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Rocky Road to Unity for Syria Opposition

(Jerusalem Post) Zvi Mazel - In recent months, opposition movements in Syria have vainly tried to find some common ground that could bring together the ethnic and religious communities that make up the country. In spite of ongoing efforts at unification the opposition is hopelessly divided. Their failure to do so goes a long way to explain why they did not get much needed international recognition and help the way Libya rebels did. The National Kurdish Council representing most of the two million-strong Kurdish minority announced Jan. 18 it was suspending its participation in the other opposition organizations, having been unable to obtain assurances regarding the recognition of the Kurdish people. In an unrelated development on Jan. 18, a hundred Alawite intellectuals posted a declaration on Facebook indicating they supported "the freedom intifada" of the Syrian people and called on all Alawites to take part in toppling the regime - the first time a significant number of Alawite notabilities - belonging to Assad's own community - dared go on record.
2012-01-24 00:00:00
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