"Turkey using fundamentalists in Syria"

The rush with which the western countries have tried to bring about a regime change in Syria has drawn criticism from some of the quarters that were previously seen sympathetic to such efforts.

One of such voices has been that of Ribal Al-Assad, the founder and director of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria and exiled cousin of President Assad.

Ribal was in Delhi this week to discuss and explain what is going on in Syria and how will things shape in coming crucial weeks. Ribal was categorical in his criticism of the west and maintained that it has basically hijacked the democratic movement in Syria and consequently the picture does not appear pretty rosy in the near future.

He further maintained that if the current policy by the West is continued, there are valid chances that the situation in Syria will only worsen. The problem, Ribal, says is that in their urge to see the regime change, the West has been supporting fundamentalist elements in the society that has been kept at bay by the Assad regime.

Delivering a talk on “Syria and the Arab Spring” at Observer Research Foundation, Ribal Assad was categorical in its criticism of Turkey and other neighboring countries to whom, Ribal added, West had outsourced the regime change game work.

In the absence of any experience of supporting democratic and non-violent transition of power, these countries were using the fundamentalists to achieve the short term gain.
 
“In Turkey, Prime Minister ErdoÄŸan is backing the Islamic fundamentalist SNC opposition which was formed in Turkey by a sympathetic regime. Meanwhile, his country, along with Saudi and Qatar house and export militant Islamist extremists keen to exploit sectarian tensions in Syria, where we hear that they have been joined by Libyan Al-Qaida fighters led by a former Al Qaida member Bel Hajj gathering in Turkey to fight in Syria. And President Assad uses all this as evidence that his persecuted people are safer under his protection,” Ribal accused.
 
Ribal also insisted that he has always been against the military solution proposed by the west in collusion with Arab League. The best way is to prop-up the indigenous democratic movements by unifying the opposition parties that can lead to a non-violent regime change.
 
“We have been fighting for democracy for many years. Our movement began much before the Arab spring. But now, with the support of countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the West is helping fundamentalist forces. This is very bad for democracy. Those who fight for democracy in Syria has been completely ignored,”
 
Ribal was all praises for India's position in the Security Council where it voted with the West but maintained that it does not want outside intervention.