A Loud Voice For Syria's Freedom

[Sally]

Here is what one of Syria's activists is saying.

A LOUD VOICE FOR SYRIA'S FREEDOM
Noura Al-Ameer voices her burning desire for the freedom and justice in Syria. Al-Ameer is a young Syrian activist who was arrested and imprisoned because she fought for her voice to be heard and the freedom of her people. She wants her country to embody the words peace, freedom and democracy

• Jane Louise Kandur
• Published : 01.03.2014 20:33:29

Noura al Ameer is the highest ranking female in the Syrian National Coalition. When we stand side by side, she barely reaches my shoulder. Her elegant presence belies what she has experienced. At the tender age of 26, she was elected vice-president, with 68 percent of the votes. What made her so popular? Perhaps it was her personal struggle, having spent time in prison. Perhaps it was her efforts to publish an underground newspaper, which is what eventually led to her arrest. Perhaps it is her strong stance for freedom, democracy and justice.

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A loud voice for Syria s freedom Features Daily Sabah?

Her calm voice and her simple, clear statements are what make Noura seem normal, ordinary. But the spark in her eyes, flitting from pain to anger, opens a window on what she has been through, what Syrians are going through. The subtext is one full of anguish and determination.

 

[Bleipriester]

Surely, FSA and Al Nusra will help her to achieve peace, freedom and democracy...[/Irony]

 

[Sally]

Surely, FSA and Al Nusra will help her to achieve peace, freedom and democracy...[/Irony]

I take it you didn't like what she had to say. However, it appears that she actually lived in Syria while you live in Germany. Are you a Syrian ex-pat that you can prove her wrong?

 

[Bleipriester]

Surely, FSA and Al Nusra will help her to achieve peace, freedom and democracy...[/Irony]

I take it you didn't like what she had to say. However, it appears that she actually lived in Syria while you live in Germany. Are you a Syrian ex-pat that you can prove her wrong?

What she has to say? It doesn´t matter - She´s SNC member, a coalition, whose existence is build upon the terrorism carried out by the armed groups in Syria and that has no say in Syria.
Who can believe what she says under such circumstances?
Geneva II peace Conference doomed to fail?

 

[Sally]

Surely, FSA and Al Nusra will help her to achieve peace, freedom and democracy...[/Irony]

I take it you didn't like what she had to say. However, it appears that she actually lived in Syria while you live in Germany. Are you a Syrian ex-pat that you can prove her wrong?

What she has to say? It doesn´t matter - She´s SNC member, a coalition, whose existence is build upon the terrorism carried out by the armed groups in Syria and that has no say in Syria.
Geneva II peace Conference doomed to fail?

Have you ever thought that what you have to say about your beloved White Knight in Shining Armor doesn't matter either? Everyone should be allowed their say if they are Syrians regardless if you like it or not. You, as a Syrian ex pat or someone with roots in Syria. think one way, and there are other Syrians who think completely opposite from you.

Syrian in Israel Says U.S. Bombs Will Fail Without Aid to Rebels - Bloomberg?

 

[Bleipriester]

Surely, FSA and Al Nusra will help her to achieve peace, freedom and democracy...[/Irony]

I take it you didn't like what she had to say. However, it appears that she actually lived in Syria while you live in Germany. Are you a Syrian ex-pat that you can prove her wrong?

What she has to say? It doesn´t matter - She´s SNC member, a coalition, whose existence is build upon the terrorism carried out by the armed groups in Syria and that has no say in Syria.
Geneva II peace Conference doomed to fail?

Have you ever thought that what you have to say about your beloved White Knight in Shining Armor doesn't matter either? Everyone should be allowed their say if they are Syrians regardless if you like it or not. You, as a Syrian ex pat or someone with roots in Syria. think one way, and there are other Syrians who think completely opposite from you.

Syrian in Israel Says U.S. Bombs Will Fail Without Aid to Rebels - Bloomberg?

She can say whatever she wants. It simply doesn´t matter. The SNC is something that exists on the paper only. If you would read what I have linked to, you would know it. But you read what you like only. In spite of the SNC five star hotel opposition, President Assad is in Syria, under the threat of the terrorism there! And what he says, matters and will be done. What the SNC says - nobody cares about it. As the whole coalition, it is without any meaning.
As for your link: Supporting terrorism in order to fight terrorism is not a solution.

Well, I re-quote the text for you, so you don´t have to take the effort to follow the link. I am friendly, am I?

Within minutes of opening a Twitter account this past week, the leader of Syria's main Western-backed opposition group received an onslaught of criticism.

"Welcome to Twitter Mr. Western Puppet," one comment to Ahmad al-Jarba read. Others called him a Saudi stooge and scorned the opposition's perceived ineffectiveness. The comments reflect the deep disillusionment and distrust that many Syrians have come to feel toward the Syrian National Coalition, Syria's main opposition group in exile. They also underline the predicament of who will represent the Syrian opposition at an upcoming peace conference in Geneva marking the first face-to-face meeting between Syria's warring sides.
The Geneva talks have raised the possibility of a negotiated end to a conflict activists say has killed more than 120,000 people. But with a fractured opposition, many have little hope for strong negotiations with emissaries of President Bashar Assad.
"Each of them represents himself and maybe his wife," said an anti-government activist in the central Homs province, who uses the pseudonym Abul Hoda. "Nobody here pays any attention to what they say."
The Syrian National Coalition is seen by many as a disparate group of out-of-touch exiles with inflated egos and non-Syrian allegiances. Syrians often deride it as the "five-star-hotel opposition" for spending more time meeting in luxury hotels than being on the ground in Syria.
Damascus-based opposition groups call members of the coalition traitors for demanding U.S. military airstrikes against Syria following a chemical weapons attack in August that killed hundreds. But groups known as the "internal opposition" are themselves seen as aging and submissive to Assad's government, incapable of playing an effective opposition role for fear of arrest.
More importantly, the rebel factions that hold the real power on the ground won't go to Geneva. Some of the most powerful Islamic brigades have distanced themselves from the coalition. Meanwhile, rebels are losing ground to a crushing government military offensive.
"Given the lack of unity amongst the opposition, the West and regional allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia will struggle to establish a representative negotiation partner that is willing to engage with the Syrian government," said Torbjorn Soltvedt, a senior analyst at the British risk analysis firm Maplecroft.
He added that negotiations likely will prove futile until there is a significant shift in the balance of power on the ground. "As such, the Syrian conflict is still likely to be decided on the battlefield," he said.
The Syrian foreign ministry said this week that it will send a high-level delegation to the talks with clear directives from Assad. Although it hasn't said who will be going, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is expected to head the delegation.
It is much less clear who from the opposition side will be at the talks. Their deep splits will make it extremely difficult to select a unified opposition delegation. Western leaders have made clear they expect the coalition to be the chief negotiator on the opposition side at the conference, set for Jan. 22. The group has called on others to participate in a delegation under its command.
"The coalition will form the whole opposition delegation and it will lead this delegation. This is not up for discussion," senior coalition member Ahmad Ramadan said. "The coalition is the only side responsible for that."
The U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has said that the coalition will play a very important role in forming the delegation. "But I have always said that the delegation has to be credible and representative, as representative as possible," he said in Geneva last month.
Hassan Abdul-Azim, a veteran opposition figure in Syria who leads the Syria-based National Coordination Body for Democratic Change, said his group was ready to go to Geneva with a unified delegation made up of internal and external opposition group. But he said the coalition rejected the idea because it considers itself the only legitimate representative.
Many smaller opposition groups, including Kurdish parties, have not decided whether they will go and who will represent them. The coalition has said it will meet in Istanbul in mid-December to discuss the makeup of the delegation. But members of the group itself are split on the whole concept of a peace conference. Some of its senior members insist that Assad should step down and stand trial before any talks.
"In Europe, a train crash leads to government resignation. What about destroying half of Syria, displacing half its people and the killing and maiming of a million people?" asked opposition figure Kamal Labwani. "I am totally opposed to the Geneva conference."
Many believe the talks — if they go ahead — will be pointless, particularly now that Assad's forces have the upper hand in the fighting on the ground. The talks aim to establish a transitional government that would take over the country. But the opposition insists Assad must step aside, as the government says that's out of the question.
Gen. Salim Idris, the commander of the coalition's military wing known as the Free Syrian Army, said his faction will not take part in the talks and will not stop fighting until Assad is brought down by force. Meanwhile, frustration in the opposition remains clear, as it does in Twitter messages mocking Jarba's username "PresidentJarba."
"I find it disturbing you are calling yourself president already," one read. Another read: "100,000 Syrians martyrs and you ... still issue 'warnings.' No wonder ... Assad is still standing."

I am someone, who advised important persons in Syria, btw.

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

I don't profess to know anything about her except what I just found on the web, most of it in Al Jazeera. When they speak so glowingly of an "anti-government activist" in Syria, in the midst of a bloody civil war, you can't help but be suspect, especially since some of their own "anti-government activist" reporters are now cooling their heels for the next seven years in some Cairo dungeon.

 

[Sally]

Surely, FSA and Al Nusra will help her to achieve peace, freedom and democracy...[/Irony]

I take it you didn't like what she had to say. However, it appears that she actually lived in Syria while you live in Germany. Are you a Syrian ex-pat that you can prove her wrong?

What she has to say? It doesn´t matter - She´s SNC member, a coalition, whose existence is build upon the terrorism carried out by the armed groups in Syria and that has no say in Syria.
Geneva II peace Conference doomed to fail?

Have you ever thought that what you have to say about your beloved White Knight in Shining Armor doesn't matter either? Everyone should be allowed their say if they are Syrians regardless if you like it or not. You, as a Syrian ex pat or someone with roots in Syria. think one way, and there are other Syrians who think completely opposite from you.

Syrian in Israel Says U.S. Bombs Will Fail Without Aid to Rebels - Bloomberg?

She can say whatever she wants. It simply doesn´t matter. The SNC is something that exists on the paper only. If you would read what I have linked to, you would know it. But you read what you like only. In spite of the SNC five star coalition, President Assad is in Syria, under the threat of the terrorism there! And what he says, will be done. What the SNC says - nobody cares about it. As the whole coalition, it is without any meaning.
As for your link: Supporting terrorism in order to fight terrorism is not a solution.

Well, I re-quote the text for you, so you don´t have to take the effort to follow the link. I am friendly, am I?

Within minutes of opening a Twitter account this past week, the leader of Syria's main Western-backed opposition group received an onslaught of criticism.

"Welcome to Twitter Mr. Western Puppet," one comment to Ahmad al-Jarba read. Others called him a Saudi stooge and scorned the opposition's perceived ineffectiveness. The comments reflect the deep disillusionment and distrust that many Syrians have come to feel toward the Syrian National Coalition, Syria's main opposition group in exile. They also underline the predicament of who will represent the Syrian opposition at an upcoming peace conference in Geneva marking the first face-to-face meeting between Syria's warring sides.
The Geneva talks have raised the possibility of a negotiated end to a conflict activists say has killed more than 120,000 people. But with a fractured opposition, many have little hope for strong negotiations with emissaries of President Bashar Assad.
"Each of them represents himself and maybe his wife," said an anti-government activist in the central Homs province, who uses the pseudonym Abul Hoda. "Nobody here pays any attention to what they say."
The Syrian National Coalition is seen by many as a disparate group of out-of-touch exiles with inflated egos and non-Syrian allegiances. Syrians often deride it as the "five-star-hotel opposition" for spending more time meeting in luxury hotels than being on the ground in Syria.
Damascus-based opposition groups call members of the coalition traitors for demanding U.S. military airstrikes against Syria following a chemical weapons attack in August that killed hundreds. But groups known as the "internal opposition" are themselves seen as aging and submissive to Assad's government, incapable of playing an effective opposition role for fear of arrest.
More importantly, the rebel factions that hold the real power on the ground won't go to Geneva. Some of the most powerful Islamic brigades have distanced themselves from the coalition. Meanwhile, rebels are losing ground to a crushing government military offensive.
"Given the lack of unity amongst the opposition, the West and regional allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia will struggle to establish a representative negotiation partner that is willing to engage with the Syrian government," said Torbjorn Soltvedt, a senior analyst at the British risk analysis firm Maplecroft.
He added that negotiations likely will prove futile until there is a significant shift in the balance of power on the ground. "As such, the Syrian conflict is still likely to be decided on the battlefield," he said.
The Syrian foreign ministry said this week that it will send a high-level delegation to the talks with clear directives from Assad. Although it hasn't said who will be going, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is expected to head the delegation.
It is much less clear who from the opposition side will be at the talks. Their deep splits will make it extremely difficult to select a unified opposition delegation. Western leaders have made clear they expect the coalition to be the chief negotiator on the opposition side at the conference, set for Jan. 22. The group has called on others to participate in a delegation under its command.
"The coalition will form the whole opposition delegation and it will lead this delegation. This is not up for discussion," senior coalition member Ahmad Ramadan said. "The coalition is the only side responsible for that."
The U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has said that the coalition will play a very important role in forming the delegation. "But I have always said that the delegation has to be credible and representative, as representative as possible," he said in Geneva last month.
Hassan Abdul-Azim, a veteran opposition figure in Syria who leads the Syria-based National Coordination Body for Democratic Change, said his group was ready to go to Geneva with a unified delegation made up of internal and external opposition group. But he said the coalition rejected the idea because it considers itself the only legitimate representative.
Many smaller opposition groups, including Kurdish parties, have not decided whether they will go and who will represent them. The coalition has said it will meet in Istanbul in mid-December to discuss the makeup of the delegation. But members of the group itself are split on the whole concept of a peace conference. Some of its senior members insist that Assad should step down and stand trial before any talks.
"In Europe, a train crash leads to government resignation. What about destroying half of Syria, displacing half its people and the killing and maiming of a million people?" asked opposition figure Kamal Labwani. "I am totally opposed to the Geneva conference."
Many believe the talks — if they go ahead — will be pointless, particularly now that Assad's forces have the upper hand in the fighting on the ground. The talks aim to establish a transitional government that would take over the country. But the opposition insists Assad must step aside, as the government says that's out of the question.
Gen. Salim Idris, the commander of the coalition's military wing known as the Free Syrian Army, said his faction will not take part in the talks and will not stop fighting until Assad is brought down by force. Meanwhile, frustration in the opposition remains clear, as it does in Twitter messages mocking Jarba's username "PresidentJarba."
"I find it disturbing you are calling yourself president already," one read. Another read: "100,000 Syrians martyrs and you ... still issue 'warnings.' No wonder ... Assad is still standing."

I am someone, who advised important persons in Syria, btw.

You can tell us that you advised the Ayatollah Khomeini when he came back to Iran for all we care. I can tell you, if I felt like pulling your leg, that I advised President Reagan when he was the Governor of California. Meanwhile, even before this ISIS matter showed up and even before the various Arab Springs showed up, there were people in many Middle East countries who were tired of the dictators and tyrants, and it appears that there were and still are people who are tired of Assad. Nobody says you have to stop being his main cheering section. At least recognize the fact that other Syrians think different from you.

 

[Bleipriester]

Surely, FSA and Al Nusra will help her to achieve peace, freedom and democracy...[/Irony]

I take it you didn't like what she had to say. However, it appears that she actually lived in Syria while you live in Germany. Are you a Syrian ex-pat that you can prove her wrong?

What she has to say? It doesn´t matter - She´s SNC member, a coalition, whose existence is build upon the terrorism carried out by the armed groups in Syria and that has no say in Syria.
Geneva II peace Conference doomed to fail?

Have you ever thought that what you have to say about your beloved White Knight in Shining Armor doesn't matter either? Everyone should be allowed their say if they are Syrians regardless if you like it or not. You, as a Syrian ex pat or someone with roots in Syria. think one way, and there are other Syrians who think completely opposite from you.

Syrian in Israel Says U.S. Bombs Will Fail Without Aid to Rebels - Bloomberg?

She can say whatever she wants. It simply doesn´t matter. The SNC is something that exists on the paper only. If you would read what I have linked to, you would know it. But you read what you like only. In spite of the SNC five star coalition, President Assad is in Syria, under the threat of the terrorism there! And what he says, will be done. What the SNC says - nobody cares about it. As the whole coalition, it is without any meaning.
As for your link: Supporting terrorism in order to fight terrorism is not a solution.

Well, I re-quote the text for you, so you don´t have to take the effort to follow the link. I am friendly, am I?

Within minutes of opening a Twitter account this past week, the leader of Syria's main Western-backed opposition group received an onslaught of criticism.

"Welcome to Twitter Mr. Western Puppet," one comment to Ahmad al-Jarba read. Others called him a Saudi stooge and scorned the opposition's perceived ineffectiveness. The comments reflect the deep disillusionment and distrust that many Syrians have come to feel toward the Syrian National Coalition, Syria's main opposition group in exile. They also underline the predicament of who will represent the Syrian opposition at an upcoming peace conference in Geneva marking the first face-to-face meeting between Syria's warring sides.
The Geneva talks have raised the possibility of a negotiated end to a conflict activists say has killed more than 120,000 people. But with a fractured opposition, many have little hope for strong negotiations with emissaries of President Bashar Assad.
"Each of them represents himself and maybe his wife," said an anti-government activist in the central Homs province, who uses the pseudonym Abul Hoda. "Nobody here pays any attention to what they say."
The Syrian National Coalition is seen by many as a disparate group of out-of-touch exiles with inflated egos and non-Syrian allegiances. Syrians often deride it as the "five-star-hotel opposition" for spending more time meeting in luxury hotels than being on the ground in Syria.
Damascus-based opposition groups call members of the coalition traitors for demanding U.S. military airstrikes against Syria following a chemical weapons attack in August that killed hundreds. But groups known as the "internal opposition" are themselves seen as aging and submissive to Assad's government, incapable of playing an effective opposition role for fear of arrest.
More importantly, the rebel factions that hold the real power on the ground won't go to Geneva. Some of the most powerful Islamic brigades have distanced themselves from the coalition. Meanwhile, rebels are losing ground to a crushing government military offensive.
"Given the lack of unity amongst the opposition, the West and regional allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia will struggle to establish a representative negotiation partner that is willing to engage with the Syrian government," said Torbjorn Soltvedt, a senior analyst at the British risk analysis firm Maplecroft.
He added that negotiations likely will prove futile until there is a significant shift in the balance of power on the ground. "As such, the Syrian conflict is still likely to be decided on the battlefield," he said.
The Syrian foreign ministry said this week that it will send a high-level delegation to the talks with clear directives from Assad. Although it hasn't said who will be going, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is expected to head the delegation.
It is much less clear who from the opposition side will be at the talks. Their deep splits will make it extremely difficult to select a unified opposition delegation. Western leaders have made clear they expect the coalition to be the chief negotiator on the opposition side at the conference, set for Jan. 22. The group has called on others to participate in a delegation under its command.
"The coalition will form the whole opposition delegation and it will lead this delegation. This is not up for discussion," senior coalition member Ahmad Ramadan said. "The coalition is the only side responsible for that."
The U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has said that the coalition will play a very important role in forming the delegation. "But I have always said that the delegation has to be credible and representative, as representative as possible," he said in Geneva last month.
Hassan Abdul-Azim, a veteran opposition figure in Syria who leads the Syria-based National Coordination Body for Democratic Change, said his group was ready to go to Geneva with a unified delegation made up of internal and external opposition group. But he said the coalition rejected the idea because it considers itself the only legitimate representative.
Many smaller opposition groups, including Kurdish parties, have not decided whether they will go and who will represent them. The coalition has said it will meet in Istanbul in mid-December to discuss the makeup of the delegation. But members of the group itself are split on the whole concept of a peace conference. Some of its senior members insist that Assad should step down and stand trial before any talks.
"In Europe, a train crash leads to government resignation. What about destroying half of Syria, displacing half its people and the killing and maiming of a million people?" asked opposition figure Kamal Labwani. "I am totally opposed to the Geneva conference."
Many believe the talks — if they go ahead — will be pointless, particularly now that Assad's forces have the upper hand in the fighting on the ground. The talks aim to establish a transitional government that would take over the country. But the opposition insists Assad must step aside, as the government says that's out of the question.
Gen. Salim Idris, the commander of the coalition's military wing known as the Free Syrian Army, said his faction will not take part in the talks and will not stop fighting until Assad is brought down by force. Meanwhile, frustration in the opposition remains clear, as it does in Twitter messages mocking Jarba's username "PresidentJarba."
"I find it disturbing you are calling yourself president already," one read. Another read: "100,000 Syrians martyrs and you ... still issue 'warnings.' No wonder ... Assad is still standing."

I am someone, who advised important persons in Syria, btw.

You can tell us that you advised the Ayatollah Khomeini when he came back to Iran for all we care. I can tell you, if I felt like pulling your leg, that I advised President Reagan when he was the Governor of California. Meanwhile, even before this ISIS matter showed up and even before the various Arab Springs showed up, there were people in many Middle East countries who were tired of the dictators and tyrants, and it appears that there were and still are people who are tired of Assad. Nobody says you have to stop being his main cheering section. At least recognize the fact that other Syrians think different from you.

Really can´t care for your mockery. Look, you ignore that your beloved "rebels" are terrorists. Terrorists don´t achieve freedom, peace and democracy, even if they would fight an evil regime, what they are doing NOT.
You further ignore the will of the Syrian people that elected President Assad. You ignore that in favor of a bunch of terrorists in Syria with a smiling international face that is called SNC. What about your conscience, Sally?

 

[Sally]

I take it you didn't like what she had to say. However, it appears that she actually lived in Syria while you live in Germany. Are you a Syrian ex-pat that you can prove her wrong?

What she has to say? It doesn´t matter - She´s SNC member, a coalition, whose existence is build upon the terrorism carried out by the armed groups in Syria and that has no say in Syria.
Geneva II peace Conference doomed to fail?

Have you ever thought that what you have to say about your beloved White Knight in Shining Armor doesn't matter either? Everyone should be allowed their say if they are Syrians regardless if you like it or not. You, as a Syrian ex pat or someone with roots in Syria. think one way, and there are other Syrians who think completely opposite from you.

Syrian in Israel Says U.S. Bombs Will Fail Without Aid to Rebels - Bloomberg?

She can say whatever she wants. It simply doesn´t matter. The SNC is something that exists on the paper only. If you would read what I have linked to, you would know it. But you read what you like only. In spite of the SNC five star coalition, President Assad is in Syria, under the threat of the terrorism there! And what he says, will be done. What the SNC says - nobody cares about it. As the whole coalition, it is without any meaning.
As for your link: Supporting terrorism in order to fight terrorism is not a solution.

Well, I re-quote the text for you, so you don´t have to take the effort to follow the link. I am friendly, am I?

Within minutes of opening a Twitter account this past week, the leader of Syria's main Western-backed opposition group received an onslaught of criticism.

"Welcome to Twitter Mr. Western Puppet," one comment to Ahmad al-Jarba read. Others called him a Saudi stooge and scorned the opposition's perceived ineffectiveness. The comments reflect the deep disillusionment and distrust that many Syrians have come to feel toward the Syrian National Coalition, Syria's main opposition group in exile. They also underline the predicament of who will represent the Syrian opposition at an upcoming peace conference in Geneva marking the first face-to-face meeting between Syria's warring sides.
The Geneva talks have raised the possibility of a negotiated end to a conflict activists say has killed more than 120,000 people. But with a fractured opposition, many have little hope for strong negotiations with emissaries of President Bashar Assad.
"Each of them represents himself and maybe his wife," said an anti-government activist in the central Homs province, who uses the pseudonym Abul Hoda. "Nobody here pays any attention to what they say."
The Syrian National Coalition is seen by many as a disparate group of out-of-touch exiles with inflated egos and non-Syrian allegiances. Syrians often deride it as the "five-star-hotel opposition" for spending more time meeting in luxury hotels than being on the ground in Syria.
Damascus-based opposition groups call members of the coalition traitors for demanding U.S. military airstrikes against Syria following a chemical weapons attack in August that killed hundreds. But groups known as the "internal opposition" are themselves seen as aging and submissive to Assad's government, incapable of playing an effective opposition role for fear of arrest.
More importantly, the rebel factions that hold the real power on the ground won't go to Geneva. Some of the most powerful Islamic brigades have distanced themselves from the coalition. Meanwhile, rebels are losing ground to a crushing government military offensive.
"Given the lack of unity amongst the opposition, the West and regional allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia will struggle to establish a representative negotiation partner that is willing to engage with the Syrian government," said Torbjorn Soltvedt, a senior analyst at the British risk analysis firm Maplecroft.
He added that negotiations likely will prove futile until there is a significant shift in the balance of power on the ground. "As such, the Syrian conflict is still likely to be decided on the battlefield," he said.
The Syrian foreign ministry said this week that it will send a high-level delegation to the talks with clear directives from Assad. Although it hasn't said who will be going, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is expected to head the delegation.
It is much less clear who from the opposition side will be at the talks. Their deep splits will make it extremely difficult to select a unified opposition delegation. Western leaders have made clear they expect the coalition to be the chief negotiator on the opposition side at the conference, set for Jan. 22. The group has called on others to participate in a delegation under its command.
"The coalition will form the whole opposition delegation and it will lead this delegation. This is not up for discussion," senior coalition member Ahmad Ramadan said. "The coalition is the only side responsible for that."
The U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has said that the coalition will play a very important role in forming the delegation. "But I have always said that the delegation has to be credible and representative, as representative as possible," he said in Geneva last month.
Hassan Abdul-Azim, a veteran opposition figure in Syria who leads the Syria-based National Coordination Body for Democratic Change, said his group was ready to go to Geneva with a unified delegation made up of internal and external opposition group. But he said the coalition rejected the idea because it considers itself the only legitimate representative.
Many smaller opposition groups, including Kurdish parties, have not decided whether they will go and who will represent them. The coalition has said it will meet in Istanbul in mid-December to discuss the makeup of the delegation. But members of the group itself are split on the whole concept of a peace conference. Some of its senior members insist that Assad should step down and stand trial before any talks.
"In Europe, a train crash leads to government resignation. What about destroying half of Syria, displacing half its people and the killing and maiming of a million people?" asked opposition figure Kamal Labwani. "I am totally opposed to the Geneva conference."
Many believe the talks — if they go ahead — will be pointless, particularly now that Assad's forces have the upper hand in the fighting on the ground. The talks aim to establish a transitional government that would take over the country. But the opposition insists Assad must step aside, as the government says that's out of the question.
Gen. Salim Idris, the commander of the coalition's military wing known as the Free Syrian Army, said his faction will not take part in the talks and will not stop fighting until Assad is brought down by force. Meanwhile, frustration in the opposition remains clear, as it does in Twitter messages mocking Jarba's username "PresidentJarba."
"I find it disturbing you are calling yourself president already," one read. Another read: "100,000 Syrians martyrs and you ... still issue 'warnings.' No wonder ... Assad is still standing."

I am someone, who advised important persons in Syria, btw.

You can tell us that you advised the Ayatollah Khomeini when he came back to Iran for all we care. I can tell you, if I felt like pulling your leg, that I advised President Reagan when he was the Governor of California. Meanwhile, even before this ISIS matter showed up and even before the various Arab Springs showed up, there were people in many Middle East countries who were tired of the dictators and tyrants, and it appears that there were and still are people who are tired of Assad. Nobody says you have to stop being his main cheering section. At least recognize the fact that other Syrians think different from you.

Really can´t care for your mockery. Look, you ignore that your beloved "rebels" are terrorists. Terrorists don´t achieve freedom, peace and democracy, even if they would fight an evil regime, what they are doing NOT.
You further ignore the will of the Syrian people that elected President Assad. You ignore that in favor of a bunch of terrorists in Syria with a smiley international face that is called SNC. What about your conscience, Sally?

Evidently you have no conscience because you only want to see articles posted which put your hero on a pedestal even though stories have come out about how horrific the things that were done in his name.. There are two sides to every story. You put down Aris even though she was in that area and happened to know the Assad family personally, but we are all supposed to listen to you telling us how wondering Assad is. Well carry on and keep on telling us what a great man he is if it makes you feel good about yourself. Maybe if he is still around later on, he will beg you to come back from Germany and advise him some more.

 

[Bleipriester]

What she has to say? It doesn´t matter - She´s SNC member, a coalition, whose existence is build upon the terrorism carried out by the armed groups in Syria and that has no say in Syria.
Geneva II peace Conference doomed to fail?

Have you ever thought that what you have to say about your beloved White Knight in Shining Armor doesn't matter either? Everyone should be allowed their say if they are Syrians regardless if you like it or not. You, as a Syrian ex pat or someone with roots in Syria. think one way, and there are other Syrians who think completely opposite from you.

Syrian in Israel Says U.S. Bombs Will Fail Without Aid to Rebels - Bloomberg?

She can say whatever she wants. It simply doesn´t matter. The SNC is something that exists on the paper only. If you would read what I have linked to, you would know it. But you read what you like only. In spite of the SNC five star coalition, President Assad is in Syria, under the threat of the terrorism there! And what he says, will be done. What the SNC says - nobody cares about it. As the whole coalition, it is without any meaning.
As for your link: Supporting terrorism in order to fight terrorism is not a solution.

Well, I re-quote the text for you, so you don´t have to take the effort to follow the link. I am friendly, am I?

Within minutes of opening a Twitter account this past week, the leader of Syria's main Western-backed opposition group received an onslaught of criticism.

"Welcome to Twitter Mr. Western Puppet," one comment to Ahmad al-Jarba read. Others called him a Saudi stooge and scorned the opposition's perceived ineffectiveness. The comments reflect the deep disillusionment and distrust that many Syrians have come to feel toward the Syrian National Coalition, Syria's main opposition group in exile. They also underline the predicament of who will represent the Syrian opposition at an upcoming peace conference in Geneva marking the first face-to-face meeting between Syria's warring sides.
The Geneva talks have raised the possibility of a negotiated end to a conflict activists say has killed more than 120,000 people. But with a fractured opposition, many have little hope for strong negotiations with emissaries of President Bashar Assad.
"Each of them represents himself and maybe his wife," said an anti-government activist in the central Homs province, who uses the pseudonym Abul Hoda. "Nobody here pays any attention to what they say."
The Syrian National Coalition is seen by many as a disparate group of out-of-touch exiles with inflated egos and non-Syrian allegiances. Syrians often deride it as the "five-star-hotel opposition" for spending more time meeting in luxury hotels than being on the ground in Syria.
Damascus-based opposition groups call members of the coalition traitors for demanding U.S. military airstrikes against Syria following a chemical weapons attack in August that killed hundreds. But groups known as the "internal opposition" are themselves seen as aging and submissive to Assad's government, incapable of playing an effective opposition role for fear of arrest.
More importantly, the rebel factions that hold the real power on the ground won't go to Geneva. Some of the most powerful Islamic brigades have distanced themselves from the coalition. Meanwhile, rebels are losing ground to a crushing government military offensive.
"Given the lack of unity amongst the opposition, the West and regional allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia will struggle to establish a representative negotiation partner that is willing to engage with the Syrian government," said Torbjorn Soltvedt, a senior analyst at the British risk analysis firm Maplecroft.
He added that negotiations likely will prove futile until there is a significant shift in the balance of power on the ground. "As such, the Syrian conflict is still likely to be decided on the battlefield," he said.
The Syrian foreign ministry said this week that it will send a high-level delegation to the talks with clear directives from Assad. Although it hasn't said who will be going, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is expected to head the delegation.
It is much less clear who from the opposition side will be at the talks. Their deep splits will make it extremely difficult to select a unified opposition delegation. Western leaders have made clear they expect the coalition to be the chief negotiator on the opposition side at the conference, set for Jan. 22. The group has called on others to participate in a delegation under its command.
"The coalition will form the whole opposition delegation and it will lead this delegation. This is not up for discussion," senior coalition member Ahmad Ramadan said. "The coalition is the only side responsible for that."
The U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has said that the coalition will play a very important role in forming the delegation. "But I have always said that the delegation has to be credible and representative, as representative as possible," he said in Geneva last month.
Hassan Abdul-Azim, a veteran opposition figure in Syria who leads the Syria-based National Coordination Body for Democratic Change, said his group was ready to go to Geneva with a unified delegation made up of internal and external opposition group. But he said the coalition rejected the idea because it considers itself the only legitimate representative.
Many smaller opposition groups, including Kurdish parties, have not decided whether they will go and who will represent them. The coalition has said it will meet in Istanbul in mid-December to discuss the makeup of the delegation. But members of the group itself are split on the whole concept of a peace conference. Some of its senior members insist that Assad should step down and stand trial before any talks.
"In Europe, a train crash leads to government resignation. What about destroying half of Syria, displacing half its people and the killing and maiming of a million people?" asked opposition figure Kamal Labwani. "I am totally opposed to the Geneva conference."
Many believe the talks — if they go ahead — will be pointless, particularly now that Assad's forces have the upper hand in the fighting on the ground. The talks aim to establish a transitional government that would take over the country. But the opposition insists Assad must step aside, as the government says that's out of the question.
Gen. Salim Idris, the commander of the coalition's military wing known as the Free Syrian Army, said his faction will not take part in the talks and will not stop fighting until Assad is brought down by force. Meanwhile, frustration in the opposition remains clear, as it does in Twitter messages mocking Jarba's username "PresidentJarba."
"I find it disturbing you are calling yourself president already," one read. Another read: "100,000 Syrians martyrs and you ... still issue 'warnings.' No wonder ... Assad is still standing."

I am someone, who advised important persons in Syria, btw.

You can tell us that you advised the Ayatollah Khomeini when he came back to Iran for all we care. I can tell you, if I felt like pulling your leg, that I advised President Reagan when he was the Governor of California. Meanwhile, even before this ISIS matter showed up and even before the various Arab Springs showed up, there were people in many Middle East countries who were tired of the dictators and tyrants, and it appears that there were and still are people who are tired of Assad. Nobody says you have to stop being his main cheering section. At least recognize the fact that other Syrians think different from you.

Really can´t care for your mockery. Look, you ignore that your beloved "rebels" are terrorists. Terrorists don´t achieve freedom, peace and democracy, even if they would fight an evil regime, what they are doing NOT.
You further ignore the will of the Syrian people that elected President Assad. You ignore that in favor of a bunch of terrorists in Syria with a smiley international face that is called SNC. What about your conscience, Sally?

Evidently you have no conscience because you only want to see articles posted which put your hero on a pedestal even though stories have come out about how horrific the things that were done in his name.. There are two sides to every story. You put down Aris even though she was in that area and happened to know the Assad family personally, but we are all supposed to listen to you telling us how wondering Assad is. Well carry on and keep on telling us what a great man he is if it makes you feel good about yourself. Maybe if he is still around later on, he will beg you to come back from Germany and advise him some more.

The situation is clear: Their "heroic rebels" appear to be brutes, so their only way is to blame the government. Stories appear that have never appeared before the conflict, etc. Fairy tales. Easy to see through.

 

[Sally]

Have you ever thought that what you have to say about your beloved White Knight in Shining Armor doesn't matter either? Everyone should be allowed their say if they are Syrians regardless if you like it or not. You, as a Syrian ex pat or someone with roots in Syria. think one way, and there are other Syrians who think completely opposite from you.

Syrian in Israel Says U.S. Bombs Will Fail Without Aid to Rebels - Bloomberg?

She can say whatever she wants. It simply doesn´t matter. The SNC is something that exists on the paper only. If you would read what I have linked to, you would know it. But you read what you like only. In spite of the SNC five star coalition, President Assad is in Syria, under the threat of the terrorism there! And what he says, will be done. What the SNC says - nobody cares about it. As the whole coalition, it is without any meaning.
As for your link: Supporting terrorism in order to fight terrorism is not a solution.

Well, I re-quote the text for you, so you don´t have to take the effort to follow the link. I am friendly, am I?

Within minutes of opening a Twitter account this past week, the leader of Syria's main Western-backed opposition group received an onslaught of criticism.

"Welcome to Twitter Mr. Western Puppet," one comment to Ahmad al-Jarba read. Others called him a Saudi stooge and scorned the opposition's perceived ineffectiveness. The comments reflect the deep disillusionment and distrust that many Syrians have come to feel toward the Syrian National Coalition, Syria's main opposition group in exile. They also underline the predicament of who will represent the Syrian opposition at an upcoming peace conference in Geneva marking the first face-to-face meeting between Syria's warring sides.
The Geneva talks have raised the possibility of a negotiated end to a conflict activists say has killed more than 120,000 people. But with a fractured opposition, many have little hope for strong negotiations with emissaries of President Bashar Assad.
"Each of them represents himself and maybe his wife," said an anti-government activist in the central Homs province, who uses the pseudonym Abul Hoda. "Nobody here pays any attention to what they say."
The Syrian National Coalition is seen by many as a disparate group of out-of-touch exiles with inflated egos and non-Syrian allegiances. Syrians often deride it as the "five-star-hotel opposition" for spending more time meeting in luxury hotels than being on the ground in Syria.
Damascus-based opposition groups call members of the coalition traitors for demanding U.S. military airstrikes against Syria following a chemical weapons attack in August that killed hundreds. But groups known as the "internal opposition" are themselves seen as aging and submissive to Assad's government, incapable of playing an effective opposition role for fear of arrest.
More importantly, the rebel factions that hold the real power on the ground won't go to Geneva. Some of the most powerful Islamic brigades have distanced themselves from the coalition. Meanwhile, rebels are losing ground to a crushing government military offensive.
"Given the lack of unity amongst the opposition, the West and regional allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia will struggle to establish a representative negotiation partner that is willing to engage with the Syrian government," said Torbjorn Soltvedt, a senior analyst at the British risk analysis firm Maplecroft.
He added that negotiations likely will prove futile until there is a significant shift in the balance of power on the ground. "As such, the Syrian conflict is still likely to be decided on the battlefield," he said.
The Syrian foreign ministry said this week that it will send a high-level delegation to the talks with clear directives from Assad. Although it hasn't said who will be going, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is expected to head the delegation.
It is much less clear who from the opposition side will be at the talks. Their deep splits will make it extremely difficult to select a unified opposition delegation. Western leaders have made clear they expect the coalition to be the chief negotiator on the opposition side at the conference, set for Jan. 22. The group has called on others to participate in a delegation under its command.
"The coalition will form the whole opposition delegation and it will lead this delegation. This is not up for discussion," senior coalition member Ahmad Ramadan said. "The coalition is the only side responsible for that."
The U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has said that the coalition will play a very important role in forming the delegation. "But I have always said that the delegation has to be credible and representative, as representative as possible," he said in Geneva last month.
Hassan Abdul-Azim, a veteran opposition figure in Syria who leads the Syria-based National Coordination Body for Democratic Change, said his group was ready to go to Geneva with a unified delegation made up of internal and external opposition group. But he said the coalition rejected the idea because it considers itself the only legitimate representative.
Many smaller opposition groups, including Kurdish parties, have not decided whether they will go and who will represent them. The coalition has said it will meet in Istanbul in mid-December to discuss the makeup of the delegation. But members of the group itself are split on the whole concept of a peace conference. Some of its senior members insist that Assad should step down and stand trial before any talks.
"In Europe, a train crash leads to government resignation. What about destroying half of Syria, displacing half its people and the killing and maiming of a million people?" asked opposition figure Kamal Labwani. "I am totally opposed to the Geneva conference."
Many believe the talks — if they go ahead — will be pointless, particularly now that Assad's forces have the upper hand in the fighting on the ground. The talks aim to establish a transitional government that would take over the country. But the opposition insists Assad must step aside, as the government says that's out of the question.
Gen. Salim Idris, the commander of the coalition's military wing known as the Free Syrian Army, said his faction will not take part in the talks and will not stop fighting until Assad is brought down by force. Meanwhile, frustration in the opposition remains clear, as it does in Twitter messages mocking Jarba's username "PresidentJarba."
"I find it disturbing you are calling yourself president already," one read. Another read: "100,000 Syrians martyrs and you ... still issue 'warnings.' No wonder ... Assad is still standing."

I am someone, who advised important persons in Syria, btw.

You can tell us that you advised the Ayatollah Khomeini when he came back to Iran for all we care. I can tell you, if I felt like pulling your leg, that I advised President Reagan when he was the Governor of California. Meanwhile, even before this ISIS matter showed up and even before the various Arab Springs showed up, there were people in many Middle East countries who were tired of the dictators and tyrants, and it appears that there were and still are people who are tired of Assad. Nobody says you have to stop being his main cheering section. At least recognize the fact that other Syrians think different from you.

Really can´t care for your mockery. Look, you ignore that your beloved "rebels" are terrorists. Terrorists don´t achieve freedom, peace and democracy, even if they would fight an evil regime, what they are doing NOT.
You further ignore the will of the Syrian people that elected President Assad. You ignore that in favor of a bunch of terrorists in Syria with a smiley international face that is called SNC. What about your conscience, Sally?

Evidently you have no conscience because you only want to see articles posted which put your hero on a pedestal even though stories have come out about how horrific the things that were done in his name.. There are two sides to every story. You put down Aris even though she was in that area and happened to know the Assad family personally, but we are all supposed to listen to you telling us how wondering Assad is. Well carry on and keep on telling us what a great man he is if it makes you feel good about yourself. Maybe if he is still around later on, he will beg you to come back from Germany and advise him some more.

The situation is clear: Their "heroic rebels" appear to be brutes, so their only way is to blame the government. Stories appear that have never appeared before the conflict, etc. Fairy tales. Easy to see through.

There really is no use arguing with you. In your eyes, Assad is Superman, Batman and Captain Marvel all rolled up in one. However, there are others who have lived in Syria who think much differently from the way you do and saw what was going on. However, you carry on with the comic book character who would not harm a fly.

Tales of Torture in Syria as Bashar Assad Cements Power

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

History's only crime is losing. Say what you want about Assad, but the man is no loser.

 

[Bleipriester]

She can say whatever she wants. It simply doesn´t matter. The SNC is something that exists on the paper only. If you would read what I have linked to, you would know it. But you read what you like only. In spite of the SNC five star coalition, President Assad is in Syria, under the threat of the terrorism there! And what he says, will be done. What the SNC says - nobody cares about it. As the whole coalition, it is without any meaning.
As for your link: Supporting terrorism in order to fight terrorism is not a solution.

Well, I re-quote the text for you, so you don´t have to take the effort to follow the link. I am friendly, am I?

I am someone, who advised important persons in Syria, btw.

You can tell us that you advised the Ayatollah Khomeini when he came back to Iran for all we care. I can tell you, if I felt like pulling your leg, that I advised President Reagan when he was the Governor of California. Meanwhile, even before this ISIS matter showed up and even before the various Arab Springs showed up, there were people in many Middle East countries who were tired of the dictators and tyrants, and it appears that there were and still are people who are tired of Assad. Nobody says you have to stop being his main cheering section. At least recognize the fact that other Syrians think different from you.

Really can´t care for your mockery. Look, you ignore that your beloved "rebels" are terrorists. Terrorists don´t achieve freedom, peace and democracy, even if they would fight an evil regime, what they are doing NOT.
You further ignore the will of the Syrian people that elected President Assad. You ignore that in favor of a bunch of terrorists in Syria with a smiley international face that is called SNC. What about your conscience, Sally?

Evidently you have no conscience because you only want to see articles posted which put your hero on a pedestal even though stories have come out about how horrific the things that were done in his name.. There are two sides to every story. You put down Aris even though she was in that area and happened to know the Assad family personally, but we are all supposed to listen to you telling us how wondering Assad is. Well carry on and keep on telling us what a great man he is if it makes you feel good about yourself. Maybe if he is still around later on, he will beg you to come back from Germany and advise him some more.

The situation is clear: Their "heroic rebels" appear to be brutes, so their only way is to blame the government. Stories appear that have never appeared before the conflict, etc. Fairy tales. Easy to see through.

There really is no use arguing with you. In your eyes, Assad is Superman, Batman and Captain Marvel all rolled up in one. However, there are others who have lived in Syria who think much differently from the way you do and saw what was going on. However, you carry on with the comic book character who would not harm a fly.

Tales of Torture in Syria as Bashar Assad Cements Power

There really is no use arguing with you. You are repeating your bullshit over and over again. "Assad Superman for a poster, evil Assad´s crimes" in an infinite loop. But we know: if everything was the same but the West would like Assad, your bloomy Assad praises would dominate the Middle East forum.

 

[Sally]

You can tell us that you advised the Ayatollah Khomeini when he came back to Iran for all we care. I can tell you, if I felt like pulling your leg, that I advised President Reagan when he was the Governor of California. Meanwhile, even before this ISIS matter showed up and even before the various Arab Springs showed up, there were people in many Middle East countries who were tired of the dictators and tyrants, and it appears that there were and still are people who are tired of Assad. Nobody says you have to stop being his main cheering section. At least recognize the fact that other Syrians think different from you.

Really can´t care for your mockery. Look, you ignore that your beloved "rebels" are terrorists. Terrorists don´t achieve freedom, peace and democracy, even if they would fight an evil regime, what they are doing NOT.
You further ignore the will of the Syrian people that elected President Assad. You ignore that in favor of a bunch of terrorists in Syria with a smiley international face that is called SNC. What about your conscience, Sally?

Evidently you have no conscience because you only want to see articles posted which put your hero on a pedestal even though stories have come out about how horrific the things that were done in his name.. There are two sides to every story. You put down Aris even though she was in that area and happened to know the Assad family personally, but we are all supposed to listen to you telling us how wondering Assad is. Well carry on and keep on telling us what a great man he is if it makes you feel good about yourself. Maybe if he is still around later on, he will beg you to come back from Germany and advise him some more.

The situation is clear: Their "heroic rebels" appear to be brutes, so their only way is to blame the government. Stories appear that have never appeared before the conflict, etc. Fairy tales. Easy to see through.

There really is no use arguing with you. In your eyes, Assad is Superman, Batman and Captain Marvel all rolled up in one. However, there are others who have lived in Syria who think much differently from the way you do and saw what was going on. However, you carry on with the comic book character who would not harm a fly.

Tales of Torture in Syria as Bashar Assad Cements Power

There really is no use arguing with you. You are repeating your bullshit over and over again. "Assad Superman for a poster, evil Assad´s crimes" in an infinite loop. But we know: if everything was the same but the West would like Assad, your bloomy Assad praises would dominate the Middle East forum.

For one thing those activists were actually in Syria so they know what they are talking about. If Syria was so wonderful, why don't you tell us why you left?

 

[Bleipriester]

Really can´t care for your mockery. Look, you ignore that your beloved "rebels" are terrorists. Terrorists don´t achieve freedom, peace and democracy, even if they would fight an evil regime, what they are doing NOT.
You further ignore the will of the Syrian people that elected President Assad. You ignore that in favor of a bunch of terrorists in Syria with a smiley international face that is called SNC. What about your conscience, Sally?

Evidently you have no conscience because you only want to see articles posted which put your hero on a pedestal even though stories have come out about how horrific the things that were done in his name.. There are two sides to every story. You put down Aris even though she was in that area and happened to know the Assad family personally, but we are all supposed to listen to you telling us how wondering Assad is. Well carry on and keep on telling us what a great man he is if it makes you feel good about yourself. Maybe if he is still around later on, he will beg you to come back from Germany and advise him some more.

The situation is clear: Their "heroic rebels" appear to be brutes, so their only way is to blame the government. Stories appear that have never appeared before the conflict, etc. Fairy tales. Easy to see through.

There really is no use arguing with you. In your eyes, Assad is Superman, Batman and Captain Marvel all rolled up in one. However, there are others who have lived in Syria who think much differently from the way you do and saw what was going on. However, you carry on with the comic book character who would not harm a fly.

Tales of Torture in Syria as Bashar Assad Cements Power

There really is no use arguing with you. You are repeating your bullshit over and over again. "Assad Superman for a poster, evil Assad´s crimes" in an infinite loop. But we know: if everything was the same but the West would like Assad, your bloomy Assad praises would dominate the Middle East forum.

For one thing those activists were actually in Syria so they know what they are talking about. If Syria was so wonderful, why don't you tell us why you left?

There are millions of people who are or were in Syria who don't talk about that alleged crimes. However, I have been confronted with detailed plans of an Islamist invasion in Syria. I gave that plans to the Syrian government and adviced the government in that context.
In another context, I have been in Syria, Israel and Palestine to hear the officials and find a balanced and fair opinion about the situation.