The Resurgence of the Syrian National Council

A few weeks ago the Syrian National Council (SNC) appeared to be losing traction in its efforts to gain recognition as the legitimate political representative of the Syrian people. Dogged by a few high-profile resignations and accusations that it was undemocratic and unrepresentative, critics dismissed the SNC as a collection of European-based diaspora Syrians who were not really representative of the Syrian opposition on the ground; or alternatively as an instrument of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Following the April 1st Friends of Syria meeting in Istanbul, however, the organization seems to be back on the upswing, having won increased recognition from key international players and perhaps crucially, control of the money that will be disbursed to the Free Syrian Army (provided by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States). Some elements of the decentralized FSA may not like this, but it is likely to significantly bolster the SNC’s influence within Syria. Still, while the SNC has always been relatively successful in courting foreign governments, it has thus far been unable to fully unify the traditional opposition to the Assad regime (ie the Sunni majority), let alone gain broad support from the various minority groups (Alawites, Shias, Christians, Druze, Kurds — although they are quite well represented within the SNC membership) that remain worried about their positions in a post-Assad Syria. (It should be noted that these sectarian divisions are far from universal. As Jonathan Steele’s excellent piece in the London Review of Books details, the reality is far more complicated.)

The SNC’s website contains all the rhetoric that Western governments will want to hear (“Affirming national unity among all components of Syrian society (e.g., Arabs and Kurds, as well as ethnic, religious, and sectarian groups) and rejecting all calls for ethnic strife.”), and on the surface, the SNC’s membership list does appear to be relatively diverse, despite some assertions that the organization is controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood bloc. British Foreign Minister William Hague — along with other Western Leaders — has made note of the SNC’s recent efforts to be more inclusive, but others are less convinced.

For now, it is hard to tell where power really lies within the SNC, or what it truly stands for, but it appears likely that the organization will play a prominent role in the Syrian political opposition for the foreseeable future.