On Uprising’s Anniversary, a Syrian Opposition Voice Says Country is Victim of a Global Proxy War

Democracy Now!

"Today marks the second anniversary of the uprising against Syrian President Bashir Assad, a conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people and created at least 1 million refugees. We’re joined by Rim Turkmani, an astrophysicist and member of the Syrian Civil Democratic Alliance who’s in New York meeting with Security Council members discussing possible political solutions to the situation in Syria. Turkmani warns that Syrian voices for non-violence are being ignored as foreign actors on both sides of the conflict fuel an armed conflict. "There is a systematic effort to marginalize people like us inside Syria and focus only on the armed rebels — they are the ones stealing all the headlines," Turkmani says. "Why? Because yes, there are certain actors, regional and international, who see this as as proxy war and as an opportunity to fight their international opponents. It’s a struggle over Syria, over power, and the Syrians are falling victims to that."
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