Khaddam and Bayouni revealed details of how they are going to overthrow Bashar, at a conference in London's upmarket Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane.

The BBC's Tim Whewell was there: (picture: BBC's Tim Whewell interviews Abdul-Halim Khaddam)

"The would-be revolutionaries gathered in London don't appear to be getting any support from governments in the West or the Middle East, and without that it won't be easy for them to spark a revolution at long distance.

No Arab regime has ever been overthrown by a popular uprising. But there have been lots of exiles who whiled away their days in hotels like this."