Syria Opposition Threatens to Seek Arab Military Intervention

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Syria's main civilian opposition alliance will ask for an Arab military intervention if President Bashar al-Assad's regime continues its deadly crackdown on protesters, the group's leader said Monday.

The Syrian National Council, which held a conference in Tunis in a bid to close ranks and up the pressure on Assad after nine months of bloodshed, also warned that the regime's acceptance an Arab peace plan was a ploy.

"If the Syrian regime continues its violent repression, the SNC will resort to Arab dissuasion forces. We need to make use of force in a limited way and in specific areas," SNC leader Burhan Ghalioun told reporters in Tunis.

Support for military intervention marks a change of tack for the opposition group, which had until recently sought to oust Assad by supporting street protests and campaigning for his isolation on the international scene.

NATO had made Arab League backing of a no-fly zone a precondition for military intervention in Libya earlier this year but foreign players have so far been reluctant to consider the military option in Syria.

"We want civilians and insurgents to be protected and secure, protected zones to be created," Ghalioun said, stressing that his umbrella group wanted "the Arab world to have a crucial role in the Syrian crisis."

"The Syrian revolution is like a pregnant woman, if cannot have a natural delivery, it will require a C-section to save the baby," he said of the uprising against Assad's rule.

Ghalioun also warned that the Assad regime's belated acceptance of an Arab League observer mission was a delaying tactic.

"The Syrian regime is maneuvering to try to prevent the Syrian file being submitted to the U.N. Security Council," he said. "This is just a ploy. They have no intention of implementing any initiative."

After weeks of prevarication, Syria on Monday pledged full cooperation with the Arab League and agreed to allow the observer mission to monitor a deal to end the crackdown.

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said in Cairo that an advance team of observers would head to Damascus within 72 hours, and the mission will last for a renewable initial period of a month.

"This regime has a great deal of experience in such maneuvering. If it does not commit to carry out the plan, it should be punished," said Radwan Ziada, another leader of the SNC.

Comments 6
Default-user-icon Gabby (Guest) 19 December 2011, 16:57

No doubt it is just a ploy. The whole world knows how Syria plays games.

Default-user-icon Primo Dellio (Guest) 19 December 2011, 18:49

Keep dreaming. And while at it, why not seek the help of Israel, your new-found buddies? What a bunch of fumblers. Hopeless hopefuls.

Default-user-icon Jumbo (Guest) 19 December 2011, 19:04

Of course, Assads Gang says "yes sir!" whenever threatened. Somehow an exclusive genuine brand mark. This "protocol signature" is a mere episode, to be followed by other episodes leading ultimately to collapse. Of course. Saddam, Khaddafi, Saleh, Ben Ali, Mubarak, etc. Will "they" ever learn? No way to stop a people saying "NO" to common tyranny.

Missing zdm343 19 December 2011, 19:05

only traitors ask for foreign military intervention in their country.

Missing realist 19 December 2011, 21:44

hey zdm343, how did your maliki come into power in iraq?? how did the iraqis get rid of saddam??, didn't the shee3a in iraq beg for US intervention?? who fought the Americans out of iraq??? wasn't it the suni insurgency!?!? quit the hypocrisy please, im not defending saddam but please do not defend bashar. The French are the ones who put the minority military Alawites in power fyi, it is pretty much their shit and they need to help clean the mess.

Default-user-icon Logic (Guest) 20 December 2011, 07:30

HAhahahahaha sweating demon u really believe Maliki was "democratically" elected by the Shia in Iraq? Wow your dumb aren't you. He was appointed by the Americans plain and simple. Secondly the USA didn't lose in Afghanistan nor Iraq. After the Taliban in 1999 cut the opium flow from their country the Americans invaded afghanistan to Reclaim the largest opium producer in the world and to put it back to work. And the Americans in Iraq have been siphoning Iraqi oil for the past 9 years and selling it! Sure there have been casualties on both sides, but as long as a war is profitable the USA will keep funding it. So in your eyes they are losers but they have accomplished everything they came to do. They didn't come to Iraq to spread democracy just to quit nine years later, please think about it abit, they couldn't give two shits about democracy in Iraq.