'US using Arab League to control Syria'

Interview with Taleb Ibrahim, political analyst, to further discuss the issue.

The following is a transcription of the interview.

In the face of threats from Qatar of military intervention, how significant is President Assad's granting of amnesty, even to those with arms?

Ibrahim: Yes, of course, it's very important especially at this time because inside Syria different people are asking the president to make this amnesty. It's very much necessary for the conciliation inside Syria, and to begin dialogue between different parties in the Syrian internal view.

Another issue, it's very important to mention that this amnesty is very well because it is coming in the correct time, and it means that the Syrian leadership is applying the [Arab Initiative] exactly. As we remember, as the [Arab Initiative] said, the mission is working in Syria to withdraw their troops and to release prisoners.

This amnesty means the Syrian leadership is releasing the prisoners. That means, exactly, the [Arab Initiative] has been implemented inside Syria. And we think that will make a positive impression in the Arab League especially towards some countries such as Algeria, Egypt and others.

Mr. Ibrahim, I want to pick up on what you just said. How do you believe the Arab League wants to justify violence against the government of President Assad when he's following to the letter the protocol or the Arab initiative, as you said, set out by the Arab League to solve the crisis?

Ibrahim: We hope that the Arab League will be able to solve the problem inside Syria.

But we are not very much optimistic in the Arabs, because some Arabs such as Qatar, such as Saudi Arabia, have no Arabian agenda. They have an American and Israeli agenda. Here the real problem inside the Arab League is not inside the Arab League itself, and the problem is not in Syria.

The problem is with Prince Hamad Bin Jassim inside Qatar, and the royal family inside Saudi Arabia. They have an Israeli and American agenda against Syria, against Iran, against Hezbollah, against the resistance axis. And they want to get rid of all these now.

We believe deeply in Syria that the crisis inside Syria now is related to regional files such as the Iranian nuclear program, the relations between Syria and Iran, and the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, etc.

So, we think the Arab League may be able to return to the crisis in Syria in a political and peaceful way; and at the same time, we are not very much optimistic.