$52 Million of Libyan fund to Syrian Opposition disappears

By Abdullah Al Ghadawi; Translation by Yusra Ahmed

(Zaman Al Wasl)- After almost four years of revolution, Syrian oppositions have not been able to institutionalize their work so far; even they were not able to transparently show the Syrian people their mistakes besides the financial, political and militarily situations.

Many countries openly supported the Syrian opposition, but no one knows how the opposition used the fund, as no opposition’s institution dare to provide statements showing fund and spending.

Zaman al-Wasl has followed the financial file of the Syrian national Council since the first fund given by Libyan Transitional National Council.

According to statement issued by the Syrian National Council (SNC) on November 2 2012, the Arabian fund to the opposition group reached to $40.4 Million, almost half of them from Libya and the rest were from Qatar ($.15 Million) and the United Arab Emirates ($.5 Million). 90% of the fund went for aid and relief for Syrians.

A source has good information about the Libyan support to Syrian opposition said Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, the former Chief of Libyan Transitional National Council, had promised to give the Opposition 100 Million Libyan Dinar, equal to $.72 Million. The difference between the two figures, raises a query about the fate of the remaining $.52 Million.

The source added that Libyan diplomats were surprised from the amount of convoys requesting to hand them the money, even some parties interfered in the matter without telling the Syrian National Council like Imad Eddin al-Rashid, Chairman of Political Bureau and the National Movement in Syria, requested taking the money personally.

The source mentioned that deep disaccords within the SNC rose when Bashar Hassan al-Heraki, Fidaa Majzoub and Haitham Rahmeh visited Libya, but in the end, the Central Bank in Libya ordered to transfer the money to the Syrian National Council and first installment was $.20 Million, and that was the last authorization by the Libyan Transitional National Council.

Abdul-Basit Sida, the former Chief of the Syrian National Council mentioned that Mustafa Abdul-Jalil showed him sincere understanding of the Syrian Revolution’s circumstances and promised to support the revolution. At the time, the Council’s members worked for free even they covered some expenses, and no one of them personally benefitted from the Libyan fund, all the amount of $.20 Million was spent on Syrian Refugees’ camps” Sida explained.

Sida admitted that Syrian Opposition did not have the professional and pragmatic experience, as they were not able to appreciate the Libyan support or benefitted from it as they should have.

Zaman al-Wasl witnessed a meeting with a Libyan delegation to the Staff, where the delegation offered medical support and services, beside arms after the revolution started to become armed, but the Syrian opposition showed no interest in the Libyan support , even there were no visits to Libya, on the other hand, frequent visits to other countries took place to show loyalty Zaman al-Wasl raises a query about the fate of the remaining $.52 Million and how unauthorized figures went to Libya take dedicated funds personally, who gave those figure the right to do so, and have they been questioned for their acts?

Zaman al-Wasl highlighted the matter of the National Coalition’s Ambassador to Libya, as he in the same time lived in Saudi Arabia, he was accused of wasting significant chances of support and fund to the Syrian Revolution from Libya before the current status of Libya and dividing in revolution's forces came to scene.

Zaman al-Wasl published at the time a copy of a letter sent by a figure worked to the National Coalition’s Embassy in Libya, in which he mentioned: “Libya could have been the main supporter of the Syrian Revolution and could’ve given even more fund than Qatar and Saudi Arabia if we dealt with them in better way, there are $.52 Million and we were not able to receive them”

In his letter, the political figure mentioned that both countries had similar revolutionary goals, but the Libyan Transitional National Council managed to gain the International recognition, which the Syrian National council failed to get.

“the National Coalition’s Embassy in Libya could have played significant role in supporting the Syrian issue, but the Ambassador did nothing to achieve what he should have, I hope that he would be honest and resign from his position and give it to someone who could fulfil his job as an Ambassador of the National Coalition” the letter ended.

Syrian people have the right to know the truth, and Many of them demand all the opposition’s institutions to transparently show the spending of the especially the National Coalition and the Interim Government.

Meanwhile, at least 220,000 people have been killed in Syria's conflict; more than double the figure documented a year ago and probably still an under-estimate, according to the United Nations.