Many Skeptical Syria Cease-Fire Will Hold

Quoted by Jeff Swicord, VOA

“We wanted to give them a little time despite the fact that so many people are dying on the ground and in the streets that it is necessary to give the international community some time to find out if diplomacy is not going to work,” explained Syrian activist Ammar Abdulhamid. … Some in the opposition say that neither diplomacy nor military force alone will bring down the Assad government. Ammar Abdulhamid says they must be used together. “When there is an actual threat of force or force being used, I think then we might see the possibility of the Assads listening because they can see a threat,” Abdulhamid added. “They can see the seriousness of the international community. They don’t just hear words.”

The hunt for ‘plan B’ – planning for ‘the day after’ in Syria

A mention in CNN Security Blog:

Syrian activist Ammar Abdulhamid, a fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington, is trying to bridge the gap between the exiles and those Syrians on the ground. He’s bringing together small groups of Syrian experts to brainstorm ideas for a transition, which he is feeding to opposition groups on the ground in Syria who the United States is now trying to reach. “We don’t have a political agenda and aren’t tabling a plan,” Abdulhamid said. “This is to raise public awareness and highlight the issues we are going to be facing once Assad falls. There needs to be a public debate and we want to empower Syrians to do that.”

U.S. Officials: Iran is Stepping Up Lethal Aid to Syria

Quoted by Joby Warrick and Liz Sly, Washington Post

“Iran has been involved in the crackdown by Assad on a much larger scale than previously thought,” said Ammar Abdulhamid, a Washington-based Syrian activist and a member of the Syria Working Group of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank.

U.S. officials: Iran is stepping up lethal aid to Syria

A mention in the Washington Post:

“Iran has been involved in the crackdown by Assad on a much larger scale than previously thought,” said Ammar Abdulhamid, a Washington-based Syrian activist and a member of the Syria Working Group of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank.