This breakthrough for the Syrian government had another side, indeed, and it was the heavy blow to the opposition groups and foreign opponents, shattering their strength and structure militarily and diplomatically.
Still, the opposition front is working to prevent the tide from turning to the detriment of the terrorists. To this end, in the past few days, moves have been taken to give artificial respiration to what is called moderate opposition for it to continue its beleaguered life. With foreign support, some formerly prominent figures have resurfaced to form a new structure called ‘Military Council’ to play a role amid fast-moving Syrian developments.
Who is Manaf Talas?
On top of the new body is Manaf Talas, the son of the former Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Talas and a close military figure to former President Hafez al-Assad. Like his father, Manaf advanced to high military ranks in the Syrian government and was the commander of the 104th Brigade of the army stationed in Douma and the Presidential Guard. After eruption of the conflict, he defected from the government and joined the opposition front, becoming the most distinguished military defector. That is why shortly after his defection, he drew attention of media and countries fueling the crisis for leadership of the opposition.
However, he was sidelined from the opposition front and forgotten sooner than expected, and over the past years, he was living a life of indulgence in the European countries, especially France.
Now and after years of absence from the political scene, he returned leading a project dubbed National Liberation Movement that urges all opposition forces to unite under a single leadership.
Nature of the opposition’s military council
Certainly, like formation of all of the past anti-Damascus political and terrorist groups, foreign support is the vital element of rise of the new structure announced by Manaf. Al-Lhaleej Online, citing a source familiar with the new opposition structure, claimed that before the recent trip to Paris of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the ground was prepared by France and Saudi Arabia for formation and support for the new body. In a statement released about meeting of the French President Emmanuel Macron and bin Salman, Elysee Palace said that Syrian crisis was discussed by the two leaders, but it declined to provide details. Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper also quoted a source in the leadership of the military council saying that the meetings of the council with the presence of an American delegation were "high-level". The US is one of the most important actors that opposes Syria's return to the Arab League, and on the other hand, ignores any international request to end the occupation of the north of this country and refuses to recognize the territorial sovereignty of Syria. The Russians have repeatedly accused the US of planning to revive the ISIS terrorist group in Syria to sink the country back into instability, and participation in the project of new military council could be another step in this direction.
Definitely, the so-called military council will find it impossible uniting the ranks of the opposition and building a popular base given the boost to the Syrian government’s position after return to the Arab League and Arab countries’ show of interest to cooperate with government of Bashar al-Assad amid almost zero military capabilities of the opposition on the ground. Aljazeera news network of Qatar, which during the civil war was the official media arm of the opposition and terrorists, in an Arabic-language article titled The Return of the Prodigal Son expressed the depth of frustration with his trivial capability in this new political game.
However, Talas and his supporters tried to make a strong and noisy start for the new structure. According to London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper, this new body made a video statement last week by 4 masked people with unknown identity and without specifying their military rank and circulated fliers in different parts of Syria, such as Damascus, Khalid bin Al-Walid Mosque in Homs, which was the one of the prominent starting points of demonstrations against the government in 2011, Aleppo, Daraa city as cradle of protests, the city of Nasib on the border with Jordan, the city of Yeduda in the western suburbs of Daraa, Salma town in the mountains of Latakia, and even in the Kurdish-controlled Al-Shadadi city in Hasaka.
Addressing the Syrians, the statement refers to the millions of refugees, difficult living conditions under economic crisis, insecurity, actions by armed groups, and foreign intervention. The statement concludes that the solution lies only in ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. In an interview, Talas says realization of this aim requires demonstrations and unity of all Syrians from all sects.
The statement is the second declaration of existence of the council this year. A couple of months ago, Colonel Ahmad al-Qantari, a member of current military council , read a statement condemning dialogue of the members of Syrian National Coalition led by Salem al-Musalat with government representatives. The opposition circles described the statement a “coup” of the new military council against the official opposition front.
Military Council, a stillborn baby
Perhaps more than claiming leadership of opposition and having popular basis, what is the most ridiculous part of the remarks of the military council is the claim of existence of coordination with a large number of soldiers and officers currently serving in the army. Al-Quds Al-Arabi, citing al-Qantari, claimed existence of high-level coordination with foreign and home officers.
These allegations come as the new body has no forces on the ground and practically has no military power to even worry Damascus about establishing contacts with army officers.
“This proposal is a failure and will not bear fruits as the founders
and those behind them hope, because the military situation in Syria is
very complex, and consensual solutions cannot be found so easily by the
warring sides at home and abroad,” part of Aljazeera article reads.
/129