{"id":922,"date":"2015-04-27T18:23:41","date_gmt":"2015-04-27T18:23:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922"},"modified":"2015-04-28T02:54:37","modified_gmt":"2015-04-28T02:54:37","slug":"the-problem-with-syrian-opposition-to-start-they-will-not-read-this-or-any-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922","title":{"rendered":"The problem with Syrian opposition (to start: they will not read this, or any, criticism)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>\u201cAmerica and France should broaden their outreach to Syrian dissidents, human rights groups, artists, professors \u2014 indeed<strong>, almost anyone who\u2019s willing to talk with outsiders<\/strong>. They should convey the message that the West is standing with the Syrian people as they move into the future. When Syria is truly ripe for change, these helping hands can ensure a safe passage.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>David Ignatius | a 2005 article titled \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2005\/11\/17\/AR2005111701303.html\">Careful with Syria<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cAmerica and France\u201d that Mr. Ignatius called on to motivate Syrians to rebel against their government was actually a group of westerners residing in Damascus: Diplomats, NGO management and staff, resident journalists and professional photographers, students studying Arabic in Damascus. Not all of course, but many.<\/p>\n<p>There are three different headings under which countries in the Middle East are classified as far as the United States is concerned;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Most valuable allies; Israel and Saudi Arabia<\/li>\n<li>Well-behaved allies; Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt (and many more)<\/li>\n<li>Pressure\/destabilization targets; Syria, and Iran.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If Syria\u2019s authoritarian leadership (\u201cregime\u201d) had an inherent propensity to distrust the intentions of resident foreigners eager to befriend Syrians, their extensive experience with the consequences of such contacts turned their caution into paranoia. They would question or detain anyone who travels to attend private meetings, workshops or conferences without prior arrangements with the Syrian security services. Syrians who frequently visited foreign embassies in Damascus (4<sup>th<\/sup>of July events, dinners at Ambassador\u2019s house \u2026etc.) were never trusted again.<\/p>\n<p>Was that paranoia misplaced? \u2026 In some cases it was and patriotic, decent Syrians were unfairly punished. But there were also many valid reasons to be concerned.<\/p>\n<p>I will not list specific names here, but will instead expand on David Ignatius\u2019 \u201c<em>anyone<\/em>\u201d as I list the most common traits of Syrians and Arabs who are eager to \u201cwork with\u201d (although \u201cwork for\u201d is more accurate in most cases) the United States or one of its allies (France, the EU, Saudi, Qatar \u2026) against their own governments\/countries. Note that the traits-list below is not applicable to Syrian opposition in general, there are decent, patriotic, mature, and secular regime opponents, but they are not the ones that the United States promotes:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sectarians who hate Iran, Hezbollah and the Alawites. These include liberals who are willing to work with Islamist militias, or to turn Syria into a Turkish province if it means defeating Iran\/HA and removing the Alawites from power.<\/li>\n<li>Narcissists who feel their government in Syria failed to do enough to serve their personal needs, or failed to recognize their brilliance and to promote them accordingly. Also includes those with an inflated sense of their personal power and ability to change their country (to their liking).<\/li>\n<li>Those seeking revenge for an offense (real, exaggerated, or even assumed but not proven) by their government against them, their relatives or some group that they belong to (regional, ethnic or sectarian). In the Middle East, desire for revenge lasts decades. Parents teach their children to never forget.<\/li>\n<li>Ambitious self-promoters, \u2026 including aspiring artists or novelists. You can count on their loyalty if you can help them shine.<\/li>\n<li>Elitists from prominent and affluent families who feel entitled to their country\u2019s leadership because of their family name. Note that at the same types will frequently express their contempt to the current \u201cfamily rule\u201d in Syria.<\/li>\n<li>Those who express high admiration for the west and who value being associated with it or compatible with its values and culture (including \u201chuman rights\u201d and \u201cdemocracy\u201d). These tend to also despise their backward countries and to tell all their friends that they can\u2019t wait to leave because they deserve better.<\/li>\n<li>Greedy opportunists who would take money and gladly offer any service in return.<\/li>\n<li>Journalists, political science analysts and academics, civil society specialists \u2026 they need to earn a living. Only if they join the right side would they be employed or funded.<\/li>\n<li>Those who are easily manipulated: \u00a0\u2026 The Na\u00efve and the inexperienced.<\/li>\n<li>Those who failed in their lives (at school, work or marraige) and are thirsty for recognition and public praise that would restore their self-confidence and maybe even respect from parents\/ ex-husband or wife\/ former boss\/ schoolmates\/ society\u2026<\/li>\n<li>Millennials and radicals \u2026 young and restless and always frustrated that things are not changing fast enough. If the genie grants them just one wish, they will ask for a revolution.<\/li>\n<li>Islamists (aka \u201cmoderate Islamists\u201d) \u2026 where moderation is only a convenient excuse for them and the Americans to do (anti regime) business together.<\/li>\n<li>Heads of major tribes (The Brits \u00a0can help advise on how to bring them on board)<\/li>\n<li>Students hoping for educational grants<\/li>\n<li>Idealists (including many genuine human rights lawyers and activists)<\/li>\n<li>Risk seekers \u2026 those with low risk-aversion.<\/li>\n<li>Friends of America\u2019s favorite allies: Saudi Arabia and Israel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I encourage any skeptic to quickly think of any five Syrian opposition figures (or activists) who are working for\/with the United States on regime change in Syria, then to (honestly) prove that they do NOT belong to any of the mostly unflattering traits\/groups I listed above.<\/p>\n<p>You can also ask for a second (and third) opinion:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>In my life, I have almost always been on the side of active foreign policy. But you need to know with whom you are cooperating. You need reliable partners \u2014 and I don\u2019t see any in [the Syrian] conflict..<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Henry Kissinger |\u00a0explaining why he does not favor investing more in Syrian opposition\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.spiegel.de\/international\/world\/interview-with-henry-kissinger-on-state-of-global-politics-a-1002073-2.html\">Der Spiegel Interview<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>The Middle East has been trapped for decades between repressive dictatorships and illiberal opposition groups \u2026 The dictators try to shut down all opposition movements, and the ones that survive are vengeful, religious and violent.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Fareed Zakaria |\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/fareed-zakaria-the-fantasy-of-middle-eastern-moderates\/2014\/08\/14\/1e8807a8-23e6-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html\">The fantasy of Middle Eastern moderates<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The point I am hoping to make here is the following: With such an awful collection of \u201cfriends\u201d, the United States might manage to topple governments and destroy countries, but it will\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/aramroston\/ahmad-chalabi-conned-america-into-war-now-aims-to-lead-i#.cbbX67vVO\">not be able to rebuild them<\/a>. It will also never appeal to millions of Syrians who see the United States through the \u201cquality\u201d of its Syrian friends.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Before moving to the Syrian stars of the Arab Spring, I would like to share with the reader one example from post-Saddam Iraq \u2026 Not the notorious\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.salon.com\/2014\/07\/21\/long_slide_into_the_abyss_cheneys_old_pal_ahmad_chalabi_is_back\/\">Ahmad Chalabi<\/a>, but a promotional article in the New York Times that relied on language that one finds in 19th century\u00a0letters by western diplomats to tribal Arab leaders, as it struggled to find ways to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2004\/06\/02\/international\/middleeast\/02YAWA.html\">praise Iraq\u2019s new President<\/a>\u00a0who had no leadership record in politics before being selected for the job:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cHis robust figure, flowing white robes and rimless eyeglasses \u2014 together with a well-groomed mustache, the essential accouterment for so many Arab men \u2014 give him a regal air that heads of state with slighter frames and less panache might envy.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Arab Spring\u2019s opposition stars (and \u201cmoderate rebels\u201d)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Syrian cast of opposition stars that played leading roles in the final sequel of the Arab Spring pentalogy (Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria) deserve credit for managing to turn the classic cliche revolution script: \u201cOlive branch carrying peaceful protesters defeat their dictator\u201d, into a totally unpredictable black comedy.<\/p>\n<p>On day 1, there was opposition hero (former political prisoner) Mamoun Homsi\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S_x_JzjJ6n0&amp;feature=youtu.be\">dressed in indispensable orange<\/a>\u00a0revolution T-shirt \u2026 But he was screaming and trying to give the impression he was crying. He was also surrounded with religious symbols and clearly addressing Syria\u2019s Sunnis exclusively.<\/p>\n<p>In hindsight, Homsi\u2019s clip was the official preview of the upcoming \u201cSyrian revolution\u201d. Homsi is an opportunist,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/MWLH8HQw_lg\">sectarian<\/a>, lusting for revenge,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RiETXo6zqP0\">hysterical<\/a>,<a href=\"http:\/\/elaph.com\/Web\/NewsPapers\/2011\/5\/654790.html\">delusional<\/a>, and a really bad actor. He is also one of many Syrian opposition activists with established neocon and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thearabdigest.com\/2012\/02\/mamoun-al-homsis-israel-connection.html\">friends-of-Israel connections<\/a>\u00a0(Prague neocon conference)<\/p>\n<p>Then there was London-based \u201chuman rights activist\u201d Ali Al-Ahmad (member in the SNC, considered \u201cthe sole representative of the Syrian people\u201d by the US and its friends). He was on every major TV program from the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KYvlV4kwuUY&amp;list=UUJ7f5MqNmPjckY7Ye-R8tpA\">BBC<\/a>, to Al-Arabiya to Aljazeera calling for freedom and respect for human rights.\u00a0Some of us remember his lovely post in 2010 (before the Syrian conflict started)\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/alialahmad.net\/?p=123\">calling on God to wipe out millions of Alawites<\/a>\u00a0\u2026 and to kill every Alawite child so that none of them can tell the world about what happened to them.\u00a0On his blog you can also read his other democratic thoughts \u2026 like where he wrote \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/alialahmad.net\/?p=535\">People of Aleppo are as as bad as the Alawites<\/a>\u201c. Aleppo, Syria\u2019s largest city, was despised by many revolutionaries because it mostly abstained from revolting against President Assad\u2019s government.<\/p>\n<p>And of course there was the ultra charismatic Shaikh Adnan Al-Arour best known for his trademark surprise\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=g0gzBcPdFQ0#t=24\">rise and scream<\/a>\u00a0that he performs on every TV show of his. He was for 2011 and much of 2012 the most popular leader of the revolution. Among his memorable lines: \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/x9ea_LgctjA\">Let 100,000 die in Aleppo<\/a>, why not? big funerals are good for our revolution\u201d. And: We will throw Alawites who support Assad into the meat grinder.<\/p>\n<p>The revolution fed on blood.\u00a0And when there was a slow week with not enough real bloodshed, they created their own,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/NDvhkUEmXF8\">empty coffin, funerals<\/a>\u00a0and cried the victims on Aljazeera. They joined funerals of people who died of natural causes and started chanting slogans against the regime that kills its own people (many references available upon request).<\/p>\n<p>Then \u2026 \u201cthe Free Syrian Army\u201d showed up. At first there weren\u2019t many defectors. The same military uniform was used by various alleged defectors appearing in different videos (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.joshualandis.com\/blog\/is-the-free-syrian-army-real\/\">see here<\/a>). But eventually they became a real rebel army (or hundreds of little armies) that were given every possible ancient Islamist name anyone could think of,\u00a0\u2026\u00a0and a couple of \u00a0more modern names: \u201cKing Abdullah Brigade\u201d and \u201cthe Rafiq Hariri Brigade\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Eventually someone, somewhere realized that these names are not 110% politically correct as they challenged the authenticity of the revolution\u2019s slogans like: \u201cthe Syrian people are one\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>A group of \u201cfree Syrians\u201d addressed this problem by producing this\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/QY6Q6gQgBdM\">FSA video allegedly showing one of many Christian brigades<\/a>. A dozen over-sized crosses were on display, \u2026 to silence any skeptic.<\/p>\n<p>Another video was released to revolution supporters claiming that Syria\u2019s Armenians now joining the FSA. The video featured \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hR2kbX1lAO4#t=114\">Artino Abu Aram<\/a>\u201d speaking on behalf of his heroic Armenian rebel group that appeared targeting Damascus with mortars.<\/p>\n<p>To instil fear in Bashar Assad\u2019s heart, a video showing a secret FSA special operations unit appeared on YouTube. A curator at a British arms museum later told the New York Times that the rebels in that video were\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/06\/15\/world\/middleeast\/video-shows-syrian-opposition-fighters-with-toy-guns.html\">holding TD-2007 Chinese-made toy replicas<\/a>\u00a0of the MP-5 submachine gun, marketed as appropriate for children above the age of 5. To each, the men had affixed an extension \u2014 perhaps a painted dowel or a section of pipe \u2014 masquerading as a long barrel.<\/p>\n<p>The Free Syrian Army brand needed a spokesman. So they experimented with a few. All of them were\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Gf3jEQ0SXBQ#t=74\">loud<\/a>\u00a0and very\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SdnsSa9dkMA#t=14\">original<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Dozens of popular Saudi, Kuwaiti, and Egyptian preachers were on TV 24\/7 telling their followers in Syria (and elsewhere) that they are fighting God\u2019s greatest fight \u0645\u0639\u0631\u0643\u0629 \u062f\u0627\u0628\u0642 \u0648 \u0639\u0648\u062f\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u062e\u0644\u0627\u0641\u0629. They told them that it is ok if 30% of \u064dSyria\u2019s population dies. They told them that Sunnis must form an alliance with the US and Europe (\u0639\u0647\u062f \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0633\u0644\u0645\u064a\u0646 \u0648 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u0648\u0645) that will fight and defeat the Shia and Alawites. After they jointly achieve victory, Sunni forces will promptly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=L07MvpKIBa4#t=383\">kill all those westerners<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Was it the United States that \u201chired\u201d these weirdos to play?<\/p>\n<p>Not exactly. The Syrian revolution was initially a Qatari\/Turkish (and French) project, until Saudi Arabia \u00a0joined and competed for the leadership role.<\/p>\n<p>But although the United States did not play a leading and visible role, Syrian opposition activists who had close working relations with a number of American government financed democracy promotion organizations or with neocon or zionist think tanks, did play a significant role in connecting or promoting the revolutionaries. See\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.joshualandis.com\/blog\/ammar-abdulhamid-a-leading-activist-and-joshua-landis-discuss-the-syrian-uprising\/\">Ammar Abdel Hamid<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.usip.org\/newsroom\/multimedia\/audio\/groundtruth-new-media-technology-and-the-syria-crisis\">Mohammad Al- Abdallah<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/worldfellows.yale.edu\/rami-nakhla\">Rami Nakhla<\/a>,<a href=\"http:\/\/cyberdissidents.org\/bin\/videos6f32.html?q=watch&amp;id=4762\">Ahed Al-Hendi<\/a>, Ausama Munajed \u2026<\/p>\n<p>Ausama Munajed who\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov\/news\/releases\/2008\/09\/images\/20080923-13_d-0552-2-513h.html\">had lunch with President Bush<\/a>\u00a0in 2008 says he is the founder of Barada TV which\u00a0for many years before the Arab Spring, was being financed by the United States. The TV station was run by\u00a0Syrian exiles in Europe who founded the Movement for Justice and Development. U.S. cables describe its leaders as \u201cliberal, moderate Islamists\u201d who are former members of the Muslim Brotherhood. These \u201cliberal Islamists\u201d got six million dollars from the United States government (well, through\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.democracycouncil.org\/\">\u201cthe democracy council\u201d<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Qatar, offered generous financial rewards to anyone who would defect. According to prominent French journalists Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot, authors of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/english.al-akhbar.com\/node\/21987\">\u201cLes chemins de Damas\u201d<\/a>\u00a0Qatar offered Syrian ambassadors who would defect $5,000,000 (lower ranked diplomats would still get one million dollars). (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ft.com\/cms\/s\/0\/86e3f28e-be3a-11e2-bb35-00144feab7de.html#axzz3NKCyCssb\">Qatar spent $3 billions<\/a>\u00a0the first 2 years alone)<\/p>\n<p>Many would not accept such bluntly demeaning direct cash payments but wouldn\u2019t mind if there was a pretend-I-am-paid-for-my-skills option. The Saudis pay handsomely for opinion pieces published in their Asharq Alawsat and Al-Hayat for example. American and European think tanks, or democracy and human rights organizations hired many Syrian opposition supporters. The UN did the same.<\/p>\n<p>This is the polite way to buy loyalty of Syrians who can help in regime toppling and who might be leading their country (after the regime collapses \u2026 ).<\/p>\n<p>There is also generous project-based funding if you hate the Syrian regime and call yourself \u201copposition\u201d. Many of the smarter and highly educated Syrians are busy full time sending proposals to various American, Scandinavian, or Swiss organizations and NGOs hoping to secure a piece of their Syria funding budget for the year. Proposals include research into: Human rights, reconciliation, empowering women, or conflict resolution. It is an attractive and rewarding business. Again, you have to clearly side with the opposition it you want your share of the pie. Balanced reports are not very useful. (although, to be honest, this started to change in 2014 and a few unbiased Syrians started to be taken seriously by European conflict resolution NGOs)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/opposition-types1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"opposition types\" src=\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/opposition-types1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"2380\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But contrary to what many Syrian government supporters believe, money is not the only motivational tool. Many who didn\u2019t take any money from anyone were attracted to the revolution because they got recognition that they badly needed: Artists got their shows promoted \u2026 aspiring authors got international awards for their mediocre books, inexperienced and unqualified figures got invited to Swiss and other conferences (as \u201copposition\u201d)\u2026 Those seeking U.S. citizenship got it \u2026 some got honored by being listed in President George W. Bush\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.looktothestars.org\/news\/8117-george-w-bush-launches-freedom-collection\">Freedom collection<\/a>\u201d \u2026 young bloggers were for years (before and after 2011) invited to training seminars and stayed in touch with Natan Sharansky\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/cyberdissidents.org\/bin\/videos8a85.html?q=watch&amp;id=5401\">cyberdissidents.org<\/a>\u00a0(Natan is an Israeli hardline politician) and other western organizations that would\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/ondemand\/4878\">teach them how to bring freedom to their countries<\/a>.\u00a0This included courses in human rights, citizen-journalism, civil disobedience \u2026 and also included (by design, I am sure) a serious dose of ego-boost that would make them love the whole experience even more.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GvUEJh9HrEs\">3D democracy games<\/a>, other fun games and tactics from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vc1CcxHwypE\">Canvas\/Otpor\u2019s playbook<\/a>were shared with joyous young Syrians (and Egyptians and Tunisians \u2026) who couldn\u2019t wait for the day they got to try them back home where they at once laughed at the police and admired their own brilliance (imagining they invented those tactics).<\/p>\n<p>Revolution\/democracy specialists taught them how to bankrupt their country \u2026 but they described it as \u201cbankrupt the regime\u201d to make it less obvious how repulsive and criminal that was. Thanks to western sanctions and to revolutionaries\u2019 \u201cnon-violent\u201d activism by now many people in Syria are getting sick or dying from the cold, lack of proper medical care, and from food shortages. The Syrian government cannot afford anymore to subsidize heating oil and other basic foods, like it used to before 2011. The state used to spend $8 billion per year on essential subsidies.<\/p>\n<p>Young revolutionaries loved the idea, and they worked on multiple campaigns to call on their friends to not travel on Syrian airlines \u2026 Not to deposit money in Syrian banks \u2026 to try to devaluate the Syrian pound \u2026 to boycott school \u2026 to force factory owners to close them \u2026 to close stores \u2026 \u00a0to close schools and universities \u2026 to throw state-subsidized bread in the garbage\/river.<\/p>\n<p>A few months after the regime toppling (\u201crevolution\u201d) started, a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/sanctions-on-syria\">long list of sanctions<\/a>\u00a0was implemented, but western organizations and governments worried it might not lead to the desired results as Syria\u2019s foreign reserves were estimated at $18 billion. Meetings took place where western organizations and officials were present focused on this question: How long will it take before Syria goes bankrupt?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/bad-peaceful-boycott.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"bad peaceful boycott\" src=\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/bad-peaceful-boycott.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"1854\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Through generous financial rewards and\/or constant ego inflation and until recently, no criticism, the United States and its \u201cinternational community\u201d allies manipulated\/spoiled their Syrian clients to the point where they now live in deep delusion.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CamilleOtrakji\/status\/548123741218439168\">Michel Kilo promises<\/a>\u00a0(recently) to teach Iran a lesson, and to finish off Hezbollah in Lebanon (and to help his rebels set better military strategies too) \u2026 Moaz Al-Khatib offered Bashar (while the real Syrian army was winning) 30 days to escape Syria with 500 of his shabeeha \u2026 and Firas Tlass (before defecting busy competing with Rami Makhloof for contracts) often cursed \u201cthe corrupt regime\u201d on his Facebook page \u2026<\/p>\n<p>Government opponents grew to realize that no matter what they said or did, the world (or \u201cthe international community\u201d) approved. Each thought of himself or herself as a power center, an outstanding intellectual, or simply a national hero. Very few had the patience to work as part of a group, they all wanted to be leaders.<\/p>\n<p>Not only that, but they were constantly brainwashed by outside powers (U.S. included) into thinking they are about to win \u2026 that the dictator\u2019s days are numbered. Please take a look at this 1992 White House letter to a Cuban opponent of Castro who, like Syrian opposition, has been seeking more American sanctions on his country, and like Syrian opposition, has been promised by his American friends that \u2026 Castro\u2019s days are numbered.<\/p>\n<p>Note: This article originally appeared as part of a longer<a href=\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=580\"> article on Syrian American relations<\/a>. Criticism here, exclusive to opposition, does not imply praise to the leadership in Syria which often suffers from similar unfortunate traits.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/castro-letter1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-923\" title=\"castro-letter1\" src=\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/castro-letter1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"937\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cAmerica and France should broaden their outreach to Syrian dissidents, human rights groups, artists, professors \u2014 indeed, almost anyone who\u2019s willing to talk with outsiders. They should convey the message that the West is standing with the Syrian people as they move into the future. When Syria is truly ripe for change, these helping hands [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The problem with Syrian opposition (to start: they will not read this, or any, criticism) - The Syria Page<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The problem with Syrian opposition (to start: they will not read this, or any, criticism) - The Syria Page\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cAmerica and France should broaden their outreach to Syrian dissidents, human rights groups, artists, professors \u2014 indeed, almost anyone who\u2019s willing to talk with outsiders. 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When Syria is truly ripe for change, these helping hands [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Syria Page\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-04-27T18:23:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-04-28T02:54:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/opposition-types1.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Camille Otrakji\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Camille Otrakji\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922\",\"name\":\"The problem with Syrian opposition (to start: they will not read this, or any, criticism) - The Syria Page\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/opposition-types1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-04-27T18:23:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-04-28T02:54:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/#\/schema\/person\/b9ea51e78f6df5104e0a2a45430a4cb1\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/opposition-types1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/opposition-types1.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The problem with Syrian opposition (to start: they will not read this, or any, criticism)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/\",\"name\":\"The Syria Page\",\"description\":\"The Syria Page\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/#\/schema\/person\/b9ea51e78f6df5104e0a2a45430a4cb1\",\"name\":\"Camille Otrakji\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bbb9ed43338680219436ea4e7b68a091?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bbb9ed43338680219436ea4e7b68a091?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Camille Otrakji\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?author=2\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The problem with Syrian opposition (to start: they will not read this, or any, criticism) - The Syria Page","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.creativesyria.com\/syriapage\/?p=922","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The problem with Syrian opposition (to start: they will not read this, or any, criticism) - The Syria Page","og_description":"\u201cAmerica and France should broaden their outreach to Syrian dissidents, human rights groups, artists, professors \u2014 indeed, almost anyone who\u2019s willing to talk with outsiders. 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