Syria’s Opposition National Council

Radwan Ziadeh is the spokesman for the Syrian National Council. Ziadeh spoke to anchor Marco Werman about the group’s plans to meet with the Arab League in Cairo.

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Marco Werman: Radwan Ziadeh is a member of the Syrian National Council or SNC. That’s the main dissent group calling for the end of the Assad regime. Most of its members are outside Syria. Ziadeh is part of an SNC delegation that’s traveling to Cairo for a meeting with the Arab League. He says it’s a key meeting.

Radwan Ziadeh: We need all the Arab countries to support the Arab initiative which actually suspends the Syrian membership in the Arab League and both political and economical sanctions, at the same time actually put more pressure to Assad, to, and force him to step down. More importantly, now we actually are discussing with the Arab League about sending five hundred Arab observers. We need to negotiate with Arab League about the Arab mandate of those Arab observers and what the role of the Arab observers show play inside Syria, specially in cities where actually the hot spot like Homs and Daraa, Idlib, and Deir ez-Zor.

Werman: As far as those monitors that the Arab League has suggest sending into Syria, aren’t you concerned that if they get in, President Assad will tell his security people to stop the shooting so everything looks normal?

Zaideh: We are sure that Assad will not stop killing in any way. Above or beyond the mandate of those observers should, the Assad regime should accept and allow all the International and the Arab journalists and reporters to get in inside the country and to give the reporters and the observers the full freedom of movement.

Werman: Do you think the Arab League has the kind of teeth[sp?] to insist on that?

Zaideh: Of course, the role of the Arab League is crucial because that puts more pressure on Syria since Syria regime considers itself actually as the beating heart in the Arab world.

Werman: How is the Syrian Nation Council coordinating with Syrians inside Syria, so that when you speak to Arab League in Cairo, you’re actually speaking on behalf of all Syrians, not just the council?

Zaideh: We have actually different committees who are responsible in communicating with people on the ground every day and at the same time, getting all the information about what’s going on on the ground to the leadership of the SNC and release statements, at the same time spreading the word to the International community. We have to do that by different ways, by, through mobile phones or by [xx], or through Skype. At the same time, we’re trying actually to be very close to the Syrian people because those are the people that give us the legitimacy to speak on behalf of them.

Werman: What is the one thing about the situation, the current situation in Syria, that you think people in the U.S. don’t understand?

Zaideh: Since actually Syria is blockaded for any reporters or journalists to get in inside the country, Syria became unknown not only for the Arab media, but for the International media. Unfortunately we don’t have the same case like what have in Egypt where actually we have twenty four hours media [xx] which will protect the protestors there. I think that the media can play a very important role to give us the personal stories of the people who have being killed, the people who have been tortured, the people who have been detained, and this is actually what’s missing in the Syrian uprising, unfortunately.

Werman: Radwan Ziadeh, a member of the Syrian National Council which will meeting with the Arab League in Cairo. Thanks for speaking with us and safe travels.

Ziadeh: Thank you very much. Thank you.

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