July 6, 2011 – Syria in the News: A Roundup of International Reportage

On Wednesday June 29, international reports emerged indicating that Syrian military forces had consolidated their hold on Rameh and numerous other villages in the northern province of Jabal al-Zawiya. Following a number of days of allegedly heavy shelling, activists reported that a total of 11 civilians had died. 

 

At the same time, reports suggested that security and military forces had almost entirely withdrawn from Hama – leaving the city in the hands of demonstrators – many of whom subsequently referred to it as “a liberated city”. Traffic police were even reportedly absent. Large rallies were held in the city center Wednesday night, with some demonstrators allegedly chanting, “Oh youth of Damascus, we’re Hama, and we’ve toppled the regime!” 

 

International reports also suggested that protestors, like their earlier counterparts in Egypt, had taken to cleaning the streets after rallies. Many also reported that even in the absence of traffic police, drivers were largely adhering to driving regulations. 

 

Military forces had also reportedly withdrawn from Abu Kamal, a city on the border with Iraq, as well as some Damascus suburbs. 

 

On Thursday June 30, competing rallies of anti- and pro-government protesters were held in the northern city of Aleppo. Some 1,000 opposition members reportedly gathered in two locations. International media suggests that they were assaulted by pro-government demonstrators. As Aleppo remains a stronghold of government supporters, any such dissent is particularly significant.

 

Protests on Friday reached staggering numbers, the largest so far since the start of the protest movement in March. Somewhere between 9 and 14 people were killed in Homs and the Damascus suburbs of Daraya and Qadam, with estimates still rising. The Syrian government attributes the killings to the work of “armed men“, while international media blame the deaths on Syrian security forces.

 

The biggest protests were held in Hama, the country’s fourth largest city, where an estimated 300,000 took to the streets. The crowds on Friday undoubtedly dwarfed all those that came before – in any location in the country. With such large numbers taking to the streets – in by all accounts a peaceful manner – it seems the Syrian protest movement is beginning to reach a critical mass. 

 

To that end, demonstrations were also held in countless cities and villages across the country, including in Aleppo which until very recent weeks, has been largely free from the unrest.

 

On Sunday, some international reports indicated that armored carriers and tanks had begun passing through Hama, while other suggested that they had stationed themselves along the city’s permitter, setting up checkpoints at city entrances. Activists reported that numerous arrests were made in Hama’s suburbs and that gunfire could be heard throughout the day. Electricity and communications were also reportedly cut in some portions of the city – a confounding turn of events, given the peaceful nature of the protests held only two days prior. 

 

International reportage on Sunday likewise indicated that security forces had conducted night raids of homes in Idleb and Homs the night before, with tanks allegedly deploying to the Homs village of Qusair.

 

On Monday, international media indicated that soldiers and tanks arrived in central Hama, conducting further house raids and massive security sweeps. Three people were reportedly killed, among them a 12-year-old boy. Some reports suggest that the city’s residents “fought back, trying to block arrests“. According to international reportage, a Syrian ex-Olympic boxer was among those critically wounded amid the day’s security sweeps. Nasser al-Shami, a bronze medalist in the heavyweight division of the 2004 Olympics, was hit by shotgun pellets. His condition has stabilized, however, he remains in the hospital. 

 

The following day, tanks were reportedly remained deployed around Hama, with security operations still underway. International reports indicate that 22 people were shot dead that day and that the city’s electricity and water supplies were largely still cut.

 

Of the sudden violence in Hama, SANA reports: “A group of saboteurs cut off roads, set up roadblocks and burned tires in several areas in the city of Hama on Tuesday, in addition to committing acts of vandalism and burning a bus. An official source at Hama said that law-enforcement forces intervened to restore security and stability to the areas where the events took place, and were attacked by armed groups who opened fire on them and used Molotov cocktails and nail bombs. In the ensuing confrontation, one law-enforcement officer was martyred and 13 were injured, while a number of armed men were injured and others were arrested. Earlier on Monday, these groups cut off roads, committed vandalism, burned tires and prevented people from going to work. The source pointed out that citizens asked law-enforcement sources to intervene and protect them from the armed groups terrorizing them.” Given recent weeks of peace in Hama, such allegations come as a disappointment to many.

 

In recent weeks, Syrian security and military forces had appeared to exercise comparative restraint in their response to demonstrators, perhaps in a move to get Syrian opposition to participate in the national dialogue advocated for by President Assad. However at present, it appears that approach might have come to an end.

 

The prevailing view is that the protestors and government remain locked in a bitter stalemate, with the government maintaining its popular hold on Damascus and Aleppo – the country’s two largest cities – and protestors growing in numbers and stretching thin both the manpower and resources of the security and military forces in much of the rest of the country. 

 

Syrian activists now put the death toll from the unrest at an estimated 1450, including 91 children, 41 women and a further 193 Syrian soldiers, who activists claim were killed following their refusal to open fire on unarmed protestors. Activists also maintain that those still detained for participating in or supporting the unrest, number somewhere between 5,000 and 16,000.

 

As summer progresses and the protest movement grows in numbers and scope, many argue that the country is slowly edging toward a state of lawlessness. While pro-government demonstrators have allegedly waged assaults on members of the opposition, crime is reportedly increasing – as is illegal construction. In some areas basic services, such as garbage collection, are reportedly on the decline. Streets in Damascus are now peppered with illegal vendors, who in the recent past, police never permitted to set up shop. At the same time, there are allegations that the government itself is using non-state actors to quell the unrest. There is disagreement regarding who should be blamed for such trends, with some pointing fingers at Syrian citizens themselves, and others attributing the decline in obedience to the law, to precendents set by the government. What is certain, is that such developments only exacerbate the country’s trend toward broad scale disorder. 

 

On Thursday June 30, The Guardian published an English version of “A Roadmap for Syria: Enabling the Syrian Authority to Make a Secure and Peaceful Transition to Civil Democracy” – a draft document put forth by activists Louay Hussein and Maan Abdul Salam, on behalf of the National Action Committee. The following is an abbreviated version of calls for reform detailed within the document, for the full text see here.

 

“The security forces should work according to specific regulations: Act in accordance with the principle of defense, not attack, meaning they should remain on the street for the protection of vital installations and public and private property and the safety of people and their lives. … Security and military personnel in the street should be wearing official or regular uniform, with proper insignia displayed, as well as name, rank and unit.

 

“Adoption of a mechanism for organized demonstrations to be conducted after a notice submitted to the concerned government official at the governorate…

 

“No security or military personnel are to be permitted to humiliate, insult, abuse or beat any demonstrator for any reason, whatsoever.

 

“Issue a clear decision and firm decree from the President of the Republic not to harass or arrest any Syrian citizen because of his peaceful political opinions.

 

“To allow…intellectuals to meet in public and private places in an open way, and not secretly, after notification of a specific government authority.

 

“Lifting the dominance of security services on public information and activities of local and foreign media institutions. This should start by allowing Syrian journalists working in local, Arab and international media institutions to cover the current events…

 

“Providing a clear and frank apology and regret for what happened in the country, and the accountability of executive bodies and personalities who failed to accommodate the movement of legitimate protest, and even hard-line rhetoric in the street.

 

“Providing material and moral compensation to the families of the victims, injured and the wounded who were killed during recent events. This would include care for all those wounded and detained at protest events.

 

“The release of all detainees involved in protest events, without the need to refer them to a court, unless it is proven that they were complicit in the murder of any Syrian citizen whether civilian or military.”

 

The “Road Map” continues on with a detailed proposal for the country’s political transition – which notably allows for President Assad himself, to oversee the reforms. The overall authenticity of the document as representative of the interests and demands of those participating in the unrest, has been heavily questioned. As the document surfaced on June 27 amid a public opposition meeting held in Damascus and sanctioned by the government, many view it as an extension of government interests. To that end, the proposed reforms are clearly inconsistent with those called for on the streets.

 

Further, political opposition with notable links to the Syrian government, also held another public meeting in Damascus on Sunday July 3. Participants called for the protection of peaceful protestors and further media rights, among much else. 

 

Nevertheless, there is also no doubt that members of Syrian opposition are becoming increasingly organized and influential. Local Coordination Committees, the organizing groups generally run by Syrian youths, are decentralized and secretive – and quite successful at organizing unrest as a result. They are also, however, viewed as the ‘wild card’ of the Syrian revolutionary movement, as few know how to engage with them. 

 

Thus far, international media report that they have played a critically important role in bridging the sectarian and economic divides that could pit Syrian protestors against each other. At present, it is thought that some 100 to 200 Syrian youths are active members of these committees, 35 of whom have assumed leadership positions. These committee members are reportedly virtual organizers, using the internet to plan protests.

 

Where older Syrian dissidents – particularly those who live overseas – are generally thought to espouse only their own political views unrepresentative of broader dissident groups, these younger opposition members are thought to be more in tune with opposition movement’s wider demands. The growing strength of this youthful opposition movement, however, also suggests the possibility of a tense divide between the big names of an older dissident generation, and Syrian youths’ comparatively furtive opposition members. While the Syrian government seems to acknowledge the views of the former, it has yet to indicate awareness of the later – a reality that could spark tensions down the road. 

 

On Tuesday June 28, President Assad issued Legislative Decree No. 76 on “regulating the work of the General Housing Establishment to meet demographic needs of population, particularly social housing.”

 

On Saturday July 2, the President issued a decree discharging the Governor of Hama, Dr. Ahmad Khaled Abdul-Aziz. Abdul-Aziz is the third governor sacked by the President since the start of the unrest on March 15. Previously, he had sacked the governors of Daraa and Homs. Some accuse the President of seeking to identify scapegoats for the crisis. The move to sack Abdul-Aziz was surprising to some, as Abdul-Aziz was respected by residents of Hama for his efforts to avoid further violence. Many fear that with his removal, military and security forces in Hama will adopt a more intolerant stance toward those participating in the unrest. 

 

On Wednesday July 6, Amnesty International released a troubling report, “Crackdown in Syria: Terror in Tell Kalakh,” that interprets available evidence of the military operations in the formerly besieged border town, beginning on May 14, as indicative of crimes against humanity. The report contains alleged eye-witness accounts of arbitrary detention, torture and deaths whilst in police custody. Interviews were conducted with over 50 individuals from the border town. Amnesty International has reiterated its call on the UN Security Council to send the Syria case to the International Criminal Court.

 

 

“The Squeeze on Assad” – The Economist – One of the most comprehensive and well-written articles on the Syrian revolution to-date. The author details the evolution of the Syrian protest movement, from scattered and brazen, to organized and empowered. Far from just a “peasant revolt,” in recent weeks university students, important religious clergy, and members of the middle class, have joined forces with the country’s protesting laborers, showing “unity of purpose”. According to the author, the government’s grip over the Syrian populace is slipping, a shift in power likely to speed up amid anticipated daily mass protests during Ramadan. While clashes are likely short-term – as the author sees it – “a violent meltdown is not inevitable” and “patience” on the part of the protestors who continue taking to the streets week after week, will be both a “weapon” and a “virtue”. A must-read for all concerned. 

 

“How the Syrian Regime is Ensuring its Demise” – The Washington Post – Authors Peter Harling and Robert Malley maintain the view that the use of violence against those participating in the unrest is a self-defeating move, as “the longer unrest endures, the less the regime will represent the promise of order” – a promise that until recent months, had fortified its popular legitimacy. As the authors see it, the “violence has not stemmed the rising tide of protests and, even to those who commit it, it has had neither a defensible purpose nor visible effect. Crackdowns on armed Islamist groups are a task security forces could carry out possibly forever. But being asked to treat fellow citizens as foreign enemies is altogether different and far more difficult to justify.”

 

“The Least Free Places on Earth, 2011” – Foreign Policy – This year, Syria takes a place alongside of Chad, Somalia, Belarus, China, Cote d’Ivoire and some fourteen other countries categorized as the 20 “least free places on earth” in a Freedom House report – “Worst of the Worst: The World’s Most Repressive Societies.” Foreign Policy ran a related “The Least Free Places on Earth, 2011” last week in which Syria was featured. 

 

“SYRIA: Cameraman Apparently Shot by Security Officer” – Los Angeles Times – A crushing bit of citizen journalism that ran rampant across international media – a young man reportedly films is own death when he is fatally shot whilst filming a member of the security forces. 

 

“All in for Freedom in Syria” – Los Angeles Times – An op-ed by a Syrian dissident, Nazir al-Abdo, whose brother was arrested whilst protesting and later turned up on state-run TV confessing that he had filmed the “crimes of armed gangs” while other protestors had “doctored the footage to make the protests look larger” and to “appear as if the security services and the army were responsible for killing civilians”.

 

“Syria’s Minorities Fear Sectarian Split Amid Protests” – NPR – Locals and internationals analysts alike, have differing views on the country’s prospects for full-on sectarian conflict. This NPR article and audio clip, captures the debate. 

 

“Fighting the Syrian Regime From a Chicago Office” – The New York Times – Syrian expats work from outside the country to fortify the efforts of the Syria’s protest movement. Yaser Tabbara is one such individual, a Chicago lawyer who grew up in Damascus, and who now spends much of his time aiding efforts to build the legal case for charging the Syrian government with crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. 

 

“The roadmap to Nowhere: How Assad is Trying to Steal the Syrian Revolution” – The Telegraph – Michael Weiss argues that the US administration and elements of the US domestic media – including Anthony Shadid of The New York Times – have bought into Syrian government “propaganda” attributing the revolution in Syria to “the handiwork of terrorists”. According to Weiss, such “propaganda…is easy enough when you’ve got an administration that wants you to remain in power.” More interestingly, however, Weiss puts forth the details of his skeptical interpretation of “A Roadmap for Syria: Enabling the Syrian Authority to Make a Secure and Peaceful Transition to Civil Democracy” – a document he views as a mere extension of government interests and hyperbole.  

 

 

On Wednesday June 29, the US Treasury Department formally imposed sanctions against Syrian security forces and Iran’s national police, on charges of broad scale human rights abuses committed in Syria since mid-March. Specifically, Syria’s Political Security Directorate, the head of Syrian Air Force Intelligence, and the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran – along with two of its key leaders were put under sanctions.

 

For its alleged support for the continued rule of Syria’s president in exchange for his implementation of certain reforms, the US administration has fallen under heavy criticism. In a recent article, “Syria: Realpoltik or Folly?” Elliott Abrams, a well-known conservative analyst for The Council on Foreign Relations, wrote “The Assad regime has adopted a diplomatic and propaganda plan so clear in its duplicity that I had assumed no one would fall for it.” He continued, “…the United States wants the regime to talk, not to fall.  In recent trips to the Middle East and in conversations with Arab democracy activists, I have often been asked why the United States is backing Bashar.  After months of denying it, I can only conclude they were right. …The American call for such “dialogue” is an act of realpolitik that abandons all claim to morality.” According to Abrams, such realpolitik, “must then be judged by its logic and its fruits” and in the case of US policy with Syria, “there are none, except for undermining the moral position of the United States.” 

 

In a press briefing on July 1, US Department of State spokesman Mark Toner made the following statements regarding allegations published in The Guardian of US support for the “roadmap” for reform: “We are, indeed, encouraging dialogue between the opposition and the government. This is something we’ve talked about. And we call on the Syrian Government to create that space, to create the right climate to make possible a dialogue in negotiation. That’s got to be the first step in any kind of reconciliation and transition process. But in terms of promoting one plan over any other plan, that’s just not true. We want to see, again, dialogue and a transition process, but we certainly don’t back any plan. This is something that’s in the hands of the Syrian people.” To read Toner’s extensive emarks on Syria in their entirety, see here.

 

 

Early last week, US State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland ruled out the possibility of removing US Ambassador Ford from his post in Syria. Nuland asserted that, “Our review remains that Ambassador Ford is doing useful work in Damascus and in Syria, he continues to meet with a broad cross- section of Syrian opposition…He is now occasionally meeting with members of the government as appropriate. We did think that his trip up north, even though it was organized by the Syrian government, allowed him to convey our messages. So we still see his role there as useful and helpful to our ability to have a stronger understanding of what’s going on inside Syria.”

 

Meanwhile, US conservative backlash against Congressman Kucinich’s meeting with President Assad and subsequent statements to the press, also took hold of American domestic media mid-week, with a number of mainstream newspapers printing scathing criticisms of Kucinich’s willingness to meet with Assad and alleged comments to the press afterwards – the most inflammatory of which, was that “Assad is highly loved and appreciated by the Syrians“. The Washington Post, known for its conservative leanings and the editorial board’s overall opposition to US diplomatic engagement with Syria, posted a ferocious editorial on Kucinich’s meeting with President Assad and subsequent statements to the press under the title: “Rep. Kucinich Takes the Side of Syria’s Murderous Dictator“. 

 

In the op-ed, the Post’s editorial board stated that, Kucinich “traveled to Damascus over the weekend to huddle with Syria’s dictator, who is desperately seeking to avoid being isolated and labeled illegitimate by the outside world. Thanks to the slaughter by his security forces of at least 1,400 people — the vast majority of them unarmed civilians — Mr. Assad has few friends these days… But Mr. Assad still has a friend: Mr. Kucinich. The Cleveland lawmaker chose not just to meet with the ruler but also to hold a “press conference. ” Though he might not have heaped praise on Mr. Assad, Mr. Kucinich did endorse the regime’s latest propaganda strategy, which is to claim that it intends to engage opponents in a “dialogue” and then carry out reforms…In fact, the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have risked their lives to take to the streets since March are not seeking reforms from Mr. Assad — they are demanding the end of his regime. The idea that, having slaughtered so many of his people, Mr. Assad would agree to a political transition that would allow Syrians to vote for or against his ruling party — which is dominated by a minority ethnic group — is absurd.”

 

In response to domestic criticisms, Kucinich published his own op-ed in The Huffington Post, “Efforts for Non-Violence Help Achieve Security Pull Back in Syria,” defending his trip and subsequent press statement and blaming “mistranslations” that “did not reflect my direct quotes” for the more controversial of his alleged assertions. 

 

Kucinich rationalized his trip by stating that, “How the U.S. and the international community, including the media, assess the crisis in Syria will affect whether Syria experiences a transformation to democracy, or whether it becomes the flash point for a new war in the Middle East.” On the violence, Kucinich went on to state that, “I don’t support the violence..and by direct appeal to President Assad and in supporting those who are seeking freedom and serious reforms, I am working to end the violence.” In so many words, Kucinich also assumed a degree of credit for President Assad’s move to remove the military from some cities in the days immediately following the meeting. 

 

He argued that the situation in Syria is complex and involves far more than “two players” – the opposition and the government. “President Assad has communicated directly to the opposition, and to me personally, that he is prepared to do that,” Kucinich stated. 

 

In direct response to The Washington Post Editorial Board, Kucinich said: “Unfortunately, through demonizing prose and a ‘with us or against us’ mindset, the Washington Post Editorial Board rejoins the march of folly that has in the past decade fueled a misguided approach to conflict resolution and democracy building that has left America with thousands of dead young soldiers, over a million dead civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and the surrounding region, trillions of dollars of debt, and a new generation of terrorists.” For better or worse, by virtue of his approach to diplomatic engagement in international hot spots, Kucinich stands nearly alone in the US government.

 

On Thursday June 30, the US and Europe railed on Syria at the United Nations, following weeks of failed efforts to get Russian approval for a UN resolution condemning the Syrian government for its violent management of the country’s unrest. The countries used the renewal of the UN’s mandate for an observer force in Syria’s Israeli-occupied Golan heights. The resolution renewing support for the four-decade-old force was unanimous. 

 

The US and Europe pushed to include new text in the resolution, in condemnation of the “human rights abuses” committed by the Syrian government against Syrian protestors. Both China and Russia threatened to veto the renewal, however, if such text was included. The final version of the resolution included the following text, expressing “grave concern at the serious events that occurred in UNDOF’s area of operations on 15 May and 5 June that put the long held ceasefire in jeopardy.” 

 

Israel military forces shot and killed numerous Palestinian protestors who gathered along the border on both May 15 (Nakba Day) and June 5 (Naksa Day). It is widely believed that Syrian authorities permitted the protestors to enter the area (which is normally off limits) in an effort to heat up the conflict, drawing international attention away from its domestic crisis, and threatening Israel with renewed conflict. The Syrian government, however, continues to deny such charges.

 

Following a meeting with his Russian counterpart on July 1, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe stated that “The UN Security Council cannot remain silent on the situation in Syria. It must demand the immediate stop of hostilities and the launch of effective reforms [in the country].” On Sunday July 3, a spokeswoman for Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Antie Baertschi, informed Swiss media that the Swiss government has frozen 27 million Swiss franks ($31.8 m USD) connected to high-level Syrian officials – including President Assad and 21 other figures.

 

Reports continue to emerge of Turkish plans to set up a buffer zone inside of Syria, in the event of the significant deepening of Syria’s current unrest. In addition to worries of a massive outflow of Syrian refugees, Turkish officials fear that hard-line Syrian PKK members would take advantage of the crisis to make their way across the border – with the potential outcome of sparking violence within Turkish borders. A buffer zone within Syria would presumably limit the flow of Syrian refugees into Turkey, whilst reducing the likelihood of presumed terrorists slipping across the border. Turkey made a similar move in 1991 during the Gulf War, when it set up a buffer zone in Iraq to contain the resulting outflow of Kurdish refugees. 

 

On Friday July 1, Russian Foreign MInister Sergey Lavrov reiterated the Russian government’s position against a UN resolution on Syria and pushed for members of the Syrian opposition to engage in talks with the Syrian government. In a statement to the press, Lavrov asserted that “If the opposition is truly interested in reforms in the Syrian society and state, then it is simply unacceptable to skate out of such proposals [of holding dialogue].” 

 

An article in Foreign Policy published on June 30 by John Hannah, “Countering Syria’s Lebanese Power Play,” details the complex relationship Beirut and Damascus, most notably allegations of Damascus’s extensive meddling the recent formation of Lebanon’s new government in an effort to ensure its political backing of Damascus, amid Syria’s deepening international isolation. Though many would find Hannah’s underlying interests problematic, much of the article’s content is of interest. As Hannah put it: “Assad’s purpose seems clear enough: to put all Lebanon’s political, economic, and security institutions at his regime’s disposal, to help him manage the mounting pressures until his security services succeed in crushing the internal rebellion that threatens his rule — a goal shared, of course, by both Iran and Hezbollah, for whom the loss of their longtime Syrian ally would be a potentially devastating strategic setback.” 

 

Also detailed, are links between the Syrian government and the Lebanese banking sector, including allegations that Syria’s central bank recently initiated the process of opening an account with its counterpart in Lebanon, allowing government assets to be shifted to Lebanon. 

 

On Thursday June 30, international media reported that NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen indicated at a press conference in Vienna, that “We do not foresee any intervention in Syria. In Libya, we are working on the basis of a UN mandate with the support of countries in the region. The conditions on Syria are not similar.”