Syria Inside “Moderates”: “Why isn’t anyone listening to us?”

“What happened in Baba Amr is totally depressing, regardless of what side you’re on,” he says. “With every person who dies, and every drop of blood that is shed, this window (for negotiation) is narrowing. Time is ticking – it’s against the Syrians on both sides.”

Samaan says the media has contributed greatly to polarising views in and out of Syria. “We can divide the media into two kinds: pro and against,” he says. “We’re in the middle of crazy violence – from both the regime and the militias – but nobody is covering both sides properly.”

The Doves Of Damascus
7 March, 2012 – By Jess Hill – The Global Mail

As Syria slides into civil war, moderate voices inside the country want to know: Why isn’t anyone listening to us?
For the Saudis, Syria is a prize too valuable to be left to the Syrians.

Fresh from his glad-handing tour of the Middle East, United States Senator John McCain returned to the Senate this week and made the call for war. “Time is running out. Assad’s forces are on the march. Providing military assistance to the Free Syrian Army and other opposition groups is necessary, but at this late hour, that alone will not be sufficient to stop the slaughter and save innocent lives,” he implored from the Senate floor.

The solution? ‘The United States should lead an international effort to protect key population centres in Syria,” said McCain. “To be clear: This will require the United States to suppress enemy air defences in at least part of the country.”

In other words: Bomb Syria.

Asked to respond to the Senator’s speech, the White House remained unmoved. “The administration is focused on diplomatic and political approaches rather than a military intervention,” said its spokesman.

But it may not be the White House and its allies that end up leading the response to Syria. The rulers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait each have called for the arming of the opposition militia, the Free Syrian Army (FSA). On March 5, in an astonishing display of hypocrisy, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said, “Is there something greater than the right to defend oneself and to defend human rights?” The Saudi agenda in Syria is no secret. The hardline Sunni monarchy is battling Iran’s Shia clerics for hegemony in the region, and Syria is Iran’s last significant ally. For the Saudis, Syria is a prize too valuable to be left to the Syrians.

As the Gulf states plot their next move, however, the dialogue continues – outside Syria, at least. At the recent Friends of Syria meeting in Tunis, delegates from 60 countries recognised Syria’s opposition-in-exile, the Syrian National Council (SNC), as the legitimate representative for the Syrian people.

But what about the people working for change inside Syria?

The Global Mail tracked down three moderate voices living in Damascus: an activist wanted by the regime, a politician pushing for dialogue, and a lawyer working for an influential nongovernmental organisation. They each say that while conferences are being held outside the country to decide Syria’s fate, nobody – not the international community, the Syrian regime, nor the world’s media – is listening to them.

OSAMA, 33, HAS BEEN living in hiding for months. He and his wife are both activists, and both are wanted by the authorities. A few months ago, they moved from Darya, a Damascus suburb, into the city, because it’s “safer”.

“Many activists are moving to Damascus, because there aren’t as many checkpoints,” he says. “It’s easier to move around.” There may be less security visible on the street, but Osama and his wife still have to go to extraordinary lengths to avoid being arrested. Each time somebody close to them is captured, they have to move. Each time they do, they also have to find somewhere that can accommodate their six-month-old daughter. In the past week, they’ve moved three times. …more