National Editorial (UAE)
On the six-month anniversary of the first anti-regime protests in Syria last week, opposition groups in Istanbul announced the formation of a Syrian National Council to steer the transition to democracy. But it was the second such announcement – the first one a month ago in Ankara turned into a fiasco.
Even people who were named as opposition leaders distanced themselves from the first council, saying it failed to represent protesters who were risking their lives on the ground in Syria.
This time it is imperative that they find common ground. For a start, a single voice will help to convince Russia, China, India and Brazil – all of which continue to support the Assad regime – to take a stand against the bloodshed. These countries do not side with the regime for existential reasons, as Iran does, but for strategic interests. Russia, for example, has a Cold War base in the coastal city of Tartus, its only naval presence on the Mediterranean.
A unified alternative to the regime will begin to convince the international community at large that it is safe to invest in the opposition. It is time to begin considering a future beyond the regime, although admittedly the Assads’ violent grip on power has shown few signs of weakening.
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/editorial/opposition-has-to-find-common-ground-in-syria
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