welcome back the headlines from around tripoli refuses to accept an arrest warrant for colonel gadhafi saying the international criminal court is just a western political tool and has no authority the hague based tribe you know has accused the libyan leader of crimes against humanity. greek trade unions are staging a forty eight hour strike with tens of thousands expected to take to the topple streets on tuesday or as the greek prime minister urging the parliament to pass a fresh austerity plan to avoid bankruptcy. and russian lawmakers discuss controversial restrictions on abortion designed to boost the birthrate in the country many fear the move will spread back streets surgeries and a legacy of abandoned children in the next interview show what spotlight looks at what lies ahead for syria and his anti-government protests that continue.

well. new the latest in science and technology from around russia. we've got the future covered. hello yellow welcome to spotlight thing you show are hard to pile all you know today my guest on the show is about the one zero. four months of protests in syria have left over a thousand people dead their rights are the biggest challenge to the past sad

family they have been ruling the country for fourteen years but today and spied by the revolutions in tunisia and egypt syrians want to oust president bashar assad. what's the most probable scenario for the syrian crisis here's the executive director of the syrian center for political and strategic studies at ziad. trying to hold on to power president assad is introducing some political and economic reforms meant to change the election process and local governments fight corruption and give more freedom to the media but protestors have little faith in this rhetoric saying just nice words with no real meaning behind them the syrian ministry of defense has imposed serious restrictions on communications introduced a complete ban on internet access in some areas of the country.

the welcome to the show thank you for having me thank you for coming. here in the studio first of all i wanted to i want to check what people especially when the when they publish interviews with you or your articles in the press they label you as an opposition leader one of the one of the members of the opposition so you do you do you do you agree that they do position yourself as an opposition is that true yes. i've been active in the opposition since two thousand actually i been icici blares in the damascus brain spring it's at this is period after the. former president how for the less said we are actually when bashar assad came into what i said succeed his father there is a. few months when he'll arpan. call the house some or put it but it got openings and allowed for some activist actually to write big decisions and thought to form some forms to ask for political change i was an activist at that period and

i formed with other activist the syrian human rights are. being active as a human rights activist since i left syria in october two thousand and seven later on the syrian government issued. a travel ban and it should worry. arrest warrant against me in in february two thousand and eight what was the reason why did you leave syria its except to be a senior figure to us an issue to be denied bekim professor visiting professor at harvard university and now a george washington university well the syrian opposition very subtle and there are small council there they called national council and the a.t.m. is to continue the fight against the regime they claim to represent i quote all communities and all representative of national political forces inside and outside

syria and quote well is there any way that the opposition leaders today can communicate with ordinary people of syria of course now this is a sure unfortunately even that the syrian opposition even that they don't don't have right now and and united leadership but at least they have unified genda now all of the syrians inside and syrian opposition. saya now there are certain country they have this seem this emoji into the door that a consensus among them actually there will not accept there is any kind of the i would question what i said since actually he's responsible of the ideas of more than fifteen hundred and he had been detained more than fifteen thousand in the country and also this is why i. agree that the uprising in syria is a cross there sicked it's a christian have been killed i've been career killed and this is why this is

uprising. kitty it is such kind of a moment among the syrian this is because the spirit of unity among the syrians what are the demands of the syrian opposition we they want to overthrow us this is and this to but what else what specific things do they demand for their country for the people but as symbolized it is we need actually to move from under a dictatorship regime to be a democratic country c.n.d. fifty's has a long tradition of a democratic institutions in one thousand nine hundred fifty four for four has free and fair elections at that time we have the march to progress of going to situation with a give their ideal meant to avoid and participate in the game but there was a little more of this sort of that was in the fifty's but you know that this moral qualms road that that. any country any people deserves its

government so if you moved from democracy you have a progressive constitution to authorize hereon regime you have now don't you think that the this is what the people really need you know i learn there is actually the symbol of our answer the uprising right now why there be one of the here live center at risk even that even that they know that. they build fish by laughing munition but every day every day you will see their courage people that kirk is you with they go to street to protest against bashar i said but it beats every day they are asking to art set off by shot i said and and i have been accountable in front of the international court then how would you explain this shift the took place for nearly fifty years from a democracy to. a talk recy yet when when syria has a democracy and institutions that balance bharti came all over and take their boa

in nine hundred sixty three and sense nine hundred sixty three there is no free and fair elections we have one monopoly. bharti according to the constitution article eight the bad part is that they lead their own in this state and the society and this is actually destroy all the traditions that the syrian have in their fifty's regarding their short of democratic period and this is why we need to board our democracy again and and this is the main point for this syrians we need a democratic system transparency we need accountability and we need the right for their people to choose their president and to choose their government and this is why none none of this syria will accept less than that we did a higher price we did fifteen hundred and maybe their numbers are much higher and this is why our will not accept less than having a democratic system well let's take a look at the situation in syria now in

a report by spotlights you learn the new. windows to move revolution swept through the arab world the beginning of the year see really begin to feel the ripples march it had turned into foods are praising president bashar al assad for his cabinet and the proof we have to emergency power was more constitutional. uhm how we're only to the month he decided on the seaview ground and the police stepped up the violence against the opposition only june syrian human rights organizations estimated some thirteen hundred people have been killed and with the arrested escape in their own wrist refugees have been crossing the border into turkey more than twelve thousand syrians are housed all seeking shelter in turkish refugee camps in early june president assad announced the junior minister for

political prisoners however his concessions have neither the opposition nor stop the e.u. and the us from imposing sanctions some experts speculate syria may fall into a virtual civil war. or do you think that the syrian scenario can follow the example of libya as we've just heard about i mean well the degenerating into into a full scale civil war look syria it's a different than only via the civil relation in secret syria it's twenty two million in libya in any way is five million and syria has no history of civil war syria actually in nineteen back in the fifty's their prime minister was as actually christian and been supported even though out there at that time there are four members in the muslim brotherhood and they support the christan to be prime minister syria has such kind of federation and stole the only man there see him

which is their right of their monitors will be respected and they are the unity among their people and this is their main concern that even though there she is this you know regime now being on this exterior and violence and you playing on that to stand by our and to survive but but actually we believe the wisdom of the syrians who are actually taking the arrives at risk at least will it will challenge . and will it will. as a right of the people would have been at the end do you think the president to do you still does her have genuine support among the population you know without rushing started in doubt on so boys that i it's not like it has no history in the yard and raised like in the kurdish areas or like how much in a way we're actually his father actually being the model for the whole city and killed at least twenty thousand started in the south in a city of daraa where actually many politicians among them devise

a president and others who are from that are this you give you a sense of the ball tinged because of this you know it is you is very narrow and there is not a chance for bashar and i set the scene bowler what's what will we believe that right now that the international community should help us now there are no question that was a better shot i said good for at the end but the time about the time and the course and this is the question so you think that she's due really of course today is he himself does he understand it does versions of know there that he's there is accounted i mean there's an office this is an unfortunate that's from his last speech give you a sense that he's a he understand of the you know i he said that for the first time he discovered that's how much this you know he was they love him this is state of the united and this is why we we're really concerned about this situation our country because that we have seen such kind of things in our cars their feet even that and bush and i said they seem he blamed the consul brand see he blamed. the other countries who

blame me a whole bit being to believe in this or nobody would even do that on syria and now we see that their victory is our closed doors. so there's a lot of armed ziyad the be executive director of the syrian center for political and strategic studies spotlight will be back shortly after the three break so stay with us go figure. i was just thinking about my future before the foreign companies came i dreamed of owning a can cabin factory. but we have less garbage now. some

businesses who come here make fun of me. regular garbage boy i'm not bad like people think. i'm a good person. it's just that people don't see me. but i feel it was time people like me as. i feel people will start to appreciate us. if. it.

took you at the top of. this street still keeps its secrets. to reveal the shooting of the soviet files on the. welcome back to spotlight i'm al green dog and just a reminder that my guest on the show today is that other than ziad day the executive director of the syrian center for political and strategic studies we're talking about the the situation in your own country. the uprising is going on but you mentioned that the president bashar assad is in the state of denial he didn't know years that his days in office are counted and he still has two tries to

stick to power well syria's deputy foreign minister mr feisal mig died he claims that i quote the killing was initiated by extremist religious groups that are financed from outside syria and the unrest. is is comes from the same place and these groups do not want to achieve reform in syria unquote is any foreign government involved in today's unrest uprising in syria can you confirm its nuclear tasmin now three months and this syrian state media beating every day the killings are actually done by the armed gangs nobody you know who are actually behind these armed gangs or who is all of this on gangs and why these on gangs if they don't show are born in

a city they have brought it why did it not show up in this city they don't have brought this like any bull and this is why it it's here if this year in government do we leave on die why will not our up in the country for the international media to have an access wiser kicked out already porter's question asked are often is do the islamists play any role in the in the unrest not to are not at all if if the islamists they they have on should the uprising started from hama without isaac started from that are look this this sort of illusion this it evolution for dignity and freedom exactly like tunisia is this is that we have popular disorganized above . it and yet as us and leaderless this is why quite difficult. for this series you took it out down the whole movement because if they are if their leaders the next day will be america's other leaders and this is why there is no chance for there is

this to succeed to crack down the whole movement it's a clear right now it's that the syrians will discover a hear their voice and it is discover a they are powerful and we're not at war not that less than what the tunisian and egyptian achieved. turkey is a powerful neighbor with extensive economic ties with syria and. to do. the news that. officials in four of the western nations that i'm karrar is ready to launch a military operation against our set do you think this will help and no no i don't think so on our the syrian opposition inside and outside the country against any military operation on syria we do we believe that this syrian they are able to topple bashar al assad's in their hands but we need for on the international

community to much more savor it in politico to board speciating in the security council and fortunately after after eleven days the security council acted very quickly and that is illusion nine hundred seventy one are qaddafi now in syria it has been ceratin weeks and the security council is still silent is cannot even dare to adopt the can do initial resolution this is why our visit to moscow actually to address some of the of their concerns of the russian of the russian off the shelves and you know solution it can be lead to their military intervention we are that is their concern that none of this you know wish an inside outside the country with military intervention but we need for their security council to our very quickly because actually the size of the security council said so. they're angry message to the syrian government though so when you talking about international support you know talking about intervention you know talking about guns and weapons you're only

talking about polar political support united nations resolutions but listen. leaders are leaders that are afraid to be overthrown never listened to u.n. resolutions and they never help so what why do you need this resolution do you think as it is going to listen as a oh we've got the u.n. resolution so bob i am i'm stepping down but one hour from now and i don't think sure that this is this is to a scene in syria now the situation under a very severe economic crisis if they if their security council adopted a solution to war sanctions on bashar assad and other security officers who are she alben their fire on their protesters this is would make this situation much more harder for that said family to survive in bar this is why it's important for the international community to wark to talk to have one united voice against the killing of this seat and people and this is the army there are only seeing that

then that family will and that is stand there is no more there is no chance for them to stand bowler and the most involved i think we need that turkey and russia both countries they have some leverage on the syrian army we do we see it on armies or afficionado one is not likely but also is not like egypt is something between this is why if russia and turkey use its leverage to the syrian army and encourage their syrian army to break through with this series and this is why and to protect their protesters this is will be the end of the any stability in their country you mentioned as you mentioned russia and turkey will turkey is hinting that the minister of the military operation against this russian prime minister vladimir putin recently rejected the possibility of. foreign intervention in syria world russia is in general pretty cautious about developments in syria and are you feeling this is because the target to use the naval base that russia is afraid to

lose do you think that if assad's regime will fall this will mean for russia. the loss of a partner and the loss of a naval base now it's important for russia to understand to stay on this side and artistic side of history we don't want actually there are sort of flags to be burned in damascus them are supposed to be friendly secret off that are sign of flags and this is why there are government has to understand this message actually this is why we came here for fourth thing starts for the russian officials first of all that we have a shared invitations why then mr maher get off and other russian officials and this is actually it's a good beginning to have a channel with this year and i wish and and they we we need to oversize above the historical relationship between syria and russia syria has a large community in russia and russia has

a large community in them are in in syria and this is kind of relationship we need to steer and we it has to continue because actually this is the build the relationship between a lot of tunisians then the second issue are actually will and that is the concern any annual regime after i said i after i said out of the four offer i said the regime actually will continue that with their foreign policy toward toward russia russia it's actually a powerful country and we need to have a good relationship with russia sense actually i told you the historical relationship and the taylor thing russia task on syria about military intervention we actually we have the same concern about that and the last thing that if that russia help us actually in our. cause for democracy and human rights this year and we will appreciate that russian and now they are this year and we want actually it is ing that the turkish flag and this is why we think for this year to wave of the

russian of flags on you you you mentioned influencing the army how important this is well actually. see the protests in the in syria are opposed by predominantly how weak units on the that are that are taking orders from the president's brother so is there a possibility that the wrist style of the army other than the allawi units will be will be supporting the uprising like you have been doing tunisia or at least staying neutral like or like for example in the let's add something about their russia actually their statements of their prison there in vivah and the prime minister mr putin to us but very powerful message to this year it seems that russia has no special interest in syria rather than they condemning actually the violence

done by by and by the syrian government otherwise the guarding the army which which it's important that the syrian army as i told you before it's a professional one it's and this is why when when when when russia and turkey use its leverage to encourage the army the syrian army is made by their people every seat and has to see of the army in two years i see of the army and our. my brothers and others serve in the army two years and this is why they see it an army made by their be bored just to mention wanted to many of them most international there are actually this all does he actually has you know from daraa is born and raised in daraa and the syrian are the we need or should send him actually to serve in house there and they give him in a suction stop in the fire on the protesters and that we will inherit started. chanting on the seder there are three of daraa his hometown this is why he was in china and in china and himself how can i open fire on the people actually they are

calling considered dirty my my hometown doc and this is why the dilemma i won't call the soldiers and among the officers in the syrian army it's akira that they see it in our me it's only the fourth division which is the most loyal one to question i said this fourth division under sober vision off my head and i said the brother of bashar i said make it making this huge and on and invading it many cities and you could wind this it is but as are other other divisions and unit this in the army is not supportive of that said and now there is a lot of defection along the army so we're not talking about into confessional violence in syria no no this is it's clear it is not that he is making sudanese the allawi it doesn't matter as i told you that this uprising for us there said ok thank you thank you very much and just a reminder that my guest today on the show was one of the one ziad the the

executive director of the syrian center for political and strategic studies and that's it for now from all of us who are few hundred years in the spotlight or if you have someone in mind who you think i could interview next time please drop me a line eldridge of r.t. t.v. dot are you and that's huge spotlight interact spotlight will be back with more frequent comments on what's going on in and outside russia until then they are r.t. and take a. break.