Mohammad al Shazli: Syrian Opposition. Assad's Overthrow Wouldn't End the Violence!

The head of the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change (NCC) in exile, Haytham al Manna, said that the Syrian regime is seeking to clone the Algerian solution to solve the crisis in the country. He called on friends of the regime to pressure the regime, for serious negotiations that can rescue those, whose hands haven't been stained with the blood of Syrians. Speaking to Mohammad al-Shazli, prominent Syrian opposition activist Haytham al Manna, said that the Syrian crisis must be solved politically, and that a violent of the regime would only lead to more violence. In an interview with Al Hayat, Manna added that the conflict could not be solved militarily. He said, We have the choice of either Somalization of the country, or a political solution. We blame the regime for wanting to clone the Algerian solution. It will not succeed. He added that the opposition will not succeed in reaching a military solution. Thus far, the regime has not made any progress toward serious negotiations, he said. It is focusing on public relations, and agreeing to anything that is offered. However, when it comes to implementation, there is no practical element to this approval. Manna said, he believed that without serious pressure by friends of the regime, such as Russia, China and Iran, on the regime for serious negotiations, to rescue those whose hands haven't been stained with Syrian blood, the regime won't make painful and necessary concessions, in order to bring about a democratic transition. Manna added that the regime will not transfer presidential power to a transitional government. He said that a political solution means that parliamentary and democratic institutions must start working. Manna noted that Syria needs 20 years to get rid of the problems caused by the cult of personality and the dictatorial regime. Manna called on all parties, that care about the Syrian people, to stop supplying arms to any party. He explained that, according to American analysis, the regime can survive for another two years, and that we've put the state and the regime in one box. Manna noted that army defections were decreasing, amid growing fears on the part of minorities, due to the militancy and the Islamisation of the opposition, a reference to the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood.