Search This Blog

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Syria -- signs that unrest is growing

Two reports are out today that indicate to the trained eye that things are getting worse in Syria for the regime of Bashir Assad. First, the Iranian government said that the protests in syria are the result of Western interference, indeed, a plot by the US and others to get rid of Syria's government. This statement is a clear indication of the deep concern of the mullahs in Teheran that Iran's main ally in the Arab world may be toppled. Accordingly, Iran is playing the USA/Zionist card. If Teheran blames the uprising on the West, then it must be evil and Assad must be supported (ar, at least, that is how the twisted reasoning goes). the second indicator is the news reported in today's Jerusalem Post that the death toll in the protests has now passed 200 folks killed by the Assad government. Apparently, Assad is trying to surpass the record currently held by Gaddafi in Libya for killing his own people in the current wave of unrest. The need by the regime to kill the protesters shows just how threatened Assad feels by these folks.

It is, of course, interesting to see that there is so little outcry over the slaughter of protesters in Syria. Why were dead Libyan protesters more significant than dead ones in Syria? While I agree that it does not necessarily follow that just because we intervened in Libya we must do the same in Syria, we should get an explanation from Obama, at a minimum, as to what he sees as the decisive difference.

No comments: