CAIRO: Egypt's largest political block, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has officially recognized the Syrian National Council, a recently formed Syrian opposition coalition, as the legitimate government of the Syrian people. The DA announced their decision after a meeting on Tuesday between coalition leaders, including the al-Wafd Party Secretary General el-Sayed Badawi and Syrian National Unity Council leader Samir Nashar. “We were in great need for the support of the Egyptian people to affirm its solidarity with the Syrian people, who bear the pain and the suffering because the Assad regime is practicing suppression to silence the voice of Syrians,” said Nashar, on behalf of the Syrian National Unity Council. Last Sunday, the Bashar al-Assad government warned that it would retaliate against any state that recognizes the Syrian National Council. “We will take tough measures against any state which recognizes this illegitimate council,” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said at a news conference in Damascus. “The West will not attack Syria because no one will pay the bill,” he continued. “The West chose economic sanctions to starve our people, under the pretext of protecting human rights.” The international community has welcomed the formation of the Council, as the uprisings against President Bashar al-Assad continue six months out despite international sanctions and pressure on the regime. According to the most recent United Nations estimates, about 2,900 people have died at the hands of the Syrian regime since the popular uprisings began, however Syrian activists cite higher numbers. No state has diplomatically recognized the Council yet, as they did the Libyan rebels during the popular protests that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi earlier this year. President Assad has pledged to hold parliamentary elections next year, and has ended the country's abusive 50-year emergency law. Activists, however, believe that these concessions are insufficient. BM
