Syrian opposition moves in Washington for comprehensive political change, Syrian opponent
WASHINGTON, USA (North Press) – Moves of the Syrian opposition in Washington D.C., during this stage, aim to bring the concern of US State Department back to the Syrian issue and then move on to more effective steps that will lead to a comprehensive political change process in which Washington participates, Ayman Abdulnour, a Syrian writer and opponent residing in Washington, said yesterday.
The Syrian opposition escalates its political moves in the American capital, Washington D.C. in order to restore the Syrian issue to the top priority of the US and convince the Joe Biden’s administration to abstain from normalizing ties with the Syrian government.
In the framework of the moves’ series, prominent personalities of the Syrian opposition participated, early this week, in a symposium in the US Congress attended by a number of deputies and senators to talk about “the future of the military presence in Syria” and “ways to establish democracy and hold human rights violators accountable.”
“The opposition felt a consensus by the leaders responsible for foreign policies in the Republican and Democratic parties, and a will to hold Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accountable for the war crimes committed by his regime, in addition to dismantling the Syrian drug network, stopping normalization with the Syrian regime, and confronting any attempts to violate Caesar’s Act Or any other US sanctions against the regime,” Abdulnour, who attended the symposium, told North Press.
“The Syrian opposition called on Washington to involve all levels of US government in making a decision regarding the Syrian issue and prevent National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, from monopolizing the Syrian issue,” the opponent politician said.
The symposium, which was run by Professor George Steifo, a leader in the Assyrian Democratic Organization, was attended by Senator Bob Menendez, Representative Maxine Waters, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and other members of Congress.
Senator Menendez promised the Syrian opposition to add the term “dismantling the Syrian drug network” to the budget of the US Department of Defense before being presented to the final vote.
The symposium was also attended by a number of former officials in US administrations, such as James Jeffrey, the former US envoy for Syria, and Andrew Tabler, a former official in the US National Security Council.
Yesterday, Jeffrey published an article in the American newspaper Foreign Affairs, after his participation in the Syrian opposition symposium, in which he said, “the United States should devote the diplomatic energy necessary to seize them. The keys to success after years of failure include not just high-level engagement but a realistic assessment of what can be achieved in any deal.”
“High on the list would likely be political concessions by Damascus ensuring the safe return of refugees, including internationally monitored resettlement; similar security and monitoring provisions to reintegrate opposition forces and the SDF; security guarantees for Turkey’s southern border; and a permanent removal from Syrian territory of Iran’s strategic weapons, particularly its precision missiles,” he added.
In return, Russia would likely press for the U.S., Israeli, and Turkish militaries to withdraw from Syria. Moscow would also likely demand U.S. counterterrorism cooperation in Syria against ISIS, which Assad appears incapable of defeating, along with sanctions relief and the return of refugees from Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon to their home towns and cities, as Jeffrey put it.
Last week, Ethan Goldrich, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, hosted Anas al-Abdah, the head of the Syrian Negotiations Committee, and Hadi al-Bahra, the co-chair of the Constitutional Committee.
Washington renewed its rejection to the normalization with Damascus, and a number of ideas that would push for a political transition in Syria were discussed.