Burhan Ghalioun, head of the main Syrian opposition group, was quoted by Lebanon’s Daily Star as saying that the Syrian National Council would not be opposed to allying with Hizbollah if it decided to support a change in Syria.
“If Hezbollah decided to support the democratic process in Syria, there would not be any barrier [to cooperating with it],” Ghalioun said.
Such an alliance may seem unsuitable, considering that Hizbollah is a strong ally and client of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and its support has not wavered in the course of the 11-month uprising against his rule. But Ghalioun indicated that, despite the blood of over 7000 on the hands of Hizbollah’s patron Assad, political expedience alone will dictate policy: “There are no permanent enmities in politics as there are no permanent friendships. Alliances are built on goals. We want to achieve our goals.”
“Hizbollah’s greatest popularity in the past in the Arab world was in Syria because it did a glorious job when it stood against Israel,” Ghalioun continued. “But the people are now having doubts about it Hizbollah because it has adopted clear a stance, supporting an oppressive regime that is using all kinds of violence.”