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Spiffor
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CPA - Evil Clone brigade
Nov 2001
time: 06:27
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None.
The attack on Iraq was thoroughly prepared, and the demonization campaign was decades old, even though it had to be warmed again a bit. It would be very difficult to justify an attack on Syria out of the blue, simply because US troops are nearby. The chickenhawks would need months, if not years, to convince the American people Assad is the new Hitler, and how much Syria is a rabid bloodthirsty and expansionist regime.
In the meantime, keeping the troops there would cost more and more billions.
I think the Bushies will keep the minimal amount of troops in Iraq, to police the country until the puppet regime has enough authority.
Once the bulk of the troops has left ME, we won't hear about Syria in a long time. Besides, Assad jr. is somehow reformist and knows to behave towards the US when he needs to, so he won't be as annoying for the US as Saddam.
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Bereta_Eder
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ASSIMILATE EEEEEEEEEK
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Bereta_Eder
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This is going to be very funny.
I suppose half of Syria's secret police is moving to Iraq by now.
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Bereta_Eder
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US won't even have Britain in Syria.
Highly unlikely that it will happen, although with the present US admin and unless someone starts stirring trouble in Iraq who knows
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Spiffor
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CPA - Evil Clone brigade
Nov 2001
time: 06:27
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Syria is far less oppressive than Iraq. I have just spent an hour reading on Syria (old articles, which date back before the hype), and the conclusion is clear : there is no comparison between Bachar's Syria and Saddam's Iraq.
The accession of Bachar at power in 2000 raised high hopes of a democratization. Free speech was high, and some old opponents (like Riyad Turk, the historical leader of the communist party) were freed from jail after 15 years. Some opponents even got elected in the Syrian Parliament.
However, this hope has been destroyed by the end of 2001, when two elected opponents were jailed (including Mr Turk). Today, the Baath party remains the only party allowed, and structurates the whole society with youth organizations, and labour organizations.
Despite an initial struggle against corruption (which can be confused with a struggle against high-ranked opponents to Bachar), corruption is now as high as ever. The power structure is paralyzed, because only personal friends of Bachar, or officials' children can hope to access a responsibility position. Almost all of Bachar's clan is made of Alaoui Muslims, who are only 10% of the population, in comparison with 2/3rd of Sunnis.
However, a few goods have come from 2 years of Bachar's reign : there are no more massive political arrests, these have become targeted and rare. Lebanon is a place of relative freedom of speech for opponents. An important modernization has taken place, with a new importance given to new technologies. The strategy of allying with the Sunni elites continues. Syria has withdrawn an old demand towards Israel, making peace deals more plausible. Some protests may now emerge without being monitored / initated by the Baath. Besides, like Iraq, the government doesn't enforce a strict religious policy, and many of the Syrian rich youth can go clubbing, for example.
The whole point is : Sure, Syria is an hereditary "Republic". Sure, there are political prisoners. But it is an ordinary authoritarian regime, where opponents are sent to jail, where there is no random torture, where the people can live rather freely. It is not Saddam's cruel and bloody dictatorship. Bachar's power lies on the population's apathy, unlike Saddam's which was based on sole fear.
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06-04-2003 09:14
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