Syria’s opposition turning to force

Haitham al-Maleh, member of the SNC Cairo - Akram Ali  Haitham al-Maleh, member of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), has warned that a “decisive military action” in Syria is imminent, in an exclusive interview with Arabstoday. “The Free Syrian Army (FSA) is advancing and gaining ground every day,” he said. “Meanwhile the Syrian army is in a defensive state and we’re seeing more internal divisions by the day.” However, al-Maleh warned, how other states will respond to developments on the ground remains to be seen. “Arab countries are looking to support the Syrians, but they haven’t acted yet,” he said. “Only Qatar has opened up its embassy to the SNC and given the opposition $20m. And yet our demands to the Arab League are still under consideration.” The SNC figure blamed pro-Israeli sentiment within the US administration for its delays in pledging to fund and support Syrian opposition forces. “US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton put pressure on Gulf states to prevent the arming of the opposition. Washington won’t make any moves without the approval of Israel first and Israel believes its interest lies in the survival of President Bashar al-Assad,” he claimed. Al-Maleh, who now lives in Cairo, meanwhile praised Egypt’s “respectful” position on the Syrian conflict, after President Mohammed Morsi conditioned renewed negotiations with Iran on the promise of “progress” in the crisis. The SNC member condemned a recent visit to Syria by Nasserist Party members from Egypt, calling it a “betrayal to the Syrian revolution and the people.” “The Syrian regime is looking to attract supporters in Egypt and try and undermine Egyptian support for the revolution,” he said.