Reporting by Mustafa Mohamed
(Eqtsad)- Amid the fast track military development at the Northern border of Syria, talks about the Safe Zone has come to surface again, the option that the opposition need to be ready for.
In order to have an idea about the matter, Eqtsad talked to Mohammed yasin Najjar, an engineer and the former minister of Communication, Transportation and Industry in the Interim Government, who supervised a study about the matter in 2013, when the idea of Safe Zone was first discussed.
EQ- Many say that the Syrian government has not given the civil affairs the required interest, and the opposition is lagging back in preparation for post-liberation time?
Yes that’s right, for example, in 2013 before the Islamic State widespread in Syria, rebels were able to move from Jordan to Turkey to Iraq. But we were not able to use that advantage due to lack of united leadership of the opposition.
EQ- When you were in the Interim Government headed by Ahmed Tomeh, you did a complete study to manage that Safe Zone after talking about it officially by Turkey, has it still implementable in these days?
We had communication with the Turkish side and we gave them our vision based on economic mutual cooperation, especially the area is within Aleppo’s territory, which is known of its industrial and economic activities, but at the time we face many challenges.
EQ- What are these challenges?
The most important was lack of economic resources independent from the regime, besides the ability to manage the big uncontrolled number of returned displaced people which could lead to unplanned building and growing in the area similar to the slums around the big cities like Damascus and Aleppo. Therefore, it is vital to plan the return by an expert team to allocate people according to available resources.
EQ- Do you think variation in the controlling military formations is one of the challenges?
It is well known that any individual military formation cannot rule a city , and the experience of Liwa al-Tawhid in Aleppo is an example of the failure of military formations in managing cities.
EQ- Are you hinting to the need for institutionalizing the Free Syrian Army?
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Definitely, it is a mandate, the Free Syrian Army is without an official leadership, therefore it is an urgent need to start that process according to available military regimes.
EQ- Do you think electricity is one of the challenges?
Tishrin dam controlled by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is one of the most important sources of energy to the area, but we would need to reach for an agreement with the Turkish side to provide the area with electricity.
EQ- in regard to industry, are you planning to build industrial cities?
At the moment there is no need to build new institutions, as there are many of them in the area like manbij, al-Bab and Azaz, we only need to refurbish and rehabilitate them. The most important issue in the beginning is managing affairs of the returned displaced people.
EQ- What about the labor, do you think the area would suffer of lack of labor?
There is enough numbers of unskilled labours, but professionals' numbers like engineers have decreased dramatically in Aleppo, and the same for doctors and others.
EQ- What about the agriculture, the area is one of the most fertile land in the country, how are you going to deal with this side?
I think this side is the most important and it is the source of strategic harvests like wheat, cotton and olives. Farmers is not able to bear the cost and difficulties of agriculture, but that needs cooperation and planning with the Turkish side.
(Eqtsad)- Amid the fast track military development at the Northern border of Syria, talks about the Safe Zone has come to surface again, the option that the opposition need to be ready for.
In order to have an idea about the matter, Eqtsad talked to Mohammed yasin Najjar, an engineer and the former minister of Communication, Transportation and Industry in the Interim Government, who supervised a study about the matter in 2013, when the idea of Safe Zone was first discussed.
EQ- Many say that the Syrian government has not given the civil affairs the required interest, and the opposition is lagging back in preparation for post-liberation time?
Yes that’s right, for example, in 2013 before the Islamic State widespread in Syria, rebels were able to move from Jordan to Turkey to Iraq. But we were not able to use that advantage due to lack of united leadership of the opposition.
EQ- When you were in the Interim Government headed by Ahmed Tomeh, you did a complete study to manage that Safe Zone after talking about it officially by Turkey, has it still implementable in these days?
We had communication with the Turkish side and we gave them our vision based on economic mutual cooperation, especially the area is within Aleppo’s territory, which is known of its industrial and economic activities, but at the time we face many challenges.
EQ- What are these challenges?
The most important was lack of economic resources independent from the regime, besides the ability to manage the big uncontrolled number of returned displaced people which could lead to unplanned building and growing in the area similar to the slums around the big cities like Damascus and Aleppo. Therefore, it is vital to plan the return by an expert team to allocate people according to available resources.
EQ- Do you think variation in the controlling military formations is one of the challenges?
It is well known that any individual military formation cannot rule a city , and the experience of Liwa al-Tawhid in Aleppo is an example of the failure of military formations in managing cities.
EQ- Are you hinting to the need for institutionalizing the Free Syrian Army?
`
Definitely, it is a mandate, the Free Syrian Army is without an official leadership, therefore it is an urgent need to start that process according to available military regimes.
EQ- Do you think electricity is one of the challenges?
Tishrin dam controlled by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is one of the most important sources of energy to the area, but we would need to reach for an agreement with the Turkish side to provide the area with electricity.
EQ- in regard to industry, are you planning to build industrial cities?
At the moment there is no need to build new institutions, as there are many of them in the area like manbij, al-Bab and Azaz, we only need to refurbish and rehabilitate them. The most important issue in the beginning is managing affairs of the returned displaced people.
EQ- What about the labor, do you think the area would suffer of lack of labor?
There is enough numbers of unskilled labours, but professionals' numbers like engineers have decreased dramatically in Aleppo, and the same for doctors and others.
EQ- What about the agriculture, the area is one of the most fertile land in the country, how are you going to deal with this side?
I think this side is the most important and it is the source of strategic harvests like wheat, cotton and olives. Farmers is not able to bear the cost and difficulties of agriculture, but that needs cooperation and planning with the Turkish side.
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