The normality the regime is portraying belies the brutality Syrians suffer. It's time to stop giving Assad the benefit of the doubt
Fadwa al-Hatem
guardian.co.uk, Monday 31 October 2011
"Repeating a tired mantra, each despot warns that he is different from the one before him. We were told that Egypt is not Tunisia, and that Libya is neither Tunisia nor Egypt. Syria's Bashar al-Assad is now telling the world that Syria is different, and that any threat to his rule will unleash an earthquake that would burn the Middle East.
Like Muammar Gaddafi before him, who threatened to set the Mediterranean on fire, Assad is now dealing his final card to the west and warns of fire and brimstone should anybody undermine his rule. The stubbornness of this man is breathtaking, but his warnings are not idle. Syria is at the crossroads of a civil war, and sectarian tensions have been deliberately stoked to an explosive point....
The cherry on the cake is when Assad himself then gives an interview or makes a speech – an event that is always preceded by his officials telling those who care to listen that the president will make startling revelations in the near future. Assad makes his speech or gives an interview, and political points are scored. Most importantly for the man, time is bought. Then with depressing familiarity the violence once again escalates and the cycle is repeated.
Today that cycle is entering its umpteenth turn, and like clockwork we see Assad's Telegraph interview, an interview with Shaaban in the Independent, and Robert Fisk in Damascus, asking people what they think of Gaddafi's death....."
Fadwa al-Hatem
guardian.co.uk, Monday 31 October 2011
"Repeating a tired mantra, each despot warns that he is different from the one before him. We were told that Egypt is not Tunisia, and that Libya is neither Tunisia nor Egypt. Syria's Bashar al-Assad is now telling the world that Syria is different, and that any threat to his rule will unleash an earthquake that would burn the Middle East.
Like Muammar Gaddafi before him, who threatened to set the Mediterranean on fire, Assad is now dealing his final card to the west and warns of fire and brimstone should anybody undermine his rule. The stubbornness of this man is breathtaking, but his warnings are not idle. Syria is at the crossroads of a civil war, and sectarian tensions have been deliberately stoked to an explosive point....
The cherry on the cake is when Assad himself then gives an interview or makes a speech – an event that is always preceded by his officials telling those who care to listen that the president will make startling revelations in the near future. Assad makes his speech or gives an interview, and political points are scored. Most importantly for the man, time is bought. Then with depressing familiarity the violence once again escalates and the cycle is repeated.
Today that cycle is entering its umpteenth turn, and like clockwork we see Assad's Telegraph interview, an interview with Shaaban in the Independent, and Robert Fisk in Damascus, asking people what they think of Gaddafi's death....."
No comments:
Post a Comment