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Two weeks in: A review of Jarba’s performance

July 18, 2013 Nearly two weeks after the election of […]


18 July 2013

July 18, 2013

Nearly two weeks after the election of Ahmed Jarba as the head of the Syrian Coalition, Syrians inside the country say they are still waiting for results.

Wahib Ayoub, 54, is a writer and longtime opponent to the Assad regime. He explains to Abdulrahman al-Masri why he believes the Coalition’s fate is not in his own hands. Ayoub is a founding member of the Coalition of Secular and Democratic Syrians and advocates a democratic Syria. Ayoub lives in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Q: Do you think that Ahmed Jarba has a chance at success? What are the biggest problems facing him?

A: I do not think that Jarba’s presence at the head of the Coalition will change things much. The Syrian issue has fallen into regional and international hands. The Syrian opposition, unfortunately, is represented by the Coalition, which has become a tool to be thrown around by the international factions active in the Syrian conflict. The role of the Syrian opposition has become somewhat marginal.

Q: In your opinion, what will Jarba need to do to prove himself? Does he appear, in the eyes of the Friends of Syria, to be capable of leading the liberated areas?

A: It is known to all that the revolution is in need of quality military aid, and maybe a no-fly zone, but this will not be achieved with Jarba or without him. It is solely in the hands of America and NATO.

Q: Can the resistance achieve political victories? Can they gain the trust of the people even though victory in the war has been, and will continue to be, difficult?

A: It is not possible to achieve political victories in the Syrian conflict without military victories on the ground. The world, unfortunately, only understands force.

As for the people’s confidence inside Syria, I believe that it will decline, maybe reaching the point of hopelessness, and the formation of a political and military council for revolutionary leadership in Syria might be the best solution.

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