Monday 10 December 2012

Syria crisis: a beseiged Damascus remains loyal to Assad

A pro-Syrian regime protester kisses a portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad during a demonstration in his support at a central square in Damascus, Syria: Syria crisis: a beseiged Damascus remains loyal to Assad

"Syria crisis: a beseiged Damascus remains loyal to Assad"

The Daily Telegraph can't spell 'besieged'.
"By Ruth Sherlock in Beirut"
I'm dying for a chance to say, 'No shit, Sherlock.' Actually her point about the sectarian support for Assad does explain why he has survived as long as he has, though the limited privileges granted to some Alawites (and non-existent to Christians) explain why support, especially active support, has melted away in a way it didn't in apartheid South Africa.
"One of the reasons that President Bashar al-Assad has not been toppled like the Arab Spring dictators of Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen is that he has a strong base of support. Rebels have found to their cost that some of the suburbs are doggedly loyal to Mr Assad, and refuse to allow the anti-government forces to pass through."
The rest of her piece is Assad supporters repeating, "I see no ships", and this, which I think is a more plausible belief,
"The régime seems very strong and held together, but it is a paper tiger," said a spokesman for the Revolution Leadership Council.

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