prescribes to a halt is applauded our general strike takes hold while things erupts in violence where protesters voiced their anger at proposed cuts to secure. the strike was time to coincide with a crucial vote in the greek parliament on whether to accept brussels terms for the financial aid this comes as china's prime minister offers a financial lifeline to the union during a visit to europe. french finance minister christine legarde becomes the first female head of the international monetary fund when overwhelming support from the u.s. europe russia and china her chief rival for the post was mexican banker augustine carstens who lobbied as a non european candidate better suited to understanding developing economies they were his nation's former managing director dominic strauss kahn resigned in may for a sex scandal. r t is on the ground in the libyan oil port of breda this is tripoli rejects the international criminal court's demands for colonel gadhafi is arrested and accuses that of doing nato's dirty work and critics say the ruling

makes a peaceful settlement less likely and only deepens the country's deadlock. over a thousand people dead in months of protest against the presidency of bashar assad that's the political reality first for syria today. day from the syrian center for political and strategic studies discuss what lies ahead for the troubled country spotlight coming up. hello yellow welcome to spotlight the interview show parts of the pilot how do you know when 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 for the asaad family

they have been ruling the country for fourteen years but today and spied by 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.

while 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're there did you position yourself as an opposition is that true yes. i've been active in the opposition since two thousand actually i been a key players in the damascus brain spring it's at this is period after the. former president how for the last said we're actually when bashar said came into what i said succeed his father there is a. few months when he'll open. up in there with you call the house some or put it but it got openings and allowed for some activists to actually to write decisions and talk to form some forms to ask for political change i was an activist at that

period and i found with other activist the syrian human rights are organizations i've been 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 issued. an 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 and if you thought you'd be denied bekim professor visiting professor at harvard university and now a teacher george washington university well the syrian opposition very subtle national council. they called national council and the eighteen 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 agenda now all the syrians inside and syrian opposition. side and i'll dare say the country they have the seem this emoji into the door a consensus among them actually there will not accept there is any kind of yonder with rush hour i said since actually he's responsible 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 to cross their sects it's a christian have been called out 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 soon it is we need actually to move from under a dictatorship regime to be a democratic country c.d.n. their fifty's has a long tradition of for 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 the bar to see it in there but again there was a little earlier. that was in the thirty's but you know that the smoke once wrote there that. any country any people deserves its government so

if you moved from democracy you had a progressive constitution to authorize hereon regime you have now don't you think that the this is what the people really need know i learned this actually that this symbol answers the uprising right now why there be one of the voting here live center at risk even that even that they know that. they build transpire laffey munition but every day every day will see their courage people their current as you would they go to street to protest against bashar i said that beating every day they are asking to art set off by shot i said and and there have been accountable in front of the international courts and how would you explain this shift the took place for nearly fifty years from a democracy to. a talk recy when when syria has a democracy and institutions that balance bartie came all over and take their boa

in nine hundred sixty three and sense ninety sixty three there is no free and fair elections we have one more knobbly. bharti according to the constitution article eight the bad part is that they need their own in their 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 the syrians we need a democratic system transparency we need accountability and we need their right for their people to choose their president and to to their government and this is why none none of this union 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. winds to move revolution swept through the arab world the beginning of the year see really begin to feel the ripples. it has turned into a food scheme are praising president bashar al assad for his cabinet and the proof we have to emergency power was more in launched constitutional refer. uhm how we're only he decided on the seaview ground and the police stepped up the violence against the opposition only june syrian human rights organizations as to me did some thirteen hundred people being killed and more than turned thousand arrested. 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 u.s. from imposing sanctions some experts speculate syria may food into a virtual civil war. or do you think that the syrian scenario can follow the example of libya as we just heard about i mean well the degenerating into into a full scale civil war in iraq syria to different than any via the civil relation in secret syria to 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 said boy to christian to be prime minister syria has such kind of for addition and still

we remain there sam which is their right of their monitors will be respected and they are their unity among their people and this is their main concern that even though there she is as you know regime now playing on this experience violence and the playing on that to stand by what i deserve but but actually we believe the wisdom of the syrians who are actually taking the arrives at risk at least will it would challenge. and will it will. as a right of the people will prevail at the end do you think that president assad has to do he still does have genuine support among the population look at the overarching started in that on so boys that i it's not like it has no history in the yard and raced like in the kurdish areas or like how much in it we were actually his father actually in the model for the whole city and killed at least twenty thousand started in this hour so 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 this unity is very narrow and there is not a chance for bashar and i said to stand bowler what's what will we believe that right now that the international community should help us now there are no question that with bashar said we'll follow 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 it is he himself does hume still understand that there's versions of no there that he's there is a counter i mean there's an office this is an unfortunate that's from his last speech give you a sense that he understood of the night he said that for the first time he discovered that 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 say he and bush and i said they seem he blamed their conscious brain see he blamed. the

other countries who blame me a whole bit being to be in this or nobody would even 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 afterward to grade so stay with us though. to execute. executing. him a. female. the heirloom it's just

subscribed to execute commit. if. you. look at the top. here this street still keeps its

secrets. to reveal the shooting of the soviet files on the. world. bringing you the latest in science and technology from the ground. we've got the future covered. welcome back to spotlight i'm al green dog and just a reminder that my guest on the show today is that i van ziad a the executive director of the syrian center for political and strategic studies

we're talking about the the situation in your own country. the upside is it is going on but you mentioned that that the president bashar assad is in the state of denial he didn't learn is that his days in office are counted and he still has to tries to stick to power well that's. 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 that nuclear tasmin now three months and

this syrian state media beating is really the the killing so actually done by the armed gangs nobody you know who 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 haue 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 a err 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 wise or kicked out or thirty porters question asked or often is do that islamists play any role in the wrist not at all not at all if if the islamists they they have on should the uprising started from hama and our isaac started from that our look this this sort of illusion this it of illusion for dignity and of freedom exactly like to

need it this is it we have popular disorganized above. it and yet as us and leaderless this is why quite difficult for this year regime to crack down the whole movement because if there is their leaders the next day will be a marriage other leaders and this is why there is no chance for that he is this to succeed to crack down the whole movement it's sick. right now it's that the syrians will discover the air their voice and it is this coverage here powerful and we're not at war not accept 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 turkish officials inform the western nations that i'm karrar is ready to launch a military operation against asset do you think this will help 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 support in political ball speciating in the security council and fortunately after after eleven days the security council acted very quickly and that down there is illusion nine hundred seventy one are qaddafi now in syria it has been thirteen weeks and the security council is still silent is cannot even that our dogs can diminish our 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 the military intervention we are that is their concern that none of this you don't know was just an inside outside the country with

military intervention but we need for the security council to are very quickly because actually the size of the security council says send the wrong message to the syrian government so so when you talking about international support you know talking about revenge you know talking about guns and weapons you're only talking about polar political support united nations risk. but listen. leaders are leaders that are afraid to be overthrown live or listen to u.n. resolutions i mean they never help so what why do you need this resolution do you think as it is going to listen and say oh we've got the u.n. resolution so bob i am i'm stepping down but one hour from now no i don't think sure that this is this is to ation in syria now this is to asia under 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

all been there fire on their protesters this is would make the situation much more harder for that said family to survive in bar this is why it's on board and for the international community to wark. 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 by our 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've that they see it in armies or afficionado one is not likely but also it's not like egypt is something between this is why if russia and turkey you just leverage to the syrian army and encourage their syrian army to break through with this series and this is why and to broaden their work their status this is would be the end of the any stability in the country you mentioned you know should mention russia and turkey will turkey is

hinting that the minister of the military operation against us russian prime minister vladimir putin recently rejected the possibility of a foreign intervention in syria will russia is in general pretty cautious about developments in syria and everything this is because the target to use the naval base that russia is afraid to lose do you think that if. sars regime will fall this will mean for russia. a loss of a partner and the loss of a naval base know its own borders and for russia to understand to is to be on their side in their artistic side of history we don't want actually there are sort of flags to be burned in damascus the bourse to be friendly see cleared off that are shown a flux and this is why there are government has to understand this message actually this is why we came here for four 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 emphasize about 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 any regime after i said i after i said hours after the fall off i said the regime actually will continue or that with their foreign body see 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 if there are 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 really appreciate that russian and now they are this year and we will actually it is ing that the turkish flag and this is why we are for this year and to wave of the russian of flags on you you. you mentioned influencing the army how important this is well actually reports say that protesters in the in syria are opposed by predominantly how weak units on the that are. taking orders from the president's brother so is there a possibility that the wrists 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 egypt let's add something about their russia

actually their statements of their brains in their in view and their prime minister mr putin to us but very powerful message to this series 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 and carry 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 seven there are only two years and this is why they see it an army made by they be bored just to mention want is too 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 media should send him actually to serve in house

there and they give him in a suction stop in the fire on the protesters and the people in harris there started chanting going to syria there are three of daraa his hometown this is why he was in challenge in changing himself how can i open fire on the people actually they are calling until today to my my hometown down and this is why they didn't. i won't call the soldiers and among the officers in their seat an army it's a clear that they see an army it's only the fourth division which is the most loyal one to question i said this fourth division and october vision off my head or less 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 other other other divisions and unit is in the army is not supportive of that i 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 key it is not that he is making

a sudanese the allawi it doesn't matter as i told you that this uprising crossed i said ok thank you thank you very much and just a reminder that my guest today on the show was another 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 just drop me a line allred of r.t. t.v. dot are you and that's keep spotlight interactive spotlight will be back with more christiane comments on what's going on in and outside russia until then stay on r.t. and take care. thank you. i

was just thinking about my future before the foreign companies came i dreamed of owning a can come in fact. but we have less garbage now. somebody that are sue come here make fun of me. figure out garbage boy i'm not bad like people think. i'm a good person. it's just the people don't see me. but i feel up with time people like me as. i feel people will start to appreciate us.