SOHR exclusive | Will transitional military council be a way to break the deadlock?! Officers express their opinions and vision
At a time when civilians, politicians and human rights activists express their concern about a new era of oppression and strict security measures, officers, military commanders and soldiers have praised proposals of forming a transitional military council, as they consider it as an “entry point to break the deadlock.”
Then could a transitional military council potentially put an end to the protracted war in Syria?!
In exclusive SOHR interviews, Syrian officers have expressed their stances towards the proposal of establishment of a transitional military council and their vision of its body.
Lieutenant-colonel Nedal Ebeid sees that the presence of a Syrian military council, as the military arm of a transitional committee, will contribute to enforcing the UN Resolution No. 2254 which aims to reach a political settlement which could potentially put an end to the bitter situation which has affected all Syrian people.
The lieutenant-colonel pointed out to the state of hesitation and swinging stances of international and local actors towards the proposal of establishing a Syrian military council in light of the conflict of interests which international and regional powers are seeking for. These interests are related to the Syrian crisis and de-facto authorities which, with help and support of major powers, have managed all developments in Syria and devoted their efforts to divide the country, exacerbating the people’s sufferings further.
Commenting on concerns about starting a new era of repression with a military body being in power, Mr. Ebeid stated “the military council has never been seeking for resorting to oppression or being a figure of tyranny or autocracy, as some imagine. The proposed Syrian military council comprises patriotic and qualified figures believing in the importance of the presence of this body, where it is entrusting to secure the a safe environment form the work of the transitional committee through controlling the proliferation of arms, guard border and stop smuggling of weapons and people. Moreover, the council’s work will be subjected to a mechanism of surveillance by UN bodies and institutions to make sure that the UN Security Council’s resolutions are implemented in a right way. This means that the military council will not be able to implement random or mood tasks comfortably, as it will be supervised by relevant UN bodies and international organisations.”
On the other hand, Alaa Kojak, lieutenant in the “Free Syrian Army,” told SOHR “the military council will not break the deadlock, but it plays a major part, under the transitional authorities to be formed in accordance with Resolution 2254, to reach a political settlement. The council is necessity, not a choice.”
“Since the beginning of the Syrian Revolution, there has been no serious international willingness to implement a political transition in Syria, which has been manifested in the indecisive resolutions passed by the UN Security Council, where major powers have placed obstacles in front of these resolutions and kept them on hold. Not to mention the timid press releases by international actors, condemning massacres in which chemical weapons were used, while no parties, even the Syrian regime which involved in scores of such massacres, have been held accountable. Until now, there has been no a serious desire to proceed with a political transition is Syria. This means that the international stances towards this council are still swinging, especially since the military council is undoubtedly a part of the political transition in Syria.”
The lieutenant points out that the military council is a part of the transitional committee approved by the UN Security Council, and it adopted a political command, which means that the military council does not plan to impose strict military and security measures, as he describes. He adds, “in addition, the constitution announcement that will be ratified by the transitional committee will be a guarantee that a tyrant regime will not be personalised in the military council.”
Kojak stats that “the way to tyranny starts from disrespect of the state’s constitution and laws. Creating a tyrant regime is not confined to military commanders. There are civilian rulers heading tyrant, autocracic and oppressing regimes.”
Meanwhile, ex-police officer who had defected from the ministry of interior affairs and Internal Security Forces, Haytham Al-Hemayyid stresses that the military council is the only way out of this dilemma after over ten years of oppression and injustice against Syrian people, ruling out that the military council will adopt oppressing practices. He also sees that the establishment of the military council will be a part of implementation of the International Resolution No. 2254 to reach a political settlement in Syria. Al-Hemayyid emphasises that the military council will secure peace and security stability, as well as countering terrorism during the transitional phase, away from dominating ultimate power.”