Opposition's Mustafa: rifts delay victory as International parties block arms and funds

By Abdullah Raja; Translation by Yusra Ahmed

(Zaman Alwasl-Interview)- Asaad Mustafa, the former Minister of Defense in the Interim Syrian Government revealed to Zaman Alwasl that Ministry of Defense did not have enough financial or arms support to face the regime, and if it had been provided with enough support, and if Hezbollah and Iraqi militia had not fought with the regime, it would have fallen in the first year of revolution.

In his Interview with Zaman Alwasl, the former Minister regrettably revealed that Syrian people’s friends did not give the revolution any military support, while the Syrian regime’s allies provided it with indefinite sources of arms and other support.

Mr. Mustafa denied that USA offered providing arms to the Free Syrian Army to fight ISIS and he revealed that all they receive non-fatal equipments.

Asaad Mostafa denied that he planned and wished to be the Interim Prime Minister instead of Ahmad Tomeh, despite many figure in the National Coalition and the Head of the major bloc in the coalition offered him support if he nominated himself for the position because he had experience as a former Minister in the Syrian regime’s government.

The former Minister of defense advices the Free Syrian Army “FSA” if they want to achieve victory, they need to build a United Military Institution under one leadership, beside one local leadership and an operation room in each province. He added that there is a need to build an army on ground consists of honest people who chose the revolution and aim to build a free democratic country for all Syrians. “I have said many times, we need to go back to 1957 when a liberated and democratic political atmosphere was prevailed in Syria, we also need a good plan to distribute arms and money, I have forwarded all that in writing to the Coalition and other supporting countries”

The former Minister thinks that lack of centralism in the FSA’s Leadership , and missing a specific agenda and a plan for distributing money and arms according to the plans of the united leadership were the reason behind falling of al-Qusayr and Kalamoon, and withdrawal of rebels from Homs after 700 days of siege, and the difficulties in breaking Damascus’s siege. He added that lack of arms and financial support played important role in delaying falling of regime, as there is a need to initiate many battles in many areas in all cities, to weaken the regime and in that case it might not be able to survive for more that 6 months.

Mr. Mustafa believes that regime would militarily fall and it is the only way to overthrow it, but unfortunately the FSA has not been given enough support from the Syrian People’s friends. “Without the support and help of Hezbollah and the Iraqi militia, the regime would have fallen since the beginning of the revolution, when Hezbollah militia entered Syria, the regime’s army was already weak and unorganized”, added.

Mustafa revealed that Syrian regime knows a lot about ISIS since the American occupation of Iraq in 2003, when it gave ISIS’s members passports to go and fight in Iraq. “moreover, the story about ISIS’s taking-over the troupe 17 is not true, as regime withdrew voluntarily and left small amount of arms. Regime does not fight ISIS but leaves it to fight the moderate FSA, Regime is no longer interested in small troops in distant regions in the country, its concentration is on Damascus now”

Mustafa said to Zaman Alwasl that he tried his best and put plans for building up the free Syrian Army and the Military Staff Administrations, however, many reason prevented the Ministry of Defense from receiving enough support and arms. Therefore a little was given to the FSA.

In the end, the former Minister of Defense in the Interim Syrian Government advised all parties and the revolution forces to unite, work together and coordinate efforts and plans, if they want to achieve the victory soon. “I deeply believe that regime would fall suddenly as I have seen unprecedented determination inside the FSA’s fighters, and that made me sure that such a revolution would not be defeated”