Syria’s Revolution: An Interview with Ammar Abdulhamid
(Ammar Abdulhamid has been the most articulate and credible voice of the Syrian opposition and the movement to overthrow the current regime. Barry Rubin interviewed him to get a clearer view on what’s going on in Syria and on what the future prospects are for the bloody conflict.)
What should we know about the Syrian regime that we don’t already know?
That it is not reformable and that its key leaders can never be part of the solution.
What are the causes of the uprising?
Lack of developments when it comes to basic services and infrastructure along with increasing poverty, absence of any accountability on part of the leadership, the sense of impunity that corrupt officials on the local and national levels exhibit on a daily basis, the failure of President Bashar al-Assad to show himself as a true reformer, and his increasing involvement with the corrupt practices of his family and friends.
Can you describe for us the Syrian opposition, both within the country and outside?
We have two types of opposition: the traditional and the new. The traditional opposition is made of old parties and figures who have been around for decades, and the new one is made up of the activists who started and continue to lead the revolution.
The arrogance of the traditional opposition and their inability to provide effective representation and guidance to the revolutionaries created a problem of mistrust between the two, and does not augur well for the ability of such coalitions as the Syrian National Council (SNC) to provide effective leadership either now or during the transitional period. The new opposition is pragmatic, goal-oriented, and open to new possibilities as far as relations with the outside are concerned, or how the state should be administered in the future. The traditional remains ideological, dominated mostly by Leftist and Islamist elements, and unable to be proactive or to come up with actual strategies and programs for effective communication and representation.
So, the real dichotomy is between these two types of opposition groups, not between those inside the country and those outside.
You have often been critical about the organization and strategy of the leading opposition groups. Can you tell us more about your view, and also provide a description of the main opposition organizations?
Traditional opposition groups keep thinking along ideological lines, and they fail to listen to the protesters and their demands. They keep seeing leadership as a right rather than a responsibility. They keep confusing making policy with making pronouncements and confusing coming up with strategies with academic research. This is why they can never be effective leaders.
For this, the international community needs to conduct outreach efforts to identify leaders and forces on the ground. They need to work with existing traditional opposition in order to make them better at the task of communicating with grassroots protesters and enablers of the new emerging leadership. Many believe that the regime will never negotiate its way out of power, but it seems the same applies for traditional opposition figures and parties. They will never accept giving their positions to the new emerging figures; they seem incapable of coming to terms with the failure of their ideologies at inspiring this mass moment.
Many observers are concerned that the Syrian opposition might be dominated by Islamists who would institute an even worse government for Syria, at least in international terms. How would you respond to that view?
There are Islamists, that’s for sure. But Syria’s ethnic makeup is simply too diverse to allow for the kind of dominance we saw in Egypt or Tunisia. However, since winning elections is about organization and not just demographics, and since Islamists are better organized and funded, there is definitely a need for domestic and international players concerned about Islamist influence to begin preparing themselves with all seriousness for the transitional period ahead.
What is the strategy of the Assad regime in trying to survive?
Transforming the crisis into a sectarian conflict; play on minority fears about the Sunni Arab majority in order to bring these minorities to the side of the regime or at least to neutralize them. Use overwhelming force and foster the expansion of pro-Assad militias and death squads to terrorize and punish the population of restive communities. Play on the fears of Western powers toward Islamists by trying to cast the revolutionaries as Salafist. Rely on support from Iran, Hezbollah, the Maliki government in Iraq, and Russia to keep the international community at bay and incapable of adopting strong policies toward the situation.
“What should we know about the Syrian regime that we don’t already know?
That it is not reformable and that its key leaders can never be part of the solution.”
What should we know about Islam that we don’t already know?
That it is not reformable and that anyone who follower Mohammad can never be part of the [right] solution.
Gettem wil cat !!!
“There are Islamists, that’s for sure. But Syria’s ethnic makeup is simply too diverse to allow for the kind of dominance we saw in Egypt or Tunisia.”
No serious person could possibly believe this.
“Rely on support from Iran, Hezbollah, the Maliki government in Iraq, and Russia to keep the international community at bay and incapable of adopting strong policies toward the situation.”
Oh you mean our ally Iraq. This should be a big red flag to anyone who thinks we should repeat such utter foolishness in Syria.
“Ammar Abdulhamid has been the most articulate and credible voice of the Syrian opposition and the movement to overthrow the current regime.”
Well he may be articulate but if he is so credible then let him raise a muslim army from muslim counties (Turkey, Egypt, etc) to fight for muslims for a change. I am sick and tired of non-muslims spending and dying and losing limbs for ingrate muslims. Besides isn’t whatever happens the will of Allah?
“Many observers are concerned that the Syrian opposition might be dominated by Islamists who would institute an even worse government for Syria, at least in international terms.”
These observers are called people who haven’t been in a coma for the last 10 years.
How about if all these very concerned Americans who are screaming for the poor Syrian rebels create their own army and sail over to Syria and fight for their beloved Muslim brothers. They would get to feel morally superior and the Syrians would get their money. The rest of us would like to get as far away as possible from the hell hole that the Mid East has become.
Assad was elected twice, both with more than 97 percent of the vote. That’s something the West just needs to accept. It’s possible the elections were fake, but that’s an issue of state sovereignty, not a reason to use violence. If it were acceptable for any individual to ignore an election result and rebel, then anarchy would result. That’s what’s happening now.
Wow, members of the Assad regime are trolling American websites? Don’t you guys have more pressing issues than whether pjmedia iterviews someone? I guess pjmedia should be flattered that the murderous Assad regime takes time out from killing kids to troll the site.
“Our experience in Lebanon led to the adoption by the administration of a set of principles to guide America in the application of military force abroad, and I would recommend it to future Presidents. The policy we adopted included these principles:
1. The United States should not commit its forces to military action overseas unless the cause is vital to our national interest.
2. If the decision is made to commit our forces to combat abroad, it must be done with the clear intent and support needed to win. It should not be a halfway or tentative commitment, and there must be clearly defined and realistic objectives.
3. Before we commit our troops to combat, there must be reasonable assurance that the cause we are fighting for and the actions we take will have the support of the American people and Congress.
4. Even after all these other tests are met, our troops should be committed to combat abroad only as a last resort, when no other choice is available.”
- Ronald Reagan (well known member of the Assad regime)
An interesting article/interview, Mr. Rubin. Thank you for it. The tragedy that is the Syrian civil war is all but ignored here, both by the MLM and the otherwise thinking e-media subculture (represented in part by PJM and its readership, their uncritical majority secularism and/or religious equivalentism notwithstanding).
There are, however, some unfortunate and discrediting elements within Mr. Abdulhamid’s responses – primarily regarding his unqualified support for American support for his military cause. His attempt at explaining away the dominant influence of Islamic literalists involved in the civil war by calling for “domestic and international players concerned about Islamist influence to begin preparing themselves with all seriousness for the transitional period ahead” sounds – to thoughtful and researched ears – exactly like the flailingly ignorant doubletalk vomited up incessantly by American liberals riding the O train. That statement by Mr. Abdulhamid – laced, as it is, with postmodern liberalism – says absolutely nothing in reality because it means something completely different to every individual who reads it.
Until the Islamic literalists are removed from the revolutionary scene in Syria – just like any persistent, unrelenting cancer should be prior to making attempts at healing other diseases infecting an organism – there is no legitimate rationale for transferring American taxpayer dollars into the very hands that will turn their purchased weapons and explosives, once successful in this first war, onto Jews and Christians in the region, then onto the rest of the world’s “infidels.”
The enemies of our enemy are NOT our friends, Mr. Rubin, until they are first our FRIENDS.
Readers interested in the evidence supporting the above statements are invited to visit Another Slow News Day’s blog page devoted to the Syrian Civil War.
http://anotherslownewsday.wordpress.com/syrias-civil-war/
Readers interested in additional information about the persecution of Christians in Syria by the very people Mr. Abdulhamid is asking us to send money, weapons and political support can also visit ASND’s page devoted to that topic (accessible from the branches Update Topics / Religion / Christianity / Christian Persecution menu tree) and scrolling down to the Syria section.
“The enemies of our enemy are NOT our friends, Mr. Rubin, until they are first our FRIENDS.”
The most intelligent sentence I have read regarding Syria yet and possibly the most intelligent ever! With your permission I am going to repeat that quote (minus the reference to Mr. Rubin).
Sorry, forgot to fill out my name.
What happened to the article about the presidents not getting security clearance?
From anolther blog:
“There was an article this morning on pjmedia about pres clinton and obama not being able to get a security clearance if they weren’t president. The article and the responses have been pulled off their site. Hmmmmmmm.”
WHY?
Gee, if I had not read the headline on this piece, I would have taken it for granted the author was writing about the United States of America.
Great work Mr. Adams!
Thanks for your tireless efforts.
Bravo!
Bravo!
I think whatever is really happening in Syria is very important to world affairs. The article mentions Russia and China. We seem to be on the eve of cataclysm.
I just can not seem to muster any concern over one strain of fanatics killing another strain of fanatics. Let them keep at it for a while-pick a winner-and give them support, but no US boots on the ground.
Syria = Hezbollah=Iran=Russia. We should help to blow Assad out and leave the Syrians to sort out their future.
A choice between the Muzloid bros. and the 12th imam ingrates is not much of a choice. It is a no-win for the US no matter what.
In a remark below, I’ve said that I reject this Ammar Abdulhamid accusing and implying that America has let his countrymen down.
We Americans seem to have had a polished knack for inserting ourselves into the affairs of others which costs our lives and blood, leading ultimately to the belittling of our efforts, and their contempt for the American hands which have fed them.
Contempt coming from the very beneficiaries of our young blood being shed on their behalf.
These Syrians of whatever stripe will simply add their names to the list. They’ll remain Islamists and Muslims….. first and foremost
The opposition to Assad has to fight not only Assad, but also the Iranians, the Russians, and maybe even Hezbollah as well. Not THAT is a tall order. Can it be done? Probably, if we give the opposition weapons, money, and support equipment (such as food and radios) that they are not getting now. We don’t have to risk one single American soldier in this. I’m sure we could funnel in much of what the rebels need either through Jordan or Lebanon, maybe even Iraq. Either way, it’s a cheap investment to get at Iran, which is what is at play here, Iran’s domination of Syria. We should be supplying the rebels because it not only may work, but it would also cause lots of problems for Iran and possibly even Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Iranians are very quick to try and de-stabilize countries in the region, like Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. We should try and put a stop to this by helping people out who can fight for themselves, like the rebels in Syria. All they need is a little help and it could earn us big rewards in the future. And even if the Islamists win, we would be no worse off than if Assad stayed in power after this rebellion.
yeah, and the weapons you provide to syria will in turn be sent to palestinians (since there are over half a million palestinians there) who will in turn use them against israel causing further deaths against the country that is known as america’s ally.
this is the same thing america did in afghanistan – they gave weapons to afghans (to fight the soviets) and in the last decade those weapons were used against americans. this is called blowback
Revelation is clear that the “BEAST” in Revelation is a caliphate of Islamic countries and it’s not far off! I know because the 60′s chicago terrorist group called the “Weatherman” who put Obama in power as promised have recently come back from there. You do know that this Chicago terrorist group called the “weathermen” also is a MARXIST group right? p.s. Both marxism & Islam are Anti-Christ in their doctrine, but Islam does not deny that there is a set-apart SPIRITUAL WORLD and MARXISM DENIES ANY SPIRIT AT ALL. Probably why WOMEN LOVE OBAMA! No? Watch!
This American is tired of being accused of a lapse of Responsibility in coming to the aid of all of those in need in Syria…whatever the need.
We’ve been coming to the aid of the World since 1917. So, I reject that accusation from this Ammar Abdulhamid as it applies to my America defending his homeland.
He says this while resident in our America? Let him move to Beirut or Cairo.
where’s my post? not writing the whole post out again lol you missed a typo mods