Meanwhile, the SNC is still alive and kicking,
and thanks to its recent re-structuring, it has swelled its ranks so that even
those wishing to by-pass it will struggle to find the manpower to create a
credible alternative. With the Muslim Brotherhood at its helm and Qatar
continuing to bankroll its operations, it will survive where many "credible
alternatives" will fall at the wayside. Whether any of this helps the Syrian
revolution defeat Bashar al-Assad is highly unlikely.
None of this is what the NC leaders were hoping for almost a week after they had signed the draft agreement on Saturday to great fanfare. A tone of desperation was clearly discernable in a statement issued by the new NC president Muaz Al-Khattib earlier this week, when he urged Syrians inside the country to hold up placards reassuring the U.S. president of their support for the new group. Khattib's move may have been naïve, but it shows that he understands one thing quite well: If the NC does not pick up momentum early on, including that vital recognition from the U.S., it may go the way of the SNC. Or worse.
SUBJECTS:
