Syrian National Council member says Al-Asad government has lost legitimacy.

["Panorama" programme, moderated by Muntaha al-Ramahi, with Haytham al-Malih, human rights activist and head of the National Salvation Conference, in the Dubai studio; Ubaydah al-Nahhas, member of the Syrian National Council, via satellite from Istanbul; and Ali Hasan, spokesman for the Syrian Revolution General Commission, via telephone from Damascus - live]

Al-Arabiyah Television in Arabic at 1907 gmt on 2 October discusses within its "Panorama" programme the formation of the Syrian National Council. Moderator Muntaha al-Ramahi, in Al-Arabiyah television studio in Dubai, hosts Haytham al-Malih, human rights activist and head of the National Salvation Conference, in the Dubai studio; Ubaydah al-Nahhas, member of the Syrian National Council, via satellite from Istanbul; and Ali Hasan, spokesman for the Syrian Revolution General Commission, via telephone from Damascus.

Introducing the 30-minute live episode, Al-Ramahi says: "It appears that the Syrian opposition has succeeded in closing its ranks after seven months of losing the compass of unity in order to keep up with the protests inside Syria and announced the formation of the unified National Council and the founding statement, which constitutes a unified framework for 80 per cent of the opposition according to [former Muslim Brotherhood Controller General Sadr al-Din] al-Bayanuni."

She adds: "The founding statement of the unified National Council sets the road map for the Syrian revolution, beginning with toppling the current regime and establishing a democratic civil system." She notes that the statement considers the National Council as the "legitimate representative of the Syrian revolution abroad" which will deal with regional and foreign countries. Al-Ramahi says: "The statement tackled a controversial issue when it settled the issue of rejecting any foreign intervention that would infringe on Syria's national unity, but stressed that it demands that the concerned international organizations and bodies should shoulder their responsibility towards the people and protect them against the war that has been declared against them." She notes that the council has condemned the policy of sectarian …