Why Assad “Wasn’t, Won’t be” Defeated (Last Part)

Sadeq Khanafer, Hussein Mallah In the last part of "Why Assad wasn't, won't be Defeated" we exposed the vision for a solution, future of the struggle in Syria, and the chances for a political settlement between the pinnacle of the events and the vagueness of the scene on both the international and regional levels. Every day of the Syrian crisis carries the following questions: Until when will this bloodshed continue? When will the Syrians be allowed to sit around one table to find an exit for their country from this horrible crisis? What about the expected Russian-American summit in June? And will it reflect positively or negatively on the situation in Syria? A bunch of questions whose answers are pretty difficult to be sufficient especially that the current data stress that the enterprises planned to Syria didn’t deplete their targets yet. In addition, the Americans and their allies in the region still bet on the developments of the field events to do their enterprise. On the contrary, other sides like Damascus, Tehran as well as Beijing and Moscow are stuck to their stances by limiting the possible solution with a local dialogue on which the Syrians themselves would agree. In front of two different agendas, the battle is not likely heading to an end, it seems however long lasting recalling the difficulty to settle the battles even though the Syrian army outweighs the scene in light of its latest achievements. The Solution of Damascus The Syrian leadership realizes the size of the attack against Syria. It considers it a destructive plan that would reach the neighboring countries when it succeeds. Therefore, the issue exceeds President Assad’s step down and the “democratic reforms.” What is demanded is destroying Syria as a state and sending it decades back. Upon realizing that the meantime is for the military operation recalling the blaze of battles on all levels, the Syrian government stresses its constants on the level of the political settlement that might be discussed. Nidal Qabalan, the Syrian Ambassador to Ankara, tells Al-Manar website that the “vision proposed by President Bashar Al-Assad in his Opera House speech summarizes the official stance from settling the crisis.” He explains that “President Assad stressed on sticking to the principles.” “Syria will not abandon its national sovereignty, its sovereign decision, and the unity of its lands. It will not allow dividing the country on sectarian or ethnic bases as well,” he added. Qabalan notes that the acceptable settlement is “a new Syria with a different governmental structure, modern electoral system, new constitution, and new parliament; in other words, a practically new Syria.” Furthermore, he adds that “all of these issues are negotiable and it is not an obstacle to the Syrian people whether the government or the parliament are more represented, in addition to more freedom of media.” The Geneva “Framework” Syrian Deputy Minister of Information Kahalf Al-Muftah adds to Al-Manar website that “the failure in achieving the main goal, which is toppling the regime and destroying the Syrian state, maybe obliged those forces to accept a political settlement.” He notes that “this settlement starts from the Geneva Convention that was based on Kofi Annan’s plan and has common points with the initiative or political solution presented by Syria and proposed by President Assad.” The initiative comprises the following: First: To respect the Syrian sovereignty and not interfere in the Syrian affairs. Second: To stop all forms of violence. Third: To engage in a political operation that would be the result of a democratic operation conducted by the Syrian people. Al-Muftah notes that “this solution is the most effective because it saves the Syrian sovereignty, ends violence, and reproduces the Syrian institutions according to the vision of its people. Elections will decide the form of political regime, as well as saving its identity, affiliation, and its stream of resistance.” As for some outside opposition groups’ vision that impose Assad’s step down as a condition to start political dialogue, Deputy Minister of Information notes that “the reference is the Syrian people not the foreign forces. The Syrian people will sure be the main participant. In other words, investing the foreign element won’t be applied locally because the outside opposition dependeds on foreign forces to impose a political solution. However, we insisted that the solution in Syria is through elections and the people’s choice.” Solution of the Opposition Political solution to the Syrian crisis is almost absent from a major part of the opposition forces, especially the “Opposition Coalition” groups accused of obeying the sponsor countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and the United States from their behind. They all seek toppling President Bashar Al-Assad by force or politically upon demanding his step down before starting any political dialogue. Afar from the coalition and its components, other opponents, led by the National Coordination Body, consider the political solution is the perfect one to settle the crisis and end up killings. This doesn’t mean neglecting the international factor that became the major player according to the General Coordinator of the Syrian National Coordination Body Hassan Abdul Azim. “The issue is no more under the regime’s control or under the opposition’s. It is not that we want foreign intervention, but the national solution was lost because of the regime’s disregard,” he added. As for the calls for dialogue with the Syrian government, Abdul Azim adds that “results of negotiations between us and the representatives of the regime must be guaranteed on international, regional, and Arab levels, with Russian, Chinese, Iranian and western guarantees, as well as from the side of the Arab League. This only would be fruitful and is mentioned in Geneva resolutions.” Abdul Azim’s vision is summed up as follows: •    Ending up violence and release detainees. •    Starting negotiations to form a transitional government that enjoys all authorities to set the principles of the constitution and hold parliamentary elections. The Delayed Settlement Some international and local calls for dialogue are not suitable now as the Americans are going to the extremes in their policy toward Syria. Russian Expert in the Center of the Euro-Asian Russian Union for Strategic Studies Leonid Savin notes to Al-Manar website that “the most welcome scenario by the Americans is implanting a regime or a group of pro-figures under the title of democracy.” “A number of figures are concentrated on the Turkish lands, in addition to emigrant Syrians in other countries like France, the UK, and the US. They, however, form an opposing extremist radical wing and abuses the two groups to achieve their goals,” he added. According to Savin, “escalation will continue in the coming stage with respect to the same tendency of the plan set in the White House, New York, Riyadh and Turkey… where different terrorist groups are being abused effectively by the foreign powers to keep on instability and toppling the current government and legal authority.” In the same context, Syrian Ath-Thawra newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief Ali Qassem tells Al-Manar website that “the American is not ready yet to any settlement because his interests weren’t really harmed and his tools in the region need more time in the age of the crisis to support their groups on the Syrian lands.” Concerning the bet on the expected summit between the American and Russian presidents this summer, Qassem considers the importance of its results unlikely especially from the Washington side, which wants to weaken Syria and exhaust its allies as much as possible. The Voice of the Battle is the Loudest The ongoing military confrontations in Syria assert one truth that there is no place for dialogue, and there is no voice louder than that of the battle. For this reason, Qassem notes that the “field settlement identifies the strength of each side. Intimidation and security breaks are taking place, intimidation also takes place from the other side.” Kahalf Al-Muftah considers that western and Arab powers “will attempt to change the path of the battles because any settlement will be a result of two givens, a political and a military given. They seek implementing achievements and investments in the land.” “The major issue is the local factor, meaning that political and social geography will mainly identify the features of the political solution,” he added. On his side, Ambassador Nidal Qabalan says “the conspiracies will not reach an end. This is our destiny; it is the project of resistance with us and the friends in Iran, Russia, and China, as well as the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance. This is our project, and there is the other project that is mortgaged with Zionism, Washington, London and Paris.” “Our destiny is to continue this confrontation until one project defeats the other. I believe that Syria, upon surpassing this conspiracy, will be achieving a major triumph that is as important as its triumph in October,” Qabalan states. “This is a big conspiracy that aims at disintegrating the axis of resistance and forming the big Middle East that Foreign Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had propagated,” Qabalan adds. Syria Will Not Be Defeated… “The goal of what is going on in Syria is no more excluding it from the axis of resistance and the equation of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It isn’t also taking control of the authoritative power whatever it may cost. However, the goal of whoever is supporting the war in Syria is destroying it, preventing it from establishing a strong central country, disabling it from taking any decision related to its oil, sea, and borders, and eliminating it from the regional equation. Those who claim they are sorry for the bloodshed in Syria and don’t want to lose the Palestinian cause, and those who claim they care about Syria must work to find a political settlement and political solution,” according to Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah. “Syria has real friends in the region and the whole world who will never allow it to be controlled by America, Israel, and the Takfirist groups,” according to Sayyed Nasrallah. Translated by Zainab Abdallah You can also read: Why Assad Wasn't, Won't be Defeated? (1/7) Why Assad Wasn't, Won't be Defeated? (2/7) Why Assad Wasn't, Won't be Defeated? (3/7) Why Assad Wasn't, Won't be Defeated? (4/7) Why Assad Wasn't, Won't be Defeated? (5/7) Why Assad Wasn't, Won't be Defeated? (6/7)

Source: Al-Manar Website 29-05-2013 - 18:10 Last updated 29-05-2013 - 18:10

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