Syrian Opposition Urges International Protection

The main Syrian opposition group says Homs is a disaster area and is urging international protection for civilians.

The Syrian National Council said government forces had been shelling residential areas for days.

It says civilians are very short of food and medical supplies, and electricity and water have been cut.

Last week the Syrian government agreed to an Arab League deal to pull troops out of residential areas.

The Syrian National Council’s Ausama Monajed tells anchor Marco Werman what he thinks international intervention in Syria could accomplish.

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Marco Werman: I’m Marco Werman. This is The World. What used to be called the Arab Spring is now two seasons old in Syria and there are signs that the strife, especially in the city of Homs may be intensifying.

Abdu Rami Al Omsi: It’s another day full of bloodshed here in Homs. We are targeted by snipers, which are above the roofs on buildings. We can reach to the injuries and the wounded, so we can’t rescue them.

Werman: That’s Homs resident, Abdu Rami Al Omsi. The opposition Syrian National Council says Homs has become a disaster zone and it’s asking the United Nations to intervene. The opposition says Syrian government forces have been shelling residential neighborhoods for days and hat food and medical supplies are running low. Heavy tank fire has bombarded parts of Homs for six days, leading to scores of death. There’s little evidence that the Syrian government is making good on its promise to pull its troops out of civilian areas. Ausama Monajed is a member of the opposition group, the Syrian National Council. He’s in London. What is Homs like today, Ausama Monajed, and what exactly are you calling on the United Nations to do there?

Ausama Monajed: Well, Homs is certainly a disaster area. Civilians’ houses have been shelled. Tanks are running all over the city and forcing a siege. It’s a complete war zone and that’s why the Syrian National Council has requested the international community to intervene. And we requested an urgent meeting of the Arab League will take place very soon.

Werman: And when you asked for the international community to intervene, what precisely would you and the Syrian National Council like to see them doing?

Monajed: Let’s send international monitors who will really tell us, to everyone in the world, that what’s really happening. Let’s send international media and Russia, China, who have to accept this, because even if they have to accept the regimes now are fighting the insurgents, then okay.

Werman: It does seem that China and Russia have been the two countries on the security council that have prevented tougher sanctions on Syria up until now. Do you think China and Russia really would allow that to happen?

Monajed: Well, again, next step for us, that’s why we are focusing on the Arab League now. Once we get the Arab League consensus so the Arab League can request the international intervention, similar to other cases. And not only that, we will use the leverage that some Arab nations, big Arab nations have with China and Russia in order to change interest and position on the Security Council. This is a very significant issue and we are focusing and working in a very systematic way, getting the Arab League completely on board with this, asking the Arab League to have an emergency meeting to discuss the serious situation, and freeze Syria’s membership in the Arab League. And then request the UN intervention now. And then they will use and apply pressure on Russia and China to unlock the Security Council resolution not to use a veto against it. That’s the way forward. Whether we are asking for other options or other forms of intervention, that’s all on the table and we’re discussing that very thoroughly and very carefully, considering the different consequences of each option.

Werman: That would seem to be the logical way forward, Ausama Monajed, but how unified is the Arab League, I mean are all the leaders there on the same page in terms of Syria? I mean maybe they’re Assad…

Monajed: The opinion is coalescing, the whole position is being slowly unified and will see a unified Arab League response to the atrocities committed in Syria in the coming week.

Werman: Are you worried about a dangerous kind of tipping point for outside intervention, maybe there is you know, a point at which outside intervention could provoke such a backlash from the Assad regime it would devastate the opposition.

Monajed: Well, that’s something too, you just gonna [inaudible 3:37] their own people? Then you’ll see the international community is not going to sit arms folded and just watch civilians being slaughtered. Whether to have a military intervention or not, that’s not what we’re asking for now, it’s at least civilian protection and that’s what we are focusing on now and getting a least a resolution.

Werman: The Syrian opposition has been greatly assisted by Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood. Are you worried that they’re dominating the process and that minority voices are being left out?

Monajed: The Muslim Brotherhood have nothing to do with dominating the International Council; this is a big myth and the only have 20 seats out of 230 in the International Council. They’re not even in a majority in the council. And the Muslim Brotherhood like anyone else are just party in the International Council. They have their own representatives and so on. It’s very important to highlight the Muslim Brotherhood is very different in Syria than say the Brotherhood in Egypt and other countries in the world in the Islamic world. It’s also a big myth that Turkey is playing part in the formation of the Syrian National Council. We’re only Turkey as a base because Syrians basically do not need visas to enter into Turkey. If we do not need visas to enter Switzerland or Tunis, for instance, Tunisia or anywhere else, we would do it. We just need a secure and safe place and a place that we are able to travel to and out from very easily.

Werman: Ausama Monajed with the Syrian National Council speaking with us from London. Thank you very much.

Monajed: I appreciate it. Thank you so much.

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