The Syrian opposition National Salvation Front concluded its conference in Berlin, announcing its intention to “transition to field work to bring about a regime change in Damascus.”
According to a statement by the Front, broadcasted by Agence France-Presse, it has decided to “prioritize the Syrian interior and establish contact with opposition forces within the country to coordinate and unite efforts towards achieving change and overcoming marginal differences.”
The statement also outlined the Front’s plans to “enhance the effectiveness of its activities both inside and outside Syria and to rally political, popular, and trade union forces around its program for change.”
The Front has resolved to “develop a practical plan to mobilize Syrian society towards civil disobedience,” considering it to be the practical approach towards achieving peaceful and democratic change.
Furthermore, the Front has expressed its intention to “intensify its engagement with Arab and foreign countries in the upcoming phase to shed light on the suffering of the Syrian people and the dangers posed by the current regime, which has led to impoverishment, widespread unemployment, corruption, and severe repression.”
The statement strongly criticized Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s decision to align Syria with Iran’s strategic interests, asserting that Iran’s awareness of the ongoing political conflict with the United States has led it to prepare for a confrontation not on its own territory, but in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf states.
During a press conference following the conference, Abdel Halim Khaddam, the former vice president of Syria, stated that “no one in the opposition desires to forcibly overthrow the regime.” He emphasized that all factions of the opposition reject external military intervention in Syria.
Sadreddin Bayanouni, the general controller of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, noted that the situation in Syria differs from that of Iraq, stating that the Syrian people are capable of overthrowing the Assad regime on their own without the need for American intervention.
The conference, which began its proceedings last Sunday, witnessed the participation of approximately 140 individuals representing national, Islamic, and Kurdish currents, liberal parties, as well as independent figures.
It should be noted that this gathering marks the second general conference of the Front following the founding conference held in London in June 2006.