The Brutality of the Syrian Regime

During the past two weeks, the protestors’ movement in Syria began to gain more momentum than before. The silent majority in Syria began to join the protestors’ movement in large numbers that have exceeded hundreds of thousands of people. The public in general began to overcome their fears and many were even accompanied by their children, joining the protestors in many cities all over Syria.

There are a number of factors that have led to the new changes that have been taking place. First, during the previous three months, President Bashar il-Assad promised the public broad political reforms. Not much of what he promised was implemented, except for the fact that he removed the emergency law officially, but the arrests of protestors is still going on. He also released around 450 political prisoners, but there are many who have been in prison for many years without trial. President Assad has missed the opportunity to initiate broad and genuine political reforms. Secondly, the Syrian population has given up on the possibility of real political reforms. The only way out, from the public’s point of view, is the removal of the entire Assad regime.

Third, the daily killings of protestors, whose deaths have already exceeded 1300, in addition to many injuries, led the public to the conclusion that protesting on a continuous basis is the only solution. The situation led some soldiers to refuse to shoot civilian protestors. Also, some have been shot by their officers for refusing orders. It was also reported that some of the Syrian military officers have refused to shoot at the protestors. Such incidents took place at Jisr al-Shughour where 120 soldiers were killed. The Syrian authority claimed that the soldiers were killed by armed rebels. This situation led the Syrian military command to attack and regain control of Jisr al-Shughour, where heavy military equipment such as tanks and helicopters, were used. It was reported that the attack was led by Commander Mahr il-Assad. He is well known as a brutal and reckless person, who will stop at nothing if the family regime is threatened.

Furthermore, the ruthless military attack led more than 10,000 people to flee Turkey to escape the brutality of the Syrian army. In 1982, his uncle, Rifa’at al Assad, ordered the attack of the city of Hama. It led to the death of more than 20,000 civilians.

It is not difficult to reach the conclusion that if those high government officials surrender their positions, they will be prosecuted for crimes and other acts of corruption committed.

The Tunisian and Egyptian leadership are being prosecuted and this led to a new political trend that awaits all political dictators in the Arab world.

The Yemeni, Libyan and Syrian authoritarian regimes are on their way out, irrespective of the abusive and brutal force that they have been using against their people.

The people in the Arab world are thirsty for democracy and freedom. They want to have the freedom to run their own lives without being fearful of their rulers. As the common proverb says, “Where there is a will, there is a way”.