Syria Watch

New Syrian Coalition Recognized by GCC

November 12, 2012

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria — Last Monday, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), comprised of six Gulf states, decided to recognize the National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces (NCORF) as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

Syria’s newly formed coalition of rebels were recognized by the Gulf Cooperation Council as Syria’s legitimate representative. (Photo Courtesy of Al Arabiya)

The move is welcomed by both Western and Arab enemies of President Bashar Al-Assad, who hope that the recognition will finally unify “a fractious and ineffective opposition.” Washington said it would back the coalition “as it charts a course toward the end of Assad’s bloody rule and the start of the peaceful, just, democratic future.”

“The states of the council announce recognizing the NCORF… as the legitimate representative of the brother Syrian people,” GCC Chief Abdullatif Al-Zayani said in a statement last Monday. He also said that he hoped the move creates “a general national congress to pave the way to build a state ruled by law and open to all its citizens.”

The Arab League, who suspended Syria’s membership a year ago, recently granted the NCORF ” observer status, hesitating to recognize the coalition as Syria’s sole representative. Even though this means that the Arab League does not yet fully recognize the NCORF as the Syrian leadership, Al Jazeera reporter Jacky Rowland said that the “observer status is a good step.”

Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs believes that the NCORF having full recognition by the GCC is beneficial for it, since it removes any obstacles in the coalition’s attempts to secure arms for rebel fighters. Mouaz Al-Khatib, the coalition’s newly recognized leader, says that it had already received promises of weapons, but did not say from whom.

Al-Khatib, a former imam, was unanimously elected by the NCORF to lead it. In a recent address, he called for unity between various sectarian and ethnic groups, saying “[w]e demand freedom for every Sunni, Alawi, Ismaili, Christian, Druze, Assyrian… and rights for all parts of the harmonious Syrian people.”

Hezbollah, head of Lebanon’s Shiite group and a key ally of Assad, criticized the coalition’s recognition as a “U.S. invention whose refusal to negotiate would only lead to more destruction.”

Meanwhile, Israel reported that its military tanks took “direct hits” by Syrian artillery units after an area near an Israeli army post was hit by Syrian mortar shells on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights for the second consecutive day. Also, A Syrian government aircraft bombed the town of Ras Al-Ahn, an opposition stronghold located on the border of Turkey. Civilians were seen fleeing across the border to the Turkish settlement of Ceylanpinar. NATO has assured Turkey that it will “do what it takes to protect Turkey.”

For further information, please see:

Al Arabiya — Arab League Recognizes Syria’s new Opposition Bloc — 12 November 2012

Al Jazeera — GCC Recognizes new Syrian Opposition Bloc — 12 November 2012

BBC News — Syria Crisis: Gulf States Recognize Syria Opposition — 12 November 2012

Reuters — New Syria Opposition Seeks Recognition; Israel Fires from Golan — 12 November 2012

Times of Israel — A Syrian Coalition is Born — 12 November 2012

Syrian Revolution Digest – Sunday 11 November 2012

November 12, 2012

Good, but will it be good enough?

Syrian Revolution Digest – November 11, 2012

In Doha today, Syrian opposition groups have finally taken the first real step towards unifying. It has only taken them 20 months, 100,000 deaths and a million refugees to do it. Why? Because it has taken the Obama Administration that long before they finally decided to put some effort into it. At a time when so many opposition members have fallen back onto the habit of brandishing their anti-American sentiments in order to prove their patriotic credentials, it’s America’s intervention that finally helped us take our first serious step towards achieving the long-desired and necessary unity. The world is such funny place, funny and cruel. Be that as it may, this was a good step in the right direction, but will be good enough to stave off disaster? We don’t have long to wait to know.

Sunday November 11, 2012

Today’s Death Toll: 90

The Breakdown: Toll includes 10 children and 3 women: 35 in Damascus and suburbs, 18 in Aleppo, 14 in Deir Ezzor (most in Alboukamal), 12 in Idlib, 9 in Daraa, 1 in Hama and 1 in Homs (LCC).

News

Assad opponents agree to unite

Syrian opposition groups unify, boosting prospects for outside support

Syria bombards rebel area near Turkish border Most of the inhabitants of Ras al-Ain, an agricultural town that has been Arabised under the nationalist rule of President Bashar al-Assad’s Baath Party from its Kurdish name of Seri Kaneh, fled to Turkey when rebels captured the area in a push to seize control of frontier regions from Assad’s forces.

IDF fires warning missile at Syria for first time since 1973 Army sends message to warring factions after errant mortars from 18-month Syrian conflict land on Israeli side of Golan Heights.

Israel drawn into Syria fighting for first time Israel takes its first action in Syria’s civil war after a stray mortar shell hit a military outpost in Golan Heights.

Rebels warn Israel against Syria interference Free Syria Army says Israeli fire in response to Syrian shell hit near northern border was meant to ‘aid Assad’s criminal regime.’

UN urges restraint from Israel, Syria after shelling Ban Ki-moon makes plea for calm after IDF fires warning shot into Syria for first time since ’73 war, Syrian shells land in Israel.

UK troops ‘may be sent to Syria within months’: Humanitarian crisis could force us to act, says top soldierGeneral Sir David Richards’s comments come after PM said he would consider military options to remove dictator Bashar al Assad, Said international community would need support from people inside Syria, British troops could provide food, shelter and medical supplies to refugees, Could intervene during this winter when more lives are at risk.

Special Reports

Archaeologists Explore Site on Syria-Turkey Border

Despite the Syrian war, archaeologists are hard at work at the site of an ancient city called Karkemish. The strategic city’s historical importance is long known to scholars because of references in ancient texts. Despite the dangers, archaeologists say they felt secure during a 10-week season of excavation on the Turkish side of Karkemish.

Syrian exile: ‘My mother is dead. And it was my father who killed her’

When Loubna Mrie joined the revolution, she incurred the wrath of her father, an Assad loyalist.

Ammar Abdulhamid & Khawla Yusuf: The Shredded Tapestry: The State of Syria Today

Yes, electing a cleric to head the new opposition coalition might seem like step backward. Indeed, some activists have expressed concern over the precedence that this development will set for the future. But things Syrian, as we all must have learned by now, are often not what they seem. Sheikh Mouaz Al-Khateeb, a Damascene cleric and one of the main figures that led the early revolutionary fermentation in the Damascene suburb of Douma and elsewhere, is not only a moderate, but a figure who has long managed to bridge in communications between secular and Islamist groups on the ground. His views on critical issues such women and minority rights have also been reasonable enough to allow for the possibility of actually reaching workable compromises that can satisfy both Islamists and secularists. As such, he is a potentially unifying figure, and his touch will be needed in the days and months, if not years ahead.

More importantly though is the fact that Mouaz will not be in it alone. His deputies include Suheir Al-Atassy, another respected figure from the early days of the revolution, a secular figure, and a staunch woman’s rights activist. His other deputy is Riad Seif himself, the main figure behind the new initiative for unification. The Coalition full name is Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces.

One brave in-country activist described the development on Facebook: Syrian political culture dictated that we put a secular face on what is essentially an Islamist council (i.e. the SNC under the leadership of George Sabra), and an Islamist face on what is essentially a secular coalition. However, I wouldn’t go as far as describing the Coalition as “secular,” if the list of 63 names we have for its members is correct, then Islamists have one third of the seats. With traditional and tribal elements occupying an equal number of seats, secularists, including representatives of minority groups, are actually a minority in the Coalition. But that’s to be expected, secularists in the strict sense of the word, have always been a minority.

Indeed, we should not let our emotions blind us from the truth of it all: in realty, Coalition membership is, for the most part, a virtual who’s who list of the same tired and drab personalities that have plagued opposition work since the beginning of the revolution. So, much work and many pitfalls lie ahead for the new management. The selection of Mouaz, Suheir and Riad is only the beginning of a long, complicated and traitorous process, including the formation of a transitional government and of a military council to unite all major rebels groups inside the country.

The SNC, or rather, the Muslim Brotherhood will continue to play a tough game in the background pushing for greater representation and attempting to manipulate the process. The SNC already have 22 seats, including all eleven members of tis recently (s)elected Executive Committee. The Brotherhood also obtained more seats for itself through people who were included in the Coalition not as MB or SNC members but considered under the rubric of “national personalities” and representatives of local councils.

Gulf States are said to have already recognized the National Coalition and the Arab League will likely follow their lead. Embassies might be handed over to the opposition soon as well, meaning the Coalition will have to start picking its diplomats, a process that promises to turn into another cockfight.

The National Coordination Body has not been included in the new coalition, and dialogue with the regime has been rejected a priori and made a condition for membership.

Meanwhile, the streets of Syria will continue to move to a different beat. The real decision-makers, rebel leaders and local activists, are not involved in the Doha process, and should they decide to support, this will happen for an interim period that will end when they decide it’s time for it to end.

This is BBC’s take on this development:

One source at the meeting told Reuters that the SNC had agreed only under pressure and that it had been given a deadline of 10:00 (07:00 GMT) to sign up or risk being left out.

The new body had been proposed by Mr Seif with the backing of the US, which had signalled its frustration with the SNC.

“We signed an agreement to create [a] coalition of 60 members of the Syrian opposition,” he said.

Delegates said the body would carry representation for ethnic Kurds, Christians, Alawites and women. Of the 60 places, 22 will be reserved for the SNC.

Syrian Revolution Digest – Saturday 10 November 2012

November 11, 2012

To live or die in Syria!

Syrian Revolution Digest – November 10, 2012

Assad pledges “to live or die” in Syria, he is not the only one to have made this vow. Everything in Syria these days is about living or dying, even a simple walk to the local bakery involves making a choice about life or death. But this whole cycle started because so many of us yearned to live, really live. The martyrs are those who strive to embrace life and die trying. The peddlers and harbingers of death and doom know nothing of that, their occasional shows of bravery and defiance notwithstanding.

Saturday November 10, 2012

Today’s Death Toll: 107

The Breakdown: Toll includes 5 children and 3 women: 47 in Damascus and Suburbs, 14 in Raqqa, 10 in Daraa, 10 in Aleppo, 9 in Idlib, 8 in Deir Ezzor, 7 in Homs, and 2 in Hama (LCC).

News

AP Interview: Syria Opposition Blames West

Syrian Group Fights Effort to Unify Foes of Government

Moves to form Syrian opposition look set to end in failure

Fleeing fallen Syrian town, refugees fear Assad’s air power

Syria rebels take Turkish border town, Kurds alarmed

Syria: ‘Casualties After Two Large Blasts’

Syria Clashes Kill 90; Regime Tells Japan to Cancel Meeting

Syria army retakes part of key highway

IDF Changes Rules of Engagement Along Syrian Border According to a Channel 2 News report on Friday, the new orders instruct soldiers to respond if fire from Syria is dangerous and persistent. The report noted that while Israel wants to avoid such confrontation with Syria as much as possible, the main concern is that Islamist elements are contained along the Syrian border.

Special Reports

Syria’s Kurds: Civil Wars Within a Civil War

Even if they oppose Assad, many Kurds, particularly those aligned with the PYD, see the rebels as Islamist thugs acting on behalf of neighboring Turkey to control a post-Assad Syria. Many insurgents, meanwhile, resent the PYD and its armed supporters for staying out of the war against Assad, accusing it of being a cat’s paw for the regime.

Will Syria’s Rebels Face a Kurdish Front?

With Assad’s enemies now struggling to liberate areas from his tanks, fresh fighting between Kurdish militias and Syrian rebels around Aleppo threatens a second front for the already bruised Syrian opposition, notes Daniel Brode.

Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Bordering on Disaster

Lebanon has more than 100,000 refugees from Assad’s civil war. They subsist without camps, money, or hope. Jamie Dettmer reports.

The crisis in Syria

Syria is fractured and innocent civilians die but why should we be surprised? Geopolitics is, in the end, a game of elite interests that produces its own crises at the expense of the people.

A new normality in damaged Damascus

For residents of Syria’s battle-scarred capital, Damascus, life as it used to be has long since ceased, giving way to a pervading sense of fear and insecurity. Here, the BBC’s Lina Sinjab describes the effect of daily conflict on her and others who live there.

Post Election, Obama Gambles on Syrian Rebels

The U.S. has made its boldest move yet on Syria to date, pushing to create a new and better opposition that it can trust—and that it hopes Syrians will too… Many in the wider opposition have remained skeptical that the SNC is willing to share its leadership role. “The Brotherhood and their allies will not stand for something like this, something aimed so clearly at downplaying their role,” says longtime Syrian activist Ammar Abdulhamid. “In fact, the recent elections in the SNC show that they are baring their teeth by allowing more overt Islamist presence and control.” “The U.S. pushed for Seif’s plan,” he adds. “But if it fails, it will give [America] more reason to adhere to a policy of minimal involvement.”

Ammar Abdulhamid & Khawla Yusuf: The Shredded Tapestry: The State of Syria Today

Getting to Politics

We do need a political process to end the current conflict in Syria. But in order to succeed in launching that political process, we need to set the right conditions on the ground for it. Seeking the establishment of a transitional government is not sufficient. We need to set the right conditions on the ground, ones that are conducive to dialogue, and to accepting the results of the dialogue once agreement is reached. We also need to agree on what the dialogue should be about.

In the current context of aerial bombardment and continued military operations meant to help rebels consolidate their positions, setting the right conditions must involve:

1) Agreeing ways to neutralize Assad’s aerial superiority, either through the establishment of a no-fly zone, sending MANPADs and Stingers to moderate rebel groups, or inserting small units made up of “foreign” troops armed with the needed weaponry to achieve the task.

2) Once aerial bombardments of towns and cities stops and rebels have enough access to light weapons, they can proceed to secure the areas under their control and launch local political processes meant to help them administer their territories. Redlines that should be drawn to them in this process should include: avoiding entry into Kurdish-majority areas or areas where the majority residents are Alawites or Christians, avoiding acts of retributions and ensuring effective policing of troubled areas in order to prevent territorial consolidation by extremist elements bent on carving out their own turfs.

Until Assad’s air power is neutralized, rebels will not be able to launch any serious political process inside Syria, one that ensures commitment to democratic standards and fair representation of all political and communal groups involved. So, as long as the international continues to dither on this point, violence and bloodshed will continue and no viable political process can ever be launched. The West cannot rely on the expat and traditional opposition groups to speak in the name of rebels and conduct dialogue with the regime even as its planes pound rebel strongholds. A transitional government formed along the model proposed by longtime dissident Riad Seif could have a chance to reach political settlement only if there is a real truce on the ground, and no such truce can be imposed so long as Assad’s airpower remains intact. Moreover, no agreement with the regime will amount to anything, if local rebel groups and governing council are not willing to endorse it, and these groups will not endorse any process in which they are not playing an active role. That’s another reason for neutralizing Assad’s airpower. We need to create a window of opportunity for legitimate local political structures to emerge on the scene as a result of local elections. This development will allow local activists and rebel leaders to take part in the national dialogue and legitimize whatever agreement reached at the end.

Considering the kind of issues that need to be tackled in a national political process, local representation is of paramount importance. The issues that need to be addresses should include:

1) Agreeing on new administrative structure and laws for the State to accommodate the country’s regional and communal diversity.

2) Agreeing specific set of constitutional and legal guarantees for the country’s different communities and regions.

3) Agreeing on the specific roles of the army and security apparatuses in the country.

4) Agreeing on the scope of transitional justice processes that need to be pursued.

5) Agreeing on a specific power-sharing arrangement until the above agreements are enacted.

Opposition groups, led by the Brotherhood, have intentionally avoided raising any of these topics so far except for occasional vague statements. For many opposition groups still embrace the fiction that a military resolution is still possible, and that the international community can still be coaxed into adopting a more interventionist policy following the Libya model. Indeed, the leaders of the SNC and Muslim Brotherhood in particular are still clinging to this myth, as it will allow them greater maneuverability later when dealing with these issues. Working from a position of power entails less compromise. What opposition leaders fail to see, however, is that we may not get to that magical time when they have power without tackling and compromising on these very issues first.

As for the SNC, and it’s only appropriate to end with them these days, considering their wonderful contributions to the cause of opposition unity, I have only this to say: personally, I have learned from my experiences not to be fooled twice by the same group of incompetent opportunists, and so I will not support the Syrian National Council even if they elected the Pope or the Dalai Lama to lead it. Supporting opportunists is not a sign of pragmatism, but of chronic stupidity.

Video Highlights

Residents in parts of Aleppo City grew so tired of the behavior of some rebels, on Friday they took to the streets chanting “the people want to topple the Free Syrian Army,” and “For shame, the FSA has Shabiha”http://youtu.be/h95MaCFVz70

Scenes from the battle fronts of Aleppo City http://youtu.be/0LCPimIH0bE , http://youtu.be/7Czw_iNf2bU ,http://youtu.be/ejRi6WfKp9Y , http://youtu.be/UGXSS1z2DZ4

Activists in the Damascene Suburb of Babbila rush to rescue the victims of aerial bombardmenthttp://youtu.be/ApnsB4K5mP0 And bombardment of restive neighborhoods of Damascus City continues: Qabounhttp://youtu.be/s3O5dk-0jN

In the Kurdish-majority town of Ras Al-Ain/Seri Kanye, rebels organized a small victory parade, they had some cheerers, but the majority Kurdish inhabitants are not happy with their presence http://youtu.be/dPaeKXyyBA8 ,http://youtu.be/JT3w5F7F8fY

Mosques and minarets continue to be a favorite target for pro-Assad militias: a minaret in Sheikh Miskeen, Daraa Province is targeted http://youtu.be/cBAEzENOxpE

Sounds of clashes in Daraa City http://youtu.be/GVblGM0_lTw

The pounding of the town of Rastan, Homs Province, continues http://youtu.be/CcCbPkhZRiA

Syria Revolution Digest – Friday 9 November 2012

November 10, 2012

Reform Baath-Style!

Syrian Revolution Digest – November 09, 2012

The more things change in the SNC, the worse they become. But we cannot keep blaming the SNC for what is essentially a cultural malaise of our educated elite, a group where ideologies and parochial interests have long become intertwined with and mistaken for national interests. The sacrifices that our people are making will not go in vain, an idol has been smashed and the status quo has been irrevocably shattered, but we still hell to go through before democracy, development and dignity can be reached.

Friday November 09, 2012

Today’s Death Toll: 136

The Breakdown: Toll includes 11 children and 7 women: 33 in Damascus and suburbs, 33 in Deir Ezzor (most in Qourieh), 19 in Aleppo, 12 in Idlib, 10 in Hama, 10 in Homs, 9 in Daraa, 2 in Raqqah, 1 in Hassakeh and 1 in Qunaitera.

Other Developments: LCC documented176 points of random shelling by regime forces: 17 by war jets, 4 using explosive barrels, 65 by mortars, 56 by artillery and 38 by rockets. Rebels clashed with loyalists in 81 points. 446 anti-regime rallies took place. 97 in Idlib, 83 in Hama 72 in Aleppo, 64 in Deir Ezzor, 51 in Damascus and Suburbs, 43 in Daraa, 17 in Homs, 14 in Hassakeh and 5 in Lattakia (LCC).

As rebels took control of the border crossing into Turkey near the town of Ras Al-Ain/Seri Kaniye, they clashed with armed Kurdish rebels affiliated with PYD party, and the local Kurdish local population was not happy seeing Islamist rebels coming into their town. The situation in the majority-Kurdish city remains pretty tense. In other Kurdish-majority cities in Hassakeh, especially Amude and Derbassiyeh, local Kurdish groups moved to kick out the remains of Assad’s security officials and assumed direct control of their cities in order to consolidate their hold and prevent arrival by Islamist rebels. In the Kurdish –majority town of Kobani north of Aleppo, PYD militias fired at a rally organized by other Kurdish groups, in a sign of growing rivalry and tension between different Kurdish groups.

News

Thousands flee Syria in exodus, millions more need aid The U.N. said 11,000 refugees had fled in 24 hours, mostly to Turkey. The influx caused alarm in Ankara, which is worried about its ability to cope with such large numbers and has pushed hard, so far without success, for a buffer zone to be set up inside Syria where refugees could be housed.

UN: Syria ‘Dramatically Deteriorating’ The United Nations says the huge upsurge in the number of civilians fleeing Syria reflects the dramatically deteriorating situation in that country. Aid officials estimate that 2.5 million civilians still inside Syria need humanitarian assistance.

Syria’s main opposition bloc elects Christian former teacher as new president George Sabra, a Communist-turned-social-democrat and former high school teacher who once wrote for the Arabic version of Sesame Street, said his election as head of the Syrian National Council is proof that Syrians are not beholden to sectarianism.

Jordan Said to Help Arm Syria Rebels Shipments Are Routed Through Border as Kingdom Steps Up Aid, Opposition Members Say; Amman Denies Connection

26 Syrian army officers defect to Turkey: report

A Look At Syrian President’s Statements On Crisis

Special Reports

Photo Gallery: Syria in Ruins

While much recent media attention has been focused on Hurricane Sandy and America’s presidential election, Syria’s horrific civil war continues. In some places, it has worsened. Aerial bombardment of civilian neighborhoods, deadly sniper fire, brutal street fighting, assassinations, and summary executions have become the norm in Syria. Cease-fire agreements have collapsed, rebel forces remain disorganized, foreign intervention is still hamstrung, and no path to peace appears to be forming yet. Britain is now reportedly looking for options to circumvent an arms embargo in order to supply rebels with weaponry. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remains defiant, stating in an interview with Russia Today that he planned “live and die in Syria,” adding, “I am tougher than Gaddafi.” Collected here are images of this bloody conflict from just the past few weeks.

Post Election, Obama Gambles on Syrian Rebels

On numerous occasions, America has cited concerns that disorganization within the rebel ranks is allowing foreign jihadists to gain a foothold and acquire some of the money and weapons flowing into Syria. But as long as it stands on the sidelines, America risks looking weak, while the very extremists it fears seem to be gaining more influence.

Missteps by Rebels Erode Their Support Among Syrians

The rebel shortcomings have been compounded by changes in the opposition, from a force of civilians and defected soldiers who took up arms after the government used lethal force on peaceful protesters to one that is increasingly seeded with extremist jihadis. That radicalization has divided the fighters’ supporters and made Western nations more reluctant to give rebels the arms that might help break the intensifying deadlock. Instead, foreign leaders are struggling to find indirect ways to help oust Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad.

Ammar Abdulhamid & Khawla Yusuf:The Shredded Tapestry: The State of Syria Today

There long-heralded restructuring of the Syrian National Council (SNC) and the expansion of its membership base by including more members in the General Assembly did not produce the promised diversity or change. If anything, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and its Islamist sympathizers, long believed to be the real power behind the scene in the Council, assumed more direct overt control of the elected General Secretariat and the Executive Council. Of the 41 members elected to the General Secretariat, 31 are Islamists, No women were elected, and 4 members of minority groups were chosen (2 Kurds and 2 Christians). As for the Executive Council, the table below should make things clear. But George Sabra, the Christian teacher who was “elected” as head of the SNC’s Executive Committee, was not initially elected to the General Secretariat, he was appointed in retrospect then picked as head of the SNC to water down its Islamist image.

Before the MB settled on Sabra, however, they floated the name of Ahmad Ramadan as possible leader. Ahmad, a shadowy figure who never was part of opposition circles and whose emergence on the scene and previous activities remain shrouded in mystery, is one of the most reviled members of the SNC. Stories of his double-dealings and his attempts to establish his own private militias in the country have long turned sentiments against him. But he remains ambitious, and is believed to be one of the key power brokers in the Council, and even MB, although he is not officially a member. The storm of protest that greeted the mere suggestion that Ahmad could be selected as the new SNC head dissuaded him from pursuing this matter at this stage allowing for the section of Sabra. Sabra came under major critic from previous sympathizers and colleagues for accepting this position. All accused him of putting personal ambitions over principles. Sabra has become just another secular figure burnt by affiliation with SNC.

Name	Political Background	Ethnic Background	Regional Background	Comment
George Sabra	Communist	Christian	Damascus Suburbs
Abdel-Ahad Steifo	Assyrian Democratic Organization	Assyrian	Hassakeh	Long-time ally of the Brotherhood
Abdulbassit Sieda	Independent	Kurd/Sunni	Hassakeh	Long-time ally of the Brotherhood
Ahmad Ramadan	Islamist	Sunni	Aleppo	One of the key players in SNC
Khalid Al-Salih	Independent	Tribal/Sunni	Deir Ezzor or Raqqah
Salim Al-Mislit	Independent	Tribal/Sunni	Hassakeh	Tribal leader
Hussein Al-Sayyid	MB	Sunni	Idlib
Hisham Marwa	Islamist	Sunni	Damascus	Lawyer, lives in U.S.
Jamal Al-Ward	Islamist	Sunni	Lattakia	Lives in U.S.
Farouq Tayfour	MB	Sunni	Hama	One of the key leaders of the MB
Nazir Al-Hakeem	MB	Sunni	Aleppo

SNC spokespeople have said that a woman or two might get appointed to the General Secretariat as well and perhaps one could be appointed to the Executive Council.

Meanwhile, SNC delegate postponed their participation in discussions over the plan for transitional government proposed by long-time dissident Riad Seif until Saturday.

Following the elections of the Executive Council, the Local Coordination Committees, the second largest group to take part in the Council after the Brotherhood, announced that they are withdrawing from the Council. This move undermines significantly the representation of in-country activists in the overall makeup of the Council. Many individual withdrawals also followed.

Despite the positive media spin that SNC leaders are trying to put on things at this stage, they have never been more irrelevant than they are now. Some began referring to the SNC as SIC, the Syrian Islamic Council, pun intended.

At this stage, the SNC cannot be approached as a national body, but more like a Sunni-dominated coalition representing the aspirations of a particular segment of the Sunni population. In this shape, SNC leaders cannot pretend to represent the Syrian people even if they shouted it from the mountaintop. Their outreach to different rebel groups has always been weak and problematic, and now any possibility of them being able to reach out to minority communities has been severely undermined. With its shrinking reach and appeal, no national role is possible for the SNC in its current format.

All eyes now will turn to Riad Seif and his ongoing effort to put a transitional government together.

Video Highlights

Aerial bombardment of Damascene suburbs by MiGs continued:

Zamalka http://youtu.be/DcbgEYkC8R0

Harasta http://youtu.be/2oL8DjUx0x0

Hamouriyeh http://youtu.be/4TexRs-Qlx0

Jobar http://youtu.be/F1aalUyWmSM

Elsewhere http://youtu.be/CAnvv1Q97Aw

In nearby Saqba, locals held a rally http://youtu.be/TdIDOVzenqg and Jobar as well http://youtu.be/djnZElJ0-yc Rallies like these took place all over Syria, as they do every Friday.

Saqba later received its fair share of aerial bombardment http://youtu.be/aNa0LdqnD_A

Areas in Mazzeh Neighborhood, Damascus City were pounded by rockets and tankshttp://youtu.be/guNShEKE_O8

Aftermath of the explosion in Moadamia, Damascus Suburbs http://youtu.be/EocjvafsFaw ,http://youtu.be/ePCUVRiDbg0

Rebels clash with loyalists in Tadamon, Damascus City http://youtu.be/7nUnu9WQQPk

In Deir Baalbah, Homs City, rebels clashed with loyalist militias http://youtu.be/hlvrOoFhuDU

Islamist rebels launch missile attacks against positions held by pro-Assad militias in Ras al-Ain/Seri Kanye, Hassakeh province http://youtu.be/OgYBT_uubIE Rebels take over the local security headquarters http://youtu.be/3SqI2ELLPhc , http://youtu.be/jhl2LtZwVCg Scene of the clashes http://youtu.be/qRJGKdNtMjA , http://youtu.be/1Up-zM7P_jY , http://youtu.be/7w9hCdbHfzs Rebels use their own confiscated tank in the operations http://youtu.be/cpCN4JaraCQ

The battle for control of Allayramoon Neighborhood in Aleppo City continues http://youtu.be/aNa0LdqnD_A

Syria Revolution Digest – Wednesday 31 October 2012

November 2, 2012

The Honest Truth!

By failing to react in time to the worsening situation in Syria, Obama has created his own Iraq. He did it without involving American troops or spending billions of dollars, proving that America does not always need to employ her military and economic might to screw things up. Soon, however, the messiness of it all notwithstanding, America’s dual might will be needed to help put things together and prevent the establishment of a firm Al-Qaeda haven on the Mediterranean.

Wednesday October 31, 2012

Today’s Death toll: 121. The Breakdown: 53 in Aleppo, 44 in Damascus and suburbs (including 18 in aerial bombardment of Zamalka), 11 in Homs, 5 in Hama, 4 in Idlib, 3 in Daraa and 1 in Deir Ezzor. Other Developments: LCC counted 131 points of random shelling and bombardments by regime forces, including 17 points of aerial shelling, 35 points of mortar shelling, 11 rockets, 2 explosive drums (LCC).

News

As Syria Escalates Bombing, U.S. Urges New Anti-Assad Bloc

Syria presses heavy air bombardment of rebels

Iranian drones guiding Syrian attacks, rebels say

Clinton warns Syria rebels to resist extremism The rebels should “strongly resist the efforts by the extremists to hijack the Syrian revolution”, she warned.

China announces new proposal on Syria Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday elaborated China’s new four-point proposal on a political resolution to the Syrian conflict.

Turkish PM says issue of Syria no-fly zone, civilian safe areas is up to Security Council

Russia warns West on Syria RUSSIA has warned that the “bloodbath” in Syria will continue if the West sticks to its demand for President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster.

Iran and Syria swap fuels as both aim to dodge sanctions Iran and Syria have arranged a gasoline-for-diesel swap, helping each other overcome international sanctions.

Syria civil war ‘kills 36,000’ More than 36,000 people have been killed since the outbreak of Syria’s anti-regime revolt in March 2011, with an average of 165 people killed a day since August 1.

Death of extremist second Syria link A MUSLIM extremist known to Australian police and intelligence agencies has reportedly been killed while manufacturing weapons for Syrian rebels.

Special Reports

Syria war puts anti-US alliance on the defensive

The powerful, anti-American alliance of Iran, Syria and militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas, once dubbed the “Axis of Resistance,” is fraying. Iran’s economy is showing signs of distress from nuclear sanctions, Syria’s president is fighting for his survival and Hezbollah in Lebanon is under fire by opponents who blame it for the assassination of an anti-Syrian intelligence official. Hamas — the Palestinian arm — has bolted.

Syria’s Digital Proxy War

There is a proxy war going on in Syria, one measured in megabytes rather than in arms. On one side, Iran is providing Bashar al-Assad’s regime with the tools of digital dictatorship to locate and bait the Syrian opposition. On the other side, the United States is trying to help the opposition protect itself from such attacks and set up alternate channels of communication. The outcome of this proxy war will affect the lives of many Syrians and the credibility of the State Department’s efforts to promote digital freedom internationally.

Syria turmoil stirs Iraqi tribal sympathies, hopes

Many people in Iraq’s Sunni heartland, once al Qaeda’s stronghold in the country, are most concerned with helping their kin. Tribal ties span the border, and Sunni chieftains and community leaders say Iraqi tribes regularly send Syrian relatives food and supplies. Some openly support Free Syrian Army rebels with arms when border controls allowed… In a sign Syria’s crisis is dragging its neighbours into a proxy war, Iraqi Shi’ite militants are also fighting there, often alongside Assad’s troops, claiming fidelity to Iran’s supreme religious leader. Iraqi officials and arms dealers acknowledge the intensifying conflict has already spurred demand in weapons markets in Iraq.

EXCLUSIVE | The CBC in Syria: Under siege in Aleppo

Everywhere you turn in Aleppo, the scars of a brutal war pitting rebel fighters against government soldiers are evident. Entire streets are littered with concrete blocks and rubble caused by mortar or rocket attacks. Walls are pockmarked, often from indiscriminate sniper fire.

Ammar Abdulhamid & Khawla Yusuf: The Shredded Tapestry: The State of Syria Today

Video Highlights

In the Damascene suburb of Moadamia, a car explosion leaves many dead and only locals to help pull the wounded from under the rubble. Explosions in restive neighborhoods targeting civilians are often blamed on the regime as rebel groups, even those with Islamist agendas, consistently target military and security outposts in Damascus and Aleppo http://youtu.be/b8wQRpu8_k8 ,http://youtu.be/bnUMPIhuebE

Meantime, the pounding of Zamalka Suburb in Eastern Ghoutah region left many buildings on fire http://youtu.be/Wf4sA8piXVc Nearby Douma was also poundedhttp://youtu.be/EHfzaCFfcfg , http://youtu.be/OMdUOUm9BXU ,http://youtu.be/fswCRidCKk8 So was Hazzeh http://youtu.be/h2I8sG6qt8gArbeen http://youtu.be/7nj-Lr2bjVg Deir Al-Asafeer http://youtu.be/PcdTTPTnLf8Kafar Batna http://youtu.be/MOa0__uWpkk , http://youtu.be/Cc4noKw3YsoJobar Neighborhood in Damascus City itself was also poundedhttp://youtu.be/wbmMotJK1_E In Dhiyabiyeh people run for cover from the shelling http://youtu.be/9msq2uC9q24

The pounding of old neighborhoods in Homs City resumes: Qoussourhttp://youtu.be/cgXTSuiyPOw , http://youtu.be/HhU_myYa-CA

Meantime, the pounding of the town of Rastan continues http://youtu.be/RsH-0AoyIag , http://youtu.be/OdA2-x7Q9Sw