heydemann, then andrew tabler. thank you. >> could i ask everyone to stand please for a moment of silence. in respect for the suffering that the syrian people are enduring in this terrible war. [moment of silence] >> thank you very much. on behalf of the three of us, steve, andrew, and i, we would all like to thank the coalition for democratic syria for arranging this and for inviting us to speak to you. you've, you've all seen this democratic cause and this movement through, i think some very dark days in syria's current history. and, i have a lot of respect for what you have gone through, what you are going through, and what you, you and your relatives and friend in syria will continue to go through until this war is over. on the basis of what, if i could say something, i was, and this was not planned, but it's a result of the questions and answers, if i may. i will make this very brief. it is an unpaid announcement as well, shall we say. i was at geneva and i can, and i genuinely assure you that your negotiators

andrew table or -- tabler. he says it like it is. at the senior fellow washington institute, where he focuses on syria. is the cofounder and editor-in-chief of ". today -- "syria today." he has prerevolution experience with syria. he has leveraged his contacts with the syrian opposition to offer a unique vision. thiseason i like engaging panel of experts is because sometimes i feel but assyrian americans we have conversations amongst ourselves and it is hard to see it from the outside. this is a well-informed group and they will share with us how they see it from the inside. we are going to begin with mr. hooper. thank you. could i ask everyone to stand please for a moment of silence? suffering for the that the syrian people are enduring in this terrible war. thank you very much. on behalf of the three of us, we would all like to thank the coalition for a democratic syria for arranging this and inviting us to speak to you. you have all seen this democratic cause in this movement through some very dark days. respect for what you have

andrew table or -- tabler. he says it like it is. he is a senior fellow at the washington institute, where he focuses on syria. he is the cofounder and editor-in-chief of "syria today." he has prerevolution experience with syria. he has leveraged his contacts with the syrian opposition to offer a unique vision. the reason i like engaging this panel of experts is because sometimes i feel but assyrian americans we have conversations amongst ourselves and it is hard to see it from the outside. this is a well-informed group and they will share with us how they see it from the inside. we are going to begin with mr. hooper. thank you.