Crimes Against Humanity
The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4 ran a segment on Amnesty International’s investigation of 88 deaths by torture in Syrian custody in recent months. The 88 include 10 children. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Thousands are missing. Following the report there’s an interview with Andrew Green, a former British ambassador to Syria, and with me. I agree with Andrew Green’s final comment, that the lack of a recognisable alternative to the regime constitutes a major obstruction in the way of the revolution. It does seem, however, that a consensus opposition council is now slowly emerging, including Syrians inside and outside the country, and of a broad range of political inclinations. Best of all, it seems that Burhan Ghalyoun is emerging as the opposition’s leader or figurehead. Ghalyoun is a popular secular intellectual. If Islamist voices are accepting him as a compromise figure, this is proof of their growing maturity.
Here’s the audio:
Qunfuz 
I don’t think Ghalioun is Alawi. I had posted this based on a commenter who is usually correct on these things, but several others wrote in to correct me, claiming he is actually Sunni from a modest family of a village near Homs.
joshua landis
August 31, 2011 at 11:59 pm
I saw that. I removed it just as you posted. I’d heard that he was an Alawi from more than one Syrian. I’m still seeing contradictory reports that he’s Alawi and that he isn’t. In any case, he’s a secular intellectual, which is an important thing.
Robin Yassin-Kassab
September 1, 2011 at 12:20 am
there’s a youtube video (which I can’t find) of a crowd in Homs chanting ash-sha’ab yureed burhan ghalyoun – the people want Burhan Ghalyoun..
Robin Yassin-Kassab
September 1, 2011 at 12:32 am
Robin, thanks for this story and the details in the comments. There is a link from Joshua Landis’s blog, among a round-up of today’s stories (as is usual, he makes sure that Moscow Times and Xinhua are well-featured).
It is odd that Landis does not mention the details of the Amnest report, nor the latest from the ICG. I guess he just posts links/stories from his assembled commentariat.
Keep up the great work you do.
Bill Scherk
September 1, 2011 at 3:41 am
thank you, Bill. I just wrote a long reply concerning Joshua Landis, then deleted it. What’s the point? I’ve already written about his blog. The examples of his bias and poor, partial reporting multiply, but I’m not going to go after everything. In some respects he has been improving recently as he realises the regime is probably not going to survive. Only in some respects.
Robin Yassin-Kassab
September 1, 2011 at 9:44 am
I take back the ‘improving’ comment. I looked at his site just now – I really hope he’s being paid to repeat regime propaganda of the ugliest sort. I hope he’s being paid a lot.
Robin Yassin-Kassab
September 1, 2011 at 8:26 pm