The Syria Monitor

News Round-Up (9/14-19)

9/14 - The secretariat general of the National Salvation Front (NSF) held its second meeting in Brussels (9/13-15), where it decided to accept five new members representing various Kurdish movements. (Arabic. AKI, 9/14/06). According to information obtained by AKI, it was decided to expand the framework of the Front internally in Syria and externally on the road towards establishing a democratic state in Syria. Also, the Front reportedly decided on a media strategy and to launch a private TV station for the Syrian opposition. (See 9/19 below for more).

9/15 - Abdel Halim Khaddam spoke to UPI at the NSF conference in Brussels. (Arabic. Via "Free Syria," 9/15/06). The lengthy interview covered a range of issues. Khaddam said that "the Front's activity had so far been focused outside Syria, while maintaining contacts with the [Syrian] interior. However, in the upcoming stage it will move inside [Syria] in order to accelerate the process of change." Khaddam refused to give details on the methods that the NSF will use to communicate with the Syrian interior citing "security reasons."  He only said that "the Front is moving to activate communication inside [Syria] and to mobilize public opinion in Syria." Khaddam denied being contacted by any Arab state in the aftermath of Bashar Assad's speech in which he attacked Arab states that criticized Hezbollah for provoking the recent war with Israel. He added that Assad "has crossed the point of no return and has made his choice, pulling himself out of the Arab circle and placing himself in the Iranian circle." As for Hezbollah's war, Khaddam said that Bashar Assad "follows his father's advice and wants to bleed Israel through Hezbollah."

9/18 - The National Organization for Human Rights in Syria (NOHR) reported that the Syrian authorities arrested Muhammad Darwish, an activist in the Committees for the Revival of Civil Society. (Arabic. Elaph, 9/18/06). The NOHR press release said that Darwish had been called in for questioning by Military Intelligence in Damascus and had not been let go since. NOHR added that there was no warrant for the arrest and thus the detention is illegal, and that Darwish should either be charged and referred to court or released. The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) later reported that Darwish was released a couple of days later. (Arabic. SHRC, 9/29/06).

9/19 - Nasr Hassan, member of the NSF's secretariat general, wrote that the Front adopted at the Brussels meeting a basic document (Arabic) detailing its views on civic rights for Syrian citizens. (Arabic. "Free Syria," 9/19/06). The document lays out the various freedoms and rights that the Front adopts, and expresses its commitment to basic human rights as laid out in universal declarations and international treaties.

9/19 - Veteran Kurdish activist and member of the NSF's secretariat general, Salah Badreddine, told UPI at the Brussels conference that after deciding to expand its secretariat general, the NSF has agreed to coordinate with the Damascus Declaration groups and to open channels of dialogue with tribal leaders inside Syria at a later stage. (Arabic. Via "Free Syria," 9/19/06). Badreddine said that he would be coordinating with Khaddam and Bayanouni on joint peaceful activism inside Syria between the Kurdish groups that he represents and groups that support the NSF. While denying that any Arab state supported the conference, Badreddine said that NSF delegates would soon be visiting Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and maybe Iraq in the future, and would also hold meetings with Lebanese democratic forces, such as the Future Movement or the March 14 groups. On the international scene, Badreddine said that the US would head the list along with Britain and France. He added that all the US officials he's met, Republicans and Democrats, including State Department officials and members of Congress, agree that the Syrian regime is dictatorial and an exporter of terrorism and must be changed, as he put it.

9/19 - Elaph reported that the security services had arrested journalist Muhannad Abdel Rahman. (Arabic. 9/19/06). According to Elaph, Abdel Rahman wrote for the Kuwaiti al-Siyassah, which follows an anti-Assad editorial line. Lately, the report added, he began publishing interviews with Syrian dissidents in The Syrian Democratic Forum, the publication of The Syrian Democratic Assembly, a European-based group.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also issued a press release on Abdel Rahman's arrest. (IFEX, 9/22/06). The report noted that "Abdulrahman, 25, was picked up by security services in Damascus on his return from the village of Qamishly, in Syrian Kurdistan, where he had interviewed a Kurdish political leader. His family has had no news of him since his arrest." RSF added that Abdel Rahman wrote for Rezgar, an online secular Leftist news and opinion site. His work included numerous interviews and profiles of Syrian political figures.

9/19 - Elaph reported that detained dissident writer and professor Mahmoud Sarem (71) has been released. (Arabic. 9/19/06). Another report by the Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) confirmed that Sarem was released on bail. (Arabic. SHRC, 9/29/06). Sarem was arrested in September 2005 and faced charges of weakening the morale of the nation and nationalist sentiment, and conducting acts aimed at armed rebellion. Sarem had described the ruling regime as fascist.

News Round-Up (8/29-9/1)

[Ed.'s Note: Due to the recent crisis in Lebanon, The Syria Monitor took a temporary back seat. Posting will now resume starting with quick round-ups from the last few weeks. Regular posting will then follow.]

8/29 - The Syrian authorities refused to allow dissident Michel Kilo to attend his mother's funeral (Arabic. AKI, 8/29/06). Kilo's lawyer told the press that the practice of allowing prisoners to attend their parents' funerals has been established for decades in Syria, but the authorities did not recognize it for Kilo. Kilo was arrested in May in the wave of arrests that targeted signatories of Beirut-Damascus Declaration, a document initially signed by 274 Syrian and Lebanese activists and intellectuals calling on the Syrian regime to correct its relations with Lebanon, by recognizing its sovereignty and independence and abiding by international resolutions. Kilo is facing charges of "weakening nationalist sentiment," "inciting sectarian and ethnic strife," "disseminating false or exaggerated news that undermine the state," and "defaming the head of state or the judiciary." (Arabic. Elaph, 8/29/06).

8/31 - Kurdish activist Abdel Hakim Bashar, member of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria's politburo (PDK-S/Al-Parti), was forbidden from traveling to Iraqi Kurdistan. (Arabic. Elaph, 8/31/06). This comes in a series of recent travel bans against activists in an attempt to isolate them from the outside world.

9/1 - Three Kurdish parties (Yekiti, Azadi, and the Kurdish Future Current), called for a sit-in on 9/7 in front of the Military Court in Damascus. The sit-in is to protest the prosecution at the Military Court of 49 Kurdish youth arrested last year for their participation in a rally demanding the truth behind the murder of Kurdish cleric, Sheikh Maashouq al-Khaznawi. (Arabic. AKI, 9/1/06). Khaznawi disappeared on May 10, 2005 and was found dead on June 1, 2005. His death is suspected of being the work of the Syrian intelligence services, as Khaznawi was making overtures to the Arab opposition and the Muslim Brotherhood.

9/1 - The Syrian opposition strongly criticized the speech given by Bashar Assad on August 15, where he attacked the ruling Lebanese Parliamentary and cabinet majority, the Lebanese independence movement, moderate Arab leaders, the US and Israel, and expressed support for Hezbollah. A statement by the Damacus Declaration groups criticized Assad's as inciting violence and inflammatory against moderate Arab and international parties. (Arabic. Elaph, 9/1/06).  It also called on the regime to cease interfering in Lebanese affairs. Furthermore, it noted the need for radical democratic change in public life in Syria, moving it from authoritarianism and repression to a law-based democratic system with equality, freedom and justice.

Similarly, the leading members of the National Salvation Front, Abdel Halim Khaddam (Arabic. AKI, 8/28/06) and Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni (Arabic. AKI, 9/1/06), both criticized Assad's speech and his reckless policies in back to back appearences on Lebanon's Future TV. Khaddam noted that it was the Assad regime's policy to bleed Israel through proxy war in Lebanon. Bayanouni meanwhile said that the intent to re-dominate Lebanon was "a priority for the regime." Both Khaddam and Bayanouni also expressed certainty that Assad was behind the murder of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Bayanouni also sent messages to Syria's minority Alawites in an attempt to assuage their fears of democratic change in Syria. He said that it was unfair to call the regime "Alawite" as it a family regime, and the Alawites have had their share of injustice and repression like all Syrians. Both Khaddam and Bayanouni stressed their conviction that no civil war would erupt in Syria should the regime be toppled. 

News Round-Up (8/8-16)

[Ed.'s Note: Due to the recent crisis in Lebanon, The Syria Monitor took a temporary back seat. Posting will now resume starting with quick round-ups from the last few weeks. Regular posting will then follow.]

8/9 - Exiled dissident and former reformist MP Ma'moun Homsi addressed the Lebanese people in a statement expressing solidarity with them. (Arabic. "Free Syria," 8/9/06). He said "the only thing more brutal than the war being waged against Lebanon is the dictatorial, authoritarian family regime in Syria," which is "seeking to take advantage of the carnage in Lebanon to prolong its rule after its behavior and abuse of its people and neighbors have been exposed to the world." He accused the regime of trying to sow divisions and civil strife in Lebanon and said that "the world's turning a blind eye to this regime is a danger to all because [the regime] spreads hatred and systematically supports terrorism according to its interests and in order to stay in power."

8/10 - The Damascus Declaration (DD) groups have formed a national council for the Syrian opposition. (Arabic. Elaph, 8/10/06). Sources inside the DD told Elaph that the DD groups have agreed on an organizational structure and have formed the national council from which emerged follow-up and coordination committees. Hasan Abdel Azim told Elaph that the committees have met and have estabished offices. He added that detained dissident Aref Dalilah was named an honorary member of the follow-up committee.

8/11 - The Committees for the Defense of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights in Syria reported in a press release that on 8/11, security agents and unknown armed men surrounded the house of the Committees' spokesman, lawyer Aktham Naisse where a meeting was supposed to be held between various Arab and Kurdish parties and groups. (Arabic. SHRC, 8/11/06). The attendants were searched individually and their documents seized. Their names were then taken down and they were removed by force. Naisse remained in his house, under siege.

The Committees had declared that on 8/7, Naisse and his wife were called in for questioning at the state security branch in Lattakia as a result of an informant's report. (Arabic. SHRC, 8/8/06). The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) noted that it has recorded the existence of hundreds of thousands of informants who are either rewarded or coerced and blackmailed into writing reports about their families, friends and colleagues.

8/12 - Elaph reported that the Syrian authorities have put a new list of activists under travel bans. (Arabic. 8/12/06). The report said it found out that among of the banned were human rights lawyer Khalil Maatouq, lawyer Mahmoud Mer'i of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, who was recently released after being detained for signing the Beirut-Damascus Declaration. The Syrian authorities had recently expanded the list of travel bans to include such activists as Riad Seif, former Damascus Spring detainee Ali Khalife, Suheir Atassi, Fawwaz Tello, and Samar Labwani, wife of political prisoner Kamal Labwani.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee had also reported on 8/9 that activist Ussama Naisse was also put under a travel ban, and various other liberal activists were being summoned for interrogation. (Arabic. SHRC, 8/9/06).

8/14 - The trial of writer and dissident Ali Abdallah and his son was postponed.  (Arabic. Elaph, 8/14/06). Their lawyers presented a plea for their release but the judge turned it down. The Abdallahs denied all the charges against them. Ali is accused of spreading false news, undermining the state, and defaming the President, while his son Muhammad is charged with disseminating false news, defaming the chief judge of the State Security Court, and starting riots.

8/15 - The military tribunal in Homs -- an extraordinary tribunal -- sentenced Syrian writer and activist Habib Saleh to the maximum sentence of three years in prison for "disseminating false news." (Arabic. AKI, 8/16/06). Saleh is a former Damascus Spring detainee who was jailed for three years on 9/12/01, when Bashar Assad cracked down on dissidents and activists soon after assuming power. (Arabic. Levant News, 8/15/06). Saleh was released on 9/9/04 and was again arrested by military intelligence on 5/30/05 and charged with spreading false and exaggerated news. He had been publishing scathing articles on the web, attacking the Syrian president and his family and some of the symbols of the regime. The articles were in the form of open letters addressed to the Baath Party Congress, which took place in June 2005 and failed to introduce any reforms.

8/15 - The head of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni, said in a talk to Radio Sawa that the war in Lebanon has temporarily frozen activities against the regime, but that they would soon resume. (Arabic. Levant News, 8/15/06). He added that the Syrian regime was isolating itself more and more and that the Lebanese have realized that the regime's role in the war was to employ its "cards" and to manage a proxy war outside its own borders, at the expense of the Lebanese people. Bayanouni noted that the war in Lebanon had exposed the Syrian regime and increased its isolation with Arab and Western governments. He said that there was consensus among the Syrian opposition groups that the alternative to the regime would be democratic, pluralistic, and diverse, adding that the National Salvation Front is preparing a transitional government in consultation with all other groups.

8/16 - Activist Ali Said Shehabi, who was formerly detained between 1982 and 1991 for his involvement in the Communist Labor party at the time, was summoned on 8/10 for interrogation at the state security branch and never returned home. His wife inquired about him at the security branch and was told that he was detained there, but did not allow her to see him and was not told why he was being detained. (Arabic. "Free Syria," 8/16/06).

Khaddam Comments on Assad's Statements (6/27)

Former VP Abdel Halim Khaddam replied to statements made by Syrian president Bashar Assad to the London-based daily al-Hayat in which Assad derided the National Salvation Front (NSF). (Arabic. AKI, 6/27/06).

Assad had claimed the Syrian authorities and public received the formation of the NSF "with ridicule." (Arabic. Al-Hayat, 6/26/06). In a call to AKI, Khaddam replied, "if it was received with ridicule, then why the blind reaction arresting hundreds of people?" He added, "Bashar Assad knows that the Salvation Front is a reality among the Syrian people, and knows the extent of its reach in society. The people is suffering from repression and persecution, and there are millions of unemployed and deprived people looking for salvation and a better life. This is why the Salvation Front has a significant popular weight. We are not claiming it monopolizes the public, but it is one of the opposition currents that draw people in Syria, and the polling boxes will determine the country's political color. The entire society is for change, and the wall of fear has begun to crumble bit by bit."

As for Assad's claim that the NSF was receiving international political and financial aid., Khaddam said, "the Front has not contacted any state, Arab or foreign, but many states and political and social powers around the world realize how bad the situation is in Syria and feel the need of the Syrian people to be free." He did however point out that the NSF has sent letters to member states of the UN Security Council explaining the situation in Syria, and requesting "interference in order to protect the Syrian people."

Most recently, the NSF sent a letter to the first international conference for human rights in Geneva. (Arabic. "Free Syria," 6/22/06). It had also sent a letter to the European Union calling on it to support the Syrian people.

In a recently released statement, the temporary committee of the Damascus Declaration (DD) reasserted its independence from the NSF, but added that any problems could be resolved through dialogue "in order to safeguard the unity of the opposition and in the interest of national democratic change." (Arabic. ME Transparent, 6/12/06).

Similarly, Hasan Abdel Azim, the spokesman of the National Democratic Gathering in Syria (a coalition of five opposition groups) and member of the DD temporary committee, said that despite his reservations and criticisms against him, Khaddam's defection was "the regime's problem, not the opposition's," and "the NSF does not concern us. It's the regime's problem." As for the Muslim Brotherhood, which is a member of both the NSF and the DD, Abdel Azim said, "we don't want to resort to procedures such as suspending or freezing their membership... The dialogue is ongoing ... for the sake of the unity of the opposition." (Arabic. Levant News, 6/16/06).

Back in April, another veteran dissident, Riad Turk, also said, "while we do not have to support Khaddam, we will not fight him on behalf of the regime," and thereby indirectly do the regime a favor. (Arabic. Elaph, 4/16/06). He added that the opposition was open to everyone, including Ba'athist defectors.

Bayanouni Interview (6/7)

UPI interviewed the head of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni after the conclusion of the NSF conference in London. (Arabic. "Free Syria," 6/7/06). Here are excerpts from that interview.

Asked about whether the NSF conference received any letters of support from Lebanon, Bayanouni replied, "We in the conference did not receive any letter from any party outside Syria."

Bayanouni expressed satisfaction with the conference, adding, "It was good, and I think it has achieved the goals it set out which is to establish the general bases of the National Salvation Front and put forth a plan of action. ... I think it's a good start which calls for optimism."

As for the future of the Muslim Brotherhood's membership in the Damascus Declaration, he said, "We are members of the Declaration, and members in the NSF, and we asserted that membership in the NSF does not conflict with membership in other alliances or fronts, so long as it did not clash with the NSF's goals."

Bayanouni denied that he told a New York Times reporter that a future court would try Abdel Halim Khaddam after the current regime falls. He said, "This quote is inaccurate. I didn't say that. I said it wasn't our job to try people. If in the future there were cases brought against anybody, then those could be presented to a court. This does not only concern Mr. Khaddam, but any person. Even if Ali Bayanouni were accused of something, the national judiciary would be the one to decide."

Bayanouni went on to clarify, "We do not give certificates of innocence to anyone nor do we indict or exonerate anyone. This is not our job. We are now in the midst of a peaceful opposition to bring about democratic change in the country, and we are willing to partner with all the national groups."

He then said that the next step for the NSF will be to "turn the concluding statement of the London conference and the existing plan of action to practical steps and programs so that we could move forward and not remain confined to issuing statements."

As for the call for civil disobedience, Bayanouni said, "It is possible, but it needs to mature. Perhaps the coming days and months will bring it to maturity."

Excerpts from the NSF Press Conference (6/5)

At the conclusion of the NSF conference in London, a press conference was held where Abdel Halim Khaddam, Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni, and other members of the secretariat general spoke to the media. Here are some excerpts from the press conference (Arabic. "Free Syria," 6/6/06).

Asked about the mechanisms of change and the issue of foreign intervention, Khaddam answered: "The Front's manifesto is clear: change must be from within and by the Syrian people. We will not invite any Arab or international power to interfere in the process of change. ... We will not drag ourselves or others into creating complicated circumstances in the region. Change will be peaceful and not through bloodletting or armed revolution." However, he said that the NSF would discuss these things in its institutions, not in the media, as publicizing them would cause harm to people inside Syria. He added that it is the people who will be leading the movement for change.

Khaddam stressed that "those who believe that change will lead to disturbances and instability are saying that we remain under authoritarianism and under economic hardship and unemployment, and that hundreds should remain in jail, and that freedoms should remain absent."

Responding to a question about sectarianism and the need to put at ease the Alawites and other sects and minorities, Khaddam said that the Front "is not sectarian. It represents the political currents that exist in Syria." As for the absence of Alawite names in the Front, Khaddam clarified that "there are Alawites in the Front, but out of concern for them and their families, their names were not publicized. When the temporary government is declared, it will include names from all the sects." He added, "The regime is trying to scare the Alawite community in order to hide behind it ... [but the regime's] persecution has included the Alawites."

Commenting on the same issue, Bayanouni said, "The regime is trying to incite civil strife and to give the illusion that the Alawite community is targeted." He added, "We don't follow the method of takfir (labeling people infidels)... The Alawites are our brothers along with all the sects that belong to Islam. ... The Alawites are our partners in the homeland. It's natural for the regime to spread fear in the community. Bashar Assad is saying 'either me or [sectarian] strife' in order to hide behind [the threat of] strife."

Khaddam added, "Every sect has its rites, and all are united by Islam. Muslims also complement Christians in the framework of national unity. ... There will be no [sectarian] strife, and the regime will go."

On the Kurdish issue, Khaddam said that it was discussed and decisions were made that would solve the problem. "We realize there is a problem and the Front will work on solving it."

Salah Badreddine, a Kurdish member of the NSF secretariat general, commented on the Kurdish issue and said, "Our desire was to see the conference adopt a number of the issues we raised, but since the conference is a coalition, and there were many reservations, we ended up agreeing on the common principles." He added, "I would have liked [for the conference] to support the the political process in Iraq and to support the federalist style of government in Iraq, but some of the brothers expressed their reservations, and so it did not appear in the concluding statement."

Asked about the right for self-determination, Badreddine said, "We are a front, and there are common agendas. Our common goal is democratic change in Syria and a new constitution that meets the ambitions of all the constituents of the Syrian people." He added, "Any people in the world, including the Kurdish people, have the right for self-determination." The NSF conference's concluding statement made reference to "the glaring injustice that has befallen the Kurdish citizens," and said that it should be addressed "within the framework of national unity and citizens' rights, as well as the  ability to exercise political, cultural, economic and social rights, like all the other elements and constituents of the Syrian people, as will be specified in the new constitution." (Arabic. An-Nahar, via "Free Syria," 6/6/06).

On relations with Lebanon Khaddam said, "the Front's manifesto made reference to Lebanon's independence and to the establishment of a relation based on equality without any form of interference. This is translated through establishing diplomatic relations."

On relations with other factions in the opposition, Bayanouni reiterated the commitment to the principles of the Damascus Declaration.  Furthermore, he said that membership in the Front does not restrict members from seeking other alliances so long as they do not contradict the Front's principles, and the Front "does not abandon the framework of the principles of the Damascus Declaration." He did admit to differences with some of the Damascus Declaration (DD) groups, confirming that the DD had nothing to do with the NSF. However both the NSF and the Damascus Declaration parties did agree that the current regime is not reformable, and therefore "change is the demand of everyone." The NSF has stressed in the concluding statement that it was "not an alternative to any national opposition group including the Damascus Declaration which the cornerstone of the national opposition movement." The statement also declared its solidarity with the political prisoners in Syria.

As for the Muslim Brotherhood's view of secular liberal parties and democracy, Bayanouni said, "We stressed in our ["Document of the National] Project [for Change"] on peaceful rotation in power and cooperation with others." As for democracay, Bayanouni added, "we are calling for it as a strategic, not a tactical, option. .. We have participated in Parliament and cabinets in the past."

As for whether there were plans to form a government in exile, Bayanouni said, "There is no intention to form a government. At a certain stage, in order not to have a power vacuum, it may be possible to form a government in cooperation with all the other parties." The NSF concluding statement suggested forming a transitional government with the rest of the national political forces for a maximum period of six months, "when the time is right." This government would adopt the 1950 constitution and would work within its framework until a new consitution was written. It would also abolish emergency laws and would return citizenship to those from whom it was stripped for political reasons.

NSF Conference in London (6/4-5)

The National Salvation Front (NSF), led by former VP Abdel Halim Khaddam and the head of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni, held its first conference in London on June 4 and 5 at the Dorchester hotel in London. The conference, which had invited around 50 opposition figures in exile, especially Kurds, Communists, and independents, and none from inside Syria (Arabic. AKI, 6/2/06), was attended by around 80 people according to al-Hayat (Arabic. 6/5/06), 75 according to The Times.

The purpose of the conference was for the NSF to declare its organizational structure (the general congress, the central committee, and the secretariat general), and to set its future policy and plan of action for regime change in Syria. The secretariat general is comprised of ten members: Khaddam, Bayanouni, Jean Abdallah, Bashar al-Aysami, Salah Badreddine, Zuheir Salem, Salah Ayyash, Najib Ghadban, Obeida Nahas, and Hussam al-Dairi. The NSF also launched a bilingual website (the English site is still under construction).

The opening session was broadcast live on Radio Sawa and covered by several Arab and international media (Arabic. "Free Syria," 6/4/06). Khaddam and Bayanouni both gave opening speeches. In his opening remarks, Khaddam said that Syrians have before them "a path that we must take to break authoritarianism and its regime so that the people could regain their right to self-determination and to choose their leaders," stressing that "there is but one choice and that is for Syrians to choose the path of change and democracy." (Arabic. "Free Syria," 6/4/06).

Acknowledging the difficulties that lay ahead, Khaddam said that these difficulties must be properly understood and then "we must work to overcome them." He emphasized the need to "break all the walls between us," and the need to "come out of these meetings with a clear picture and clear programs to convince the Syrian people that we are up to the task." He added, "The homeland has become a large prison and the people prisoners," and saluted all the political prisoners in Syria.

For his part, Bayanouni outlined three elements that the regime is using to buttress its position (Arabic. "Free Syria," 6/4/06). First is the manipulation of  popular Syrian sentiment through the exploitation of jingoistic nationalism and the notion of an external foe threatening Syria. Second is the manipulation of Arab public opinion with the regime presenting itself as Arab nationalism's last line of defense against foreign designs in the region. Finally, there is the message that the regime is trying to market regionally and internationally, which holds that the only choice is between the regime or chaos and civil war, and therefore the only option is to cut a deal with the regime.

Bayanouni said that the NSF aims to counter all these points with its plan of action. The NSF's efforts would focus on putting the message out in the media in order to reach the masses and to provide them with information in order to mobilize them out of the state of passivity through better communication between the opposition and the people. The media discourse would counter the regime's propaganda to the Arab public opinion by focusing on its tyranny, corruption, and its willingness to cut deals with foreign powers in order to remain in power. And finally, the opposition would intensify its contacts and relations in the region. It would also work to undermine the regime's claim that it is the only guarantor against chaos and civil war, and correct the stereotypical picture the regime is trying to present about the alternatives to its rule.

"We must work diligently to isolate the ruling gang on an official, popular, Arab, and international level, according to a carefully studied plan of action," Bayanouni said. He concluded by reiterating the NSF's commitment to working with the opposition forces, especially those under the banner of the Damascus Declaration.

At the end of the conference, the NSF issued a concluding statement which said that the NSF's "strategic choice is changing this regime which has lost all justification to continue and has incited conflicts in its Arab neighborhood." It called on the Syrians to "break the walls of fear that [the regime] has been building for decades," and called on the armed forces to "take on its national and historic responsibility to be the army of the people," asking them to "protect the homeland and the people, not the corrupt." It also addressed the security forces, "especially its officers who are being used by the regime to oppress citizens," and called on them "to stop the excessive execution of orders by a corrupt group," so that when the regime falls, they won't have to face accountability for their actions. Finally, the statement addressed members of the Baath party and invited them to "join the ranks of the people in order to rid Syria of a corrupt and tyrannical regime." (Arabic. "Free Syria," 6/5/06).

NSF Conference Next Week (5/29)

The National Salvation Front (NSF) declared that it will be holding a conference in London on June 4-5 in order to put forward its plan of action for peaceful regime change in Syria (Arabic. AFP via Elaph, 5/29/06).

A source close to Abdel Halim Khaddam told AFP that the conference "will include, alongside former VP Abdel Halim Khaddam and the head of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni, fifty Syrian opposition figures living outside Syria and belonging maily to Kurdish parties, Communists, and independents." No figures or parties from the opposition inside Syria will take part in the conference.

The Front will decide in the conference on a "comperhensive plan of action" to peacfeully change the regime in Syria, according to the same source. The source added that "the month of June will be an important stop," pointing out that the London conference "will take place a few days before the head of the [UN] International Investigative Commission into the assassination of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri submits his report to the Security Council in mid-June."

Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey & Upcoming NSF Meeting in Brussels (5/8)

The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) followed its visit to Lebanon with another to Turkey, where the MB delegation (which also included a representative of the Syrian Human Rights Committee) met with representatives of civil society groups, political parties, and academics (Arabic. Levant News, 5/8/06).

The delegation participated in a sit-in (organized by a Turkish human rights organization) in front of the Syrian embassy and gave a talk and answered questions about the situation in Syria, namely "random arrests, missing people, refugees forced out of their homes, travel bans, Kurdish suffering, absence of public freedoms, and mock trials before the State Security Court."

The delegation then held a lengthy and widely covered press conference in Istanbul. It also visited with a number of Turkish human rights organizations and agreed with them to "support the human rights of the Syrian people."

They then met with heads of various Turkish parties and MPs at the Turkish Parliament. Reportedly, the Turks were shocked at the level of deterioration of the human rights situation in Syria having thought that Bashar Asad had brought about real change. They also rejected the regime's official PR campaign in light of its repression and abuse of human rights at home.

According to MB sources, some Turkish MPs promised to bring up the matter in Parliament, stressing "the need to condition the relation with the Syrian regime on its respect for the rights of the Syrian people and for democracy." Also, a Turkish human rights organization, Mazlum Dar, sent a letter to the Syrian embassy inquiring about the status of human rights in Syria, including the matter of Law 49 (which bans membership in the MB), but the embassy did not reply.

Ammar Abdulhamid dubbed the visit "quite a significant event," and commented on it in a recent post on his blog:

What is the significance of this event? Well, it comes as a prelude to the May 20th meeting of the National Salvation Front in Brussels, when the final formation of the Front will be decided and its basic mission unveiled. Even though no government in exile will be officially formed at this stage, the NSF is bound to behave as such in many ways, as its leaders plan to embark on a massive diplomatic effort to explain their cause to the world in the following months.

Indeed, Salah Ayyash, a member of the NSF, told reporters "we in the Salvation Front support the meetings that the delegation of the Syrian MB held with political and religious figures in neighboring states, as the group has a right to meet with various parties and explain its political vision as it relates to Syria and the region, and they will one day participate in the independent government in the new Syria." (Arabic. UPI via "Free Syria," 5/13/06).

Asked about why the meetings were confined to the MB, Ayyash responded, "the NSF has put forth its political program but has not yet formed committees and we hope that in the upcoming meeting we will form the political committee that will be responsible for contacting Arab players."

Ayyash also revealed that the NSF is looking at reaching the Syrian people through media outlets. He also said that the NSF is looking to open offices in various countries in the region, including Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, in order to be closer to the Syrian people. This matter will be presented once the Front's committees are formed and they start discussion with the various Arab states.

"The political committee which will be formed in the next meeting will initiate contacts to explain the point of view of the NSF on the process of change in Syria and the suffering of the Syrian people under the current regime in Damascus," the Paris-based Ayyash said.

MB Delegation Meets with Jumblat (4/30)

Lebanese Druze MP Walid Jumblat held his first public meeting on Sunday (4/30) with a delegation from the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, at his residence in the Chouf mountain town of Mukhtara.

Newspapers said Jumblat held parallel telephone conversations with the group's deputy leaders Farouq Tayfour and Adnan Saadeddine, as well the party's public relations official Muhammad Tayfour, and Abdel Qader Zahran who is in charge of foreign relations. (Arabic. Al-Mustaqbal, 5/1/06).

Jumblat had earlier called for meetings between Lebanese and Syrian groups opposing the Assad regime. He has also come out in support of the National Salvation Front and the Damascus Declaration, and has encouraged Syria's Druze community not to fear the MB.

Obaida Nahas, director of the Levant Institute in London, who is close to the MB's leader Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni, told UPI that the visit was "to congratulate Jumblat on the one year anniversary of the liberation of Lebanon from the Syrian regime's military presence." He added that the meeting was "part of the Syrian opposition's efforts to rectify the mistakes of the Syrian regimes in the relations with Lebanon, which should be based on the mutual respect of the two countries' sovereignty and non-interferce in each other's domestic affairs." (Arabic. Levant News, 5/3/06).

He was quick to note that the meeting "does not mean that the group is seeking a new alliance with Jumblat," adding, "the MB had already declared their support for the position of the March 14th [coalition] which calls for the ending of Syrian interference and Syrian security hegemony in Lebanon, so their rapprochement with Jumblat is natural." He further noted that Jumblat was united with them in his opposition to the Asad regime.

For his part, Jumblat said the MB presented him with a petition to revoke Syria's Law 49, which bans membership in the MB on penalty of death (Arabic. AFP via Ahrar Syria, 5/6/06). Jumblat lent his signature to the petition, saying he was helping "the Syrian citizen seeking freedom." He reiterated his support for the Syrian opposition in whatever they decide for the future of Syria: "I tell the opposition that if it sees that I could serve its objectives in order to establish a democratic and free Syria, I am ready, if they want me to help."

Jumblat, who is facing a lawsuit in Syria for incitement against the regime, said his ties to the opposition were no secret, noting his recent public meeting with former VP Abdel Halim Khaddam in Paris. This came after Syrian officials as well as pro-Asad figures in Lebanon attacked Jumblat for receiving the MB. (Arabic. Elaph, 5/5/06). For his part, Lebanese MP Saad Hariri rejected these attacks saying, "Syria meets daily with members of the Lebanese opposition." (Arabic. Levant News, 5/6/06).

Similarly, Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni expressed his own surprise at the commotion revealing that this was not the first such visit of the MB or meeting with Lebanese political figures. He called the visit "normal," but also characterized it as a success (Arabic. AFP via "Free Syria," 5/4/06). He did note however that it was Jumblat who leaked the news about the last visit, and that the MB would have preferred to have kept it out of the spotlight. Bayanouni added, "our position has always been clear that we refuse the domination of the Syrian security services and armed forces over Lebanon, as is the case in Syria where we continue to live the nightmare of repression, emergency laws, and exceptional laws." "We want relations with the Lebanese based on brotherhood, cooperation, equality and respect for the will of the Lebanese people," he said.