MESOP DOCU : An Empowered Moderate Syrian Opposition is the Only Solution

Monzer Akbik – Chief of Staff of Ahmad Jarba – May 15, 2014

The Syrian revolution has reached a critical juncture, one that will directly impact the stability and fate of the region and ultimately the national security interests of the United States and its allies. It is in the interests of Syrians, American national security, and all those concerned with the future of the region to see a just end to this struggle.

For Syrians, the revolution began as a collective call for freedom and human dignity. Now more than ever, it has become not just a struggle for freedom, but a struggle to exist. Words can no longer fully express the ugliness of the crimes committed against our people on a daily basis. Bashar al-Assad, with the full backing and support of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, is attempting to cleanse the country of those who stand in his way.

The Syrian people, the United States, and all those who seek stability in the region fight common foes. Bashar al-Assad is in power today because Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has doubled down in its support of him and his regime. Lebanese Hezbollah, the world’s most capable terrorist group, has now expanded its presence and power throughout Syria. On Monday, the Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Forces, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said that Assad would have lost the battle if Iran did not support him.

For Hezbollah and Iran, Assad in power is crucial to the existence of their international terrorist network. Defeating these forces in Syria is vital for the survival of the Syrian people as well as for the security of regional allies and partners. The medium range ballistic missiles that are being fired upon Syrians from Hezbollah bases could easily be pointed elsewhere. The trained Shia militias being run by Hezbollah and the elite IRGC Qods Force commanders in Syria are a threat to the stability of the region of a whole.

So there is both a moral and strategic imperative to stopping Assad from slaughtering his own people and to halting Iran and Hezbollah’s momentum in expanding their control and terrorist forces throughout the country.

Regarding al-Qaeda, let me be clear: the greatest threat to al-Qaeda in Syria today is the moderate Free Syrian Army. The Syrian opposition is leading the fight against al-Qaeda extremists and Iranian-backed terrorist organizations. Al-Qaeda has also declared war on the moderate Syrian opposition; thus, Syrian interests and American national security concerns converge when it comes to defeating al-Qaeda. The Syrian opposition asks for military aid with the objective of protecting the Syrian people from mass atrocities that are being carried out by the extremists and the Assad regime alike.

On January 7, al-Qaeda’s chief Ayman al-Zawahiri declared war on the moderate opposition. On March 4, Jabhat al-Nusra’s leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani declared the Syrian Opposition Coalition and the Supreme Military Council as the ‘enemy’ and ‘unbelievers.’ Since then, the moderate opposition has made tremendous gains in pushing al-Qaeda back from all parts of Syria. Today, al-Qaeda’s attempts to use Syria as a springboard for terror are being thwarted by the opposition and the Free Syrian Army.  But it is a fight that cannot be won alone. These moderate forces need the West’s help.

Al-Qaeda is retaliating in conjunction with the Assad regime and Iranian-backed militias. We must not forget that al-Qaeda in Iraq existed in Syria prior to the revolution, and it was Assad’s security services that facilitated their entry. Today, Assad’s forces, al-Qaeda, and Iran maintain an alliance of mutual convenience. Furthermore, according to reports published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, al-Qaeda commanders are transiting into Syria through al-Qaeda’s facilitation cell in Tehran.

The Syrian Opposition Coalition understands the deep concern that many Americans and policymakers have with increasing support to the opposition. During the Coalition’s historic trip in Washington this week, our delegation will address those concerns with senior leaders, and we will demonstrate that we have the capability to ensure that weapons would not fall into wrong hands by all means possible.

The international community has attempted to solve the ongoing conflict through political negotiations. Yet Assad, supported by Iran and Russia, turned his back on the Geneva initiative led by the United Nations. Instead, he has chosen to escalate barrel bomb attacks that are being dropped on Syrian schools and homes. In fact, Assad has grown so emboldened that he no longer fears the repercussions of continuing to use chemical weapons against the Syrian people.

The Chlorine gas attacks being launched by Assad’s regime are a testimony to the level of impunity under which he operates. In the 21st century, humanity continues to face the specter of mass gassing of children. There should be no doubt that Assad is utilizing secret stockpiles of chemical weapon stockpiles that have not been declared to the United Nations inspectors. These are all issues that threaten regional stability and international norms.

The current situation in Syria cannot be addressed adequately without a policy shift to empower and strengthen the moderate Syrian opposition.

Many say that there are no easy solutions to Syria; that the situation is too complex. But Assad’s institutionalized and widespread slaughter is not complex. It is simple in its single-minded determination to cleanse and exterminate. It is bureaucratic and systemic, with a simple objective. The clarity and determination with which the Assad regime uses mass atrocities as a military strategy at the behest of one man must serve as a wakeup call to humanity.

The Syrian opposition has grown, and its political-military coordination has improved. An interim government dedicated to service delivery has been established in the liberated areas. We have presented a detailed transition plan to the United Nations and to the U.S. government, and we are outlining our vision for the future to officials in Washington. As such, we are ready to be a capable and reliable partner in combating the threats of al-Qaeda and Iran’s terror network that face us both.

Monzer Akbik is Chief of Staff to Ahmed Jarba, President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition. http://fikraforum.org/?p=4879