The Critical Element in Syria By: Rami G. Khouri

[tabatha]

BEIRUT, Lebanon – The reality of the Assad regime’s response to domestic revolts since the early 1980s has been very clear: smash the opposition and punish their towns and neighborhoods, so they never dare to revolt again. This is one important way in which Syria is different from other Arab revolutions. United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and unanimous “presidential statements” are a lot like New Year’s resolutions – sincere, well-intentioned, grounded in reality, responding to real needs and aspirations, but really difficult to implement. The latest example is this week’s UNSC presidential statement supporting special envoy Kofi Annan’s call for a total cease-fire in Syria on April 12.

The Syrian government and the Syrian National Council (SNC) opposition have both agreed to the terms of Annan’s peace plan, which is fascinating, but not necessarily much beyond that for now. The SNC is very much the junior partner in this process, given their limited military capability in the face of the government’s massive use of force. Even with the financing that is now coming to their forces from Saudi Arabia and others, the SNC military wing can operate only in the realm of limited guerrilla attacks. Despite many accusations, nobody has presented convincing evidence of Qaeda-like Salafi militants who are also said to be fighting the regime, including perhaps by setting off explosions in major cities.

The reality of the Assad regime’s response to domestic revolts since the early 1980s has been very clear: smash the opposition and punish their towns and neighborhoods, so they never dare to revolt again. This is one important way in which Syria is different from other Arab revolutions. When Zein el-Abedeen Ben Ali faced a popular revolt in Tunisia, he fled the country. When Hosni Mubarak in Egypt faced a revolt, he sent a bunch of camel riding thugs to Tahrir Square to quell it. When Bashar Assad faced a revolt, however, he unleashed thousands of tanks, artillery, snipers, torturers, rapists and roaming killer gangs across the entire country. Assad’s track record since April 2011 has been consistent and unambiguous: strike hard to punish demonstrators and deter their supporters, and engage in any available diplomatic process only as a secondary track.

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=51628

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[tabatha]

1. Fixer, Syrian border ‏ @Fixer_Turkey

To avoid any misunderstanding, let me explain what has happened today in Kilis at Syria Turkey border around Syrian refugee camp

The Syrian refugee camp in Kilis is right at official border border gate Oncupinar in Kilis

In late nihgt early morning Syrian army attacked on a village near Al izzaz and there were clashes between FSA and Syrian army

Many refugees came to Turkey border very early morning and were trying to cross into Turkey where Kilis camp is

Turkish police and military did not let refugees to cross into Turkey from there because the area is a land mines filed

Syrian refugees in the camp were angry went out of teh camp and were trying to bring new refugees into Turkey

While those refugees were trying to cross into Turkey, Syrian army's snipers were shooting them at the same time

Finally the refugees were able to brought to Turkish side of the border but 21 people were injured in Syrian side

It was not clear if injured were refugees or FSA members. Whlie Syrian army was shooting on Syrian, bullets injured 4 people in the camp too

2 of those 21 injured died and 19 have been taken to hospital. 2 Syrian and 2 Turks have been injured
in camp also taken to hospital.

Fixer,
Syrian border

@Fixer_Turkey

Fixer/Translator for foreign media. Speaks Turkish, Kurdish, English, German, Persian and some Arabic. In Hatay at Turkey Syrian border at the moment.

[leveymg]

2. "There were clashes between FSA and Syrian army . . . not clear if injured were refugees or FSA

members. While Syrian army was shooting on Syrian, bullets injured 4 people in the camp too." This was no unprovoked attack on innocent refugees.

Very often, there are facts that contradict the headlines you post. Do you even read these through first?

[riderinthestorm]

3. Waiting for those DUers who never want to admit these conflicts are civil war flareups

or long standing tribal feuds, or repetitive outbreaks of regional sectarian violence....

Cause here it is in black and white: Syria's low grade civil war has been raging for more than 30 years.... Many of the other "Arab Spring" revolts were simply thinly disguised low level civil war flares.

We should not be involved, nor should we have been involved, in any of them. "Humanitarian" rationale as a tatty veneer for naked oil grabs when we think we can dupe the global press corps into framing it our way.