportive, and others adopted a pragmatic approach (some pointing out that the opposition inside Syria was at one point willing to work with Asad towards reform and gradual democratization, so why not do the same with Khaddam?).

Reactions to Khaddam-Bayanouni from Inside Syria

The newly-formed "National Salvation Front," the result of the meeting in Brussels of former VP Abdel Halim Khaddam and the MB's Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni, and other opposition groups (Kurdish, Liberal, Leftist, and Nationalist), continued to draw reactions from various Syrian groups and individuals both inside and outside Syria.

The initial set of reactions from the opposition inside Syria cautiously distanced itself from the Front, but did not attack it and its founders. Since then a number of activists inside Syria have become more specific in their reactions.

Samir Nashar, spokesman of the Syrian Free National Party (who was arrested two days ago) was recently asked (3/17/06) by "The Syria Report" why the Damascus Declaration had not openly denounced the meeting between Khaddam and Bayanouni. Nashar replied that the DD had wanted to denounce the initial February alliance between Khaddam and Bayanouni, but "I and other figures played a role in stopping this statement. Instead we just stood back from the meeting. I see Khaddam meeting Bayanouni as a political necessity to build a political framework that is an alternative to the regime."

Veteran dissident Riad al-Turk told the London-based pan-Arab daily al-Hayat (Arabic. 3/20/06) that he was not comfortable with forming two fronts: the Damascus Declaration and the National Salvation Front, characterizing the Brussels meeting as a "punishment" for the Damascus Declaration leaders' slow and hesitant performance. He added, "had the Declaration proceeded according to its plan and general political direction, and formed a flexible and dynamic structure, the Brussels meeting would not have succeeded."

Nevertheless, Turk hoped the Front would be "a pillar of the general political line calling for democratic change and the safeguarding of national independence, and not fall in the same crisis as in Iraq." He also expressed his discomfort with Khaddam's past, and that there should be self-criticism and accountability for this past.

Meanwhile, Hasan Abdel Azim, the spokesman for the National Democratic Rally, an opposition coalition inside Syria, denied any relation with the Brussels meeting and told Agence France Presse, "Bayanouni made two big mistakes: first in meeting Khaddam and launching the National Salvation Front, and then by not consulting [with the Damascus Declaration groups]," i.e., the opposition figures inside the country. (Arabic version here.Via Elaph, 3/20/06.)

Abdel Azim further echoed Turk's apprehension about the Front possibly undermining or coming in conflict with the Damascus Declaration saying, "The [opposition] leadership at home is the closest to events and the most effective," adding, "we respect the outside forces whose action complements that of the opposition living in Syria but they can not take its place."

Abdel Azim also told al-Hayat (Arabic. 3/20/06) that "The Temporary Committee of the Damascus Declaration" will soon meet to declare an official position on the "National Salvation Front." He stressed that the opposition inside Syria calls for gradual, peaceful democratic change ... without any ties with foreign parties."

Other figures, like Ahmad Abu Saleh al-Naqab, attacked the Brussels meeting more directly, calling (Arabic. Elaph, 3/23/06) Bayanouni's alliance with Khaddam "shameful," and criticized Khaddam's past. He also suspected that it may be willing to resort to foreign powers and to repeat the Iraqi experience.

More Regime Crackdowns

The Syrian Human Rights Committee reported (Arabic. 3/21/06) that Syrian security forces attacked around 3,000 Kurds celebrating the Kurdish new year festival of Norouz in Aleppo on Monday (3/20/06). Eye witnesses reported the use of live ammunition, tear gas, and batons to disperse the crowds who responded (Arabic. Levant News, 3/20/06) by throwing rocks at the security forces. An unknown number (approx. 70, according to Kurdish sources) were arrested. This comes in a series (Arabic. Levant News, 3/20/06) of recent crackdowns against Kurds.

The incident was condemned by the SHRC (Arabic. 3/21/06) as well as by the recently-formed National Salvation Front (Arabic. 3/23/06).

The Arab Human Rights Organization in Syria put out a press release (Arabic. Via Ahrar Syria, 3/23/06) that Human Rights activist Najati Tayyara was kidnapped off the streets of Homs by security agents. No one has heard from him since.

Meanwhile, the SHRC reported (Arabic. 3/23/06) that the author Ali al-Abdallah (who was arrested on 5/15/05 for reading a letter from the MB's Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni to the Atassi Forum, and released on 11/2/05) was rearrested today for no apparent reason. His family too has been harassed (Arabic. SHRC, 3/23/06). One of his sons was arrested and released. His other son (as well as his nephew) was arrested days ago and is still in detention. The full story is here (Arabic. Levant News, 3/23/06).

The Kurdish Human Rights committee has noted that both Tayyara and Abdallah had participated on March 12 in the Kurdish commemorational ceremonies of the deadly 2004 clashes with the Regime (see this earlier post). Tayyara gave a speech at the rally.

The Regime also intensified its crackdown on students and Kurds, handing down prison sentences to six Kurds (Arabic. SHRC, 3/20/06) and eight students (Arabic. SHRC, 3/19/06) based on frivolous  and/or false charges.

Statements and press releases by Syrian Human Rights and pro-democracy groups detailing and condeming these practices can be read here. (Arabic. Levant News, 3/23/06).

Furthermore, security forces also raided (Arabic. Ahrar Syria, 3/19/06) the office of Mansour al-Atassi in Homs where he was holding a meeting of a group of Leftists and Communists (Arabic. Levant News, 3/20/06). 

The crackdown extends to publications. The lawyer Hassan Abdel Azim is to be sentenced on April 14 for publishing unlicensed publications (3 months to 3 years sentence). Charges were also leveled at another lawyer, Sabri Mirza, by a military tribunal in Qamishli for ownership of the news site "Levant News." The site is affiliated with the London-based "Levant Institute," and Mr. Mirza has no connection to it. (Arabic. Ahrar Syria, 3/19/06).

Internal Opposition Avoids Official Linkage with Brussels Front

Unsurprisingly, members of the internal opposition declared that they were not coordinating with the Brussels conference.  Syrian activist and lawyer Najati Tayyara  and Human Rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni both stated (Arabic. Al-Mustaqbal, 3/18/06) that there was no internal coordination with the Brussels conference, but neither one attacked the conference or the participants. In fact, Tayyara was quoted as saying, "the internal opposition stands with any internal or external effort which aims for the good of Syria." Tayyara added,  "so far, cooperation between the inside and the outside has been confined to declarations from both sides, with the external [opposition] supporting internal activity, and the internal [opposition] welcoming any national effort outside Syria."

Also,  Asharq al-Awsat quotes (Arabic. 3/18/06) the "temporary committee of the Damascus Declaration" as saying, "the Damascus Declaration has no relation to the meeting" in Brussels, "which only concerns its participants."

Khaddam had addressed this issue in another interview (Arabic) published by Elaph on March 16:

In fact, the conference represents the the opposition [forces] in exile, and all of those have their extensions inside Syria. We avoided inviting any opposition [force] from inside Syria for security reasons. Because, as you are well aware, if a citizien so much as utters a single word against the regime, they would be immediately summoned by the security forces, beaten and imprisoned. Therefore, out of concern for the safety of these dissidents, the organizers of this meeting was careful not to send invitations to the inside, but to keep it limited to the external [forces], especially parties who have extensions inside Syria.

Indeed, recent days have seen the arrest (and subsequent release) of dissidents and activists (see these previous posts below), such as Riad Seif, who demonstrated alongside Kurds, and Ammar Qurabi, who participated in an opposition conference in Paris.

Syrian Opposition Forms United Front

Reuters reports:

Exiled Syrian opposition leaders announced the creation of a united front on Friday aimed at forming a transitional government to bring about "regime change" from President Bashar al-Assad to democracy.

Former Vice-President Abdel-Halim Khaddam, who broke with Assad last year after serving under his late father Hafez al-Assad, told a news conference: "All factions of the Syrian opposition and activists have come to the conclusion that the regime in Syria has to be changed."

He spoke after a two-day meeting in Brussels of Syrian opposition groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, liberals, communists and Kurds, at which they drew up a joint declaration on a six-month transition period for a post-Assad era.

...

"This is the first time in history that all the opposition movements inside and outside Syria have sat down at one table and agreed on a common plan," Husam al-Dairi, Washington-based leader of the Syrian Liberal National Democratic Party, said.

The conference declared the establishment of a "National Salvation Front," and adopted a document, "The Document of the National Project for Change," which called for the establishment in Syria of a modern civil state whose political system would be based on a social compact arising from a democratic constitution that respects pluralism -- religious, ethnic, political, and intellectual -- and based on the peaceful rotation of power. It also called on the need to remove all causes of injsutice towards the Syrian Kurds, whom it referred to as "partners in the homeland," in the framework of national unity, and to afford them the ability to practice their political and cultural rights like the other constitutents of the Syrian people. (For a summary of the main points in the document, see here. Arabic. Elaph, 3/17/06. The document itself [Arabic] was posted on the pro-Khaddam "Free Syria" website, which has naturally covered the event in depth.)

The above-mentioned Reuters report and others carried quotes from former VP Abdel Halim Khaddam and the head of the Muslim Brotherhood, Ali Sadreddine Bayanouni. Elaph managed to speak with both on the sidelines of the conference (Arabic. 3/18/06).

Bayanouni confirmed the Brotherhood's agreement to the formation of a pluralist civil government in Syria, and that the MB would not push for an Islamic state. "We do not claim to have a monopoly on truth," he said, "nor do we have a monopoly on the understanding of Islam." He added, "we will not impose our views on anyone."

Khaddam stated that the Armed Forces would not be used to bring down the regime. He also asserted that the conference represented both the internal and the exiled opposition, as the participants in Brussels have their following inside Syria.

Nevertheless, it was notable that there weren't any women or anyone from the internal opposition in attendance, which, according to Elaph, raised some questions inside the conference and among the participants themselves.

The participants' press conference was covered in a report (Arabic. 3/18/06) in the Kuwaiti al-Qabas and another one in "Levant News" (Arabic. 3/17/06). The participants declared that they would meet again in 45 days, probably in Brussels, to continue with the consultations in order to eventually declare a temporary transitional government in exile. 

Kurdish Conference in DC

On March 13, Kurdish parties organized a conference in Washington, DC. The conference saw the participation of most Kurdish parties and factions from Europe, US and Canada, and the Middle East, as well as various Syrian activists and representatives. Also in attendance were representatives for Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Refugees International, and various other authors and intellectuals interested in Syrian affairs in general, and Kurdish affairs in particular.

Furthermore, those could not attend sent letters of support. For instance, former Syrian VP Abdel Halim Khaddam sent a letter (Arabic. Elaph, 3/14/06) that was read at the conference by Salah Badreddine (who had recently met [Arabic. Ahrar Syria, 3/14/06] with Khaddam in Paris). Khaddam's letter expressed support for Kurdish rights in Syria, and spoke of the wealth of diversity, drawing a favorable comparison to diversity in the US. The conference called for Kurdish rights as well as freedom and democracy in Syria. The conference  stressed the following points and recommendations, among others (for more, see here. Arabic. Ahrar Syria, 3/15/06):

• Syria is a plural country with various ethnic, religious, and sectarian groups, and should have a democratic constitution that acknowledges the rights of the Kurdish people as an essential constituent  of Syrian society. Furthermore, all ethnic, religious, and sectarian minorities should be safeguarded and given equal treatment before the law.
• Stressing the need for peaceful democratic change in Syria, the removal of all racist and discriminatory laws, the end of all ethnic persecution and the compensation of its victims and their families.
• The need for Syria to sign all the international treaties relating to human rights.
• Supporting President Bush's project of democratization in the Middle East, and backing it while maintaining our own specific character, especially since it has the support of democracy promoters in the region.
• Supporting the Lebanese people and their democratic movement aimed at restoring Lebanon's independence and freedom, and ending Syrian hegemony and interference in its internal affairs.
• Supporting the process of democratic change in Iraq in order to realize the principles of freedom and democracy, and to enshrine federalism and political pluralism. Calling for good relations with Iraq and adopting a policy of non-interference in neighbors' affairs.

Moreover, according to a report by Bahia Mardini (Arabic. Elaph, 3/13/06), calls were made at the conference for the release of Ammar Qurabi of the Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria. Qurabi was arrested upon arrival in Damascus on Sunday (3/12) after a tour in American and Europe, where he attended an opposition conference in Paris on March 9 (Arabic. Elaph, 3/9/06) sponsored by the Aspen Institute. Qurabi was released on March 15 but is banned from travelling abroad.

Qurabi's arrest was concomittant with a wave of arrests including that of opposition member Riad Seif (who was subsequently released) and Kurdish activists (who are still in detention) during demonstrations commemorating the deadly 2004 clashes in Qamishli.

Kurdish Conference in Paris

Kurdish parties held a conference in Paris on March 12 to commemorate the deadly clashes with the Syrian security forces that took place on March 12, 2004 in Qamishli, north-eastern Syria.

Participating were representatives of various Kurdish parties in Europe, as well as Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian, and Turkish Kurdish parties. Also in attendance were noted Syrian figures such as the authors and intellectuals Dr. Burhan Ghaliyoun and Dr. Abdel Razzaq Eid, as well as Haytham al-Manna', spokesman for the Arab Commission for Human Rights, and Fahd al-Masri of Rally for Syria. (A more detailed list of the organizers and invitees can be seen here [Arabic. Elaph, 3/11/06]).

A report (Arabic. Elaph, 3/13/06) by Bahia Mardini relayed the message of a speech by Syrian activist Ghassan al-Muflih on Arab-Kurdish relations and the need to reject ethnic tensions and to accept the other without any qualm or misgiving. Mardini also reported the participation of Amnesty International in the conference. According to Mardini, AI discussed the Kurdish issue in Syria, and the need to open an honest investigation into what happened in March 2004, and to hold accountable those responsible.