Syria Opposition Announces Names of 'National Council' Members
Members of the Syrian opposition meeting in Istanbul on Thursday announced a list of 140 dissidents forming a "national council" they established in August.
The council aims to coordinate the opposition's policies against the Syrian leadership.
Sixty percent of the members live in Syria, while the remainder are in exile, Abdul Basset Sidah, a council member, told a press conference.
The organizers disclosed only 72 names of council members and kept the rest confidential for what they said were security reasons.
Revolutionary youth represents more than half of the council, Ahmed Ramadan, another council member, added.
"After completing the first level of consultative meetings, groups of revolutionary youth, political movements and personalities, activists and technocrats decided to found the Syrian National Council," a spokeswoman, Basma Qadani, said.
Yasser Tabbarah, another member, said the council had not yet elected a president. "We are in a democratic process. This is an inaugural meeting," he told Agence France Presse.
Canada, the Netherlands, Japan and Sudan sent diplomats as observers to the press conference, council member Obeida Nahas, said.
"The first principle of the council is our commitment to topple the regime," Tabbarah said, adding that they are loyal to the "peaceful nature of the revolution," and "the unity of Syria", while they are against any foreign intervention in their country.
"As the first step, revolutionaries of Syria want us (the council) to handle the international relations of the revolution," Tabbarah said, even though the council is not yet "officially representing the revolution".
The council, which was to convene later Thursday, is expected to decide to meet soon with representatives of European, Arab and Turkish governments, as well as international organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Tabbarah said.
Ramadan also said they plan to launch a satellite TV channel to give voice to Syrian people's demands.
Since March, the Syrian government's bloody crackdown on anti-regime protests has killed 2,600 Syrians, mostly civilians, according to the U.N.
The regime blames the violence on “armed terrorist gangs” backed by foreign agitators.
over 12 years
We are still waiting to see some "armed terrorist gangs". Where is your media freedom so all sides can be represented?
over 12 years
Is Religion the root of all evil??
Zionists...Terrorits..and crusaders...
How about all of you who put these nice pleasant comments just go "sleep" with each others' sisters and in about a hundred years we all wont know who are the crusaders, the terrorists, and the Zionists...
over 12 years
This is a good first step, the council though should take into consideration the pluralistic Syrian society otherwise they will replace the Assad Family criminal dictatorship with a religious one which would just like Assad did alienate a big part of the society. It should include Sunnis, Christians, Alawites, Druze, .... The toppling of the Assad family dictatorship may have taken more than 40 years to materialize but in today's 21st century world any replacement dictatorship wouldn't take more than a few months (at best) to be again toppled. The council should do the exact opposite of what the Assad family regime did during its 40 year reign of terror in order to take Syria and the Syrian people to a Peaceful, prosperous, and secure future and join the others in the free world in the strive for a better future for humanity for generations to come.
over 12 years
I am not sure that by only reading An Nahar, Naharnet, Al Mustaqbal Al Ta3is and the Lebanese Fartses websites you will see any reporting or pictures of armed gangs. As if it takes a genius to figure that out. But then when you're dealing with a retard such as Ghabby, what hope is there for such idiots and broken records?
over 12 years
URGENT REPORT from Informed European Sources (i.e. you must believe them):
The executive committee consists of 6 fearless members of the opposition, and they are:
Shlonak Yamou
Hady Tenfa3ak and his brother-in-law Hady Tdorrak
Tlata Wetmaneen
Eshbak AKhi and his cousin Weinak Akhi
Tomorrow, after the general meeting of the politbureau in Ankara, the president will be elected. The most favored is the little-known activist Fatfina Al Ba3bous.
sounds very dandy.. may we know who is financing the whole operation?