At least 29 more people were killed today, including a large number in the key protest city of Homs, as Syrian troops attacked protesters and tanks pounded residential districts. Witnesses reported that 19 were killed in the Bab Amro District alone.
The killings bring the two day toll to at least 65, after 36 people, including both protesters and security forces were killed yesterday in attacks and fighting nationwide.
This is a large number for even a normal two day span in Syria, but is particularly troubling coming over the two days since the Assad regime announced it had agreed to an Arab League deal that was supposed to have troops leaving cities and political prisoners released. So far, there is no indication that anything of the sort is happening.
The deal, assuming it ever amounts to anything, would have the Arab League promising to sponsor talks between the government and pro-democracy protesters aimed at ending the massive demonstrations. The reason the Assad regime hasn’t been able to get the talks going by itself is a lack of belief by the protesters that the promises of reform are sincere. Since they still aren’t following through with the reforms, it is hard to blame them.
It sounds like a broken record. US and its followers pressure Bashar Assad to halt the suppression of a rebellion. Each and every confrontation is given top billing. Each and every accusation is held to be true to further fuel the fires. The litany of falsehoods like the lesbian blogger and beheaded teenage girl are quickly discarded when revealed as lies. Others like Iranian and Hezbollah participation are raised, but seldom followed for confirmation. Others like torturing patients are not even accorded interviews with doctors in hospitals that these alleged acts take place.
Now, the Arab League has drawn up plan that takes the government off the streets and permits unfettered demonstrations by Assad’s opponents. Moreover, the very lack of leadership in the mix of opponents make it improbable who actually represents what segment of the rebels, and can they speak for the dissenters.
What Mr. Ditz and practically all the US, and its follower, reporters ignore is that beneath the concern and outrage about democracy in Syria is the underlying goal to destroy the Assad government because of its past stand in opposition to US hegemony in the area and its alliance with Iran. Looking at our Arab allies we see Bahrain suppressing its opponents with the help of Saudi arms and men. Jordan tries to placate its adversaries with meaningless tweaks, but its army keeps a close watch on its cities. Yemen, when it is not a US drone crap shoot, has no problems that its army cannot handle. Egypt, which received so much attention, has returned to its military roots to insure the “right” people will govern–a relief for America’s worry about the billions spent on the generals.
Even before the Ba’athists gained power, Syria was never seen as another American outpost. Throughout the 1950s, Washington saw “commies” under every bed and took clandestine steps to alter governments in Damascus. Syria’s unity with Nasser’s Egypt was also viewed as a hostile to our interests. The rise of the Ba’athist in 1963 was seen as a win for the Soviets. When Hafez Assad came to power in 1970, two decades of hostility has already occurred.
We have used Syria when it fit our plans–Lebanon to stop the Lebanese left and Muslims with Palestinians against the Maronite government or as an Arab shield in our 1990-91 Gulf War. When Syria has not acted at our behest like its failure to abandon the Palestinians in the aftermath of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Washington has orchestrated economic and diplomatic sanctions, and perhaps other furtive actions to unseat Syria’s leadership.
Presently, Iran (the new bogeyman) provides us another excuse to expand our military bases with the goal of controlling oil. Syria’s position as Iran’s friend furnishes us with another reason to want its fall.
What is really going on in Syria is not being accurately reported. The stated argument of support of democracy is a front for our pursuit of domination of the area and its oil.