May 11, 2011 – Syria in the News: A Roundup of International Reportage

While the numbers of protestors out on the streets declined markedly over the course of the last week, violence and turmoil continue to intensify. The Syrian military is deployed to a number of hotspots across the country, including Homs, Daraa, Baniyas and some Damascus suburbs. 

 

Casualties and fatalities continue to rise as protestors and members of Syrian security forces are wounded in ensuing unrest. While reports mid-last week suggested that the government and those participating in the unrest had reached a stalemate with prospects for a slow return to peace, many analysts now maintain the country has embarked on a path toward civil war.

 

On Wednesday May 4, the government announced plans to withdraw its forces from the besieged southern city of Daraa. The military had been conducting heavy operations in the city since April 25. According to local media sources, the operations were intended to arrest and bring under control terrorists and armed groups. Both international and local media have come forward with grim reports of the fatalities and injuries of civilians and members of security forces resulting from the operations. 

 

An estimated 150 people demonstrated in front of Damascus University’s School of Economics, reportedly calling for an end to military operations in Daraa. There were also reports of much larger demonstrations in the coastal city of Baniyas. 

 

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon reportedly spoke with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday to inform him that “now is the time for bold and decisive measures, for political reforms” and to ask for Syria’s full cooperation with the UN Human Rights Council, which is requesting that the Syrian government “allow in a humanitarian assessment team given the widespread concerns in the international community”.

 

A number of reports also emerged suggesting that large numbers of Syrians were fleeing violence in the border town of Tal Kalakh by illegally crossing into the neighboring Lebanese town of Wadi Khalid. International reports suggest that Tal Kalakh has been under heavy military siege following the onslaught of protests there. However, the same city is notorious for its smuggling rings which carry weapons and drugs, among much else, from Lebanon into Syria. 

 

The communities of Tal Kalakh and Wadi Khalid are both Sunni-dominated, and those on the Lebanese side have a longstanding hatred for the Syrian government. Further in 2008, there was significant violence in Lebanon’s second largest city, Tripoli, between its Sunni and Alawite inhabitants. That violence has taken hold of Tal Kalakh in Syria is of serious concern to the Lebanese; an influx of Syrians into Lebanon’s already volatile north, could spark new conflict. 

 

The situation took a turn for the worse on Wednesday May 11, as Syrians who had again crossed from Tal Kalakh into Wadi Khalid were summarily rounded up by Lebanese security forces and sent back into Syria. The absence of any real government in Lebanon in combination with heavy pressure from Syria to address its own security concerns, has left Lebanon in a tenuous position. A number of those seeking refuge in Lebanon had been severely injured in violence on the Syrian side, some with serious head trauma, most with shrapnel and gunshot wounds. One person died en route to Lebanon.

 

Locals on both the Syrian and Lebanese sides report that the Syrian military is waging a full-fledged assault on the town. Local media maintain that the images of Syrian protestors out on the streets of Tal Kalakh have been doctored. The Syrian government has legitimate concerns about the movement of weapons across the border into Syria from the town as well as of armed militants who may wish to meddle in the country’s unrest. On Saturday May 7, some 11 Syrian security and military personnel were shot and killed in the city – a reality that lends credence to some of the claims that not all the protestors out on the streets are unarmed. 

 

On Thursday May 5, while military forces began withdrawing from Daraa – a full ten days after their deployment – they advanced for the first time to the Damascus suburb of Erbin, as well as to the town of Tel. Reports allege that 80 people were simultaneously arrested in the latter. 

 

Reports also emerged of mass arrests of alleged dissidents and criminals, particularly in the suburbs of Damascus – including Harasta, Douma and Saqba – where some estimate that upwards of 300 were arrested. An estimated 100 tanks were, and remain, positioned around Damascus and Homs. 

 

On Friday the ‘day of defiance,’ demonstrators again took part in after-prayers protests. This time, however, international media report that only an estimated 12 cities and towns saw unrest and the turnout in most was, according to nearly all sources, significantly smaller than in past weeks. 

 

Nevertheless, the day did not pass without violence. An estimated 36 people were killed in demonstrations across the country, including 26 protestors and 10 military and security personnel. Homs was apparently the scene of the worst violence, with some alleging that as many as 16 were shot and killed there. Baniyas also reportedly saw significant numbers of protestors – estimated at around 5,000. There was also a small rally in Damascus. 

 

Friday’s events were played off as a victory by both the Syrian government and those who are taking issue with it; protestors argued they remained defiant in the face of strong military and security crackdowns, while the government maintained that the dwindling numbers out on the streets indicate increasingly successful management of the unrest. 

 

On Saturday morning, military forces reportedly moved into Baniyas and mass arrests were carried in the city. Reports indicate that four women were shot and killed as they ran after male family members rounded up by security. International media report that one of the women was 25 years old. Baniyas has been allegedly surrounded by tanks for more than a month. 

 

The same day, local media put forth gruesome pictures of wounded and dead members of Syrian security forces, all of whom had allegedly come under attack in Homs during Friday’s unrest. Late in the day, a group of individuals deemed terrorists by Syrian authorities, set fire to the Hama Governorate. According to the Hama Police Command, 400 protestors entered the Governorate Square to demonstrate. However, armed terrorists among them began waging attacks against police booths starting a number of fires and shooting guns in an effort to scare locals.  

 

On Sunday all reports indicate that Homs, Syria’s third largest city and the industrial hub of the country, was under heavy military siege. International reports allege that residents of the city woke up in the morning to the sound of gunfire and explosions that reportedly continued throughout the day. Some sources indicated that an all-girls school in the city was converted into a make-shift detention centre. Reports of fatalities during the day are murky, though international media report that a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed during the day’s violence as well as a number of Syrian security personnel. 

 

State media indicates that ten workers (their professions were not disclosed) returning to Syria from Lebanon were also shot and killed by terrorists at close range in Homs. Another three were injured. SANA released graphic images of the scene of the alleged attack, indicating the individuals came under heavy gunfire.

 

Meanwhile, the coastal city of Baniyas remained under siege. The city, with a population of an estimated 50,000, is at present largely cut off from the outside world. Local media report that Syrian military forces are still in pursuit of armed gangs and terrorists in a number of cities across the country.

 

On Monday, mass arrests were again carried out in four areas: Baniyas, Homs, the suburbs of Damascus, and the villages surrounding Daraa. Maadamiyeh, a Damascus suburb, was reportedly cut off from the outside world, with cuts to electricity, phone lines and water. An estimated 250 were also detained in Baniyas. 

 

The following day, hundreds of protestors again took to the streets in Homs as well as in Baniyas, where an estimated 500 people have reportedly been arrested since Saturday. Other reports suggest that military operations were likewise still underway in said cities, as well as in the northern city of Deir ez-Zor. Reports also indicated that there were fresh military operations in Daraa. 

 

Many sources are indicating that activists around the country are increasingly taking their efforts entirely underground. Whereas in Egypt and Tunisia, such individuals came to the fore and played key roles in shaping the outcome of the revolts, in Syria there is little chance for such people to come forward. Amnesty International recently released an assessment of the situation in Syria, suggesting that human rights activists in the country have also been forced into hiding.

 

Rami Makhlouf, one of Syria’s most prominent business tycoons, did a three hour interview with The New York Times on Monday offering a rare window into Syrian government’s view of the country’s unrest. According to Makhlouf, the government sees unrest in Syria as fraught with the potential for civil war. As Maklouf put it, “nobody can guarantee what will happen after, God forbid, anything happens to this regime.” He went on to say, “The decision of the government now is that they decided to fight”. Makhlouf is a first cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the two have been friends since childhood.

 

Makhlouf explained that recent tumult in the country has only fortified relationships within their family and the upper levels of the government, “We believe there is no continuity without unity…As a person, each one of us knows we cannot continue without staying united together”.

 

Makhlouf is the owner of Syria’s largest cellphone company and is largely reviled in Syria – offices of his company were indeed burned at the start of the unrest in Daraa back in March. Makhlouf was subject to US sanctions back in 2008 and has now been targeted by EU sanctions – a move he attributes to his role as the President’s cousin.

 

As Makhlouf sees it, economic reform is a principle concern for Syrians. He explained, “We have to ask for economic reform before speaking about political reform”. On the matter of reform he continued, “But if there is some delay, it’s not the end of the world.”

 

Maklouf agrees with the oft repeated government assessment, that the most probable alternative to the current government is rule by Salafists – radical Islamists. But as he sees it, “People will fight against them. Do you know what this means? It means catastrophe. And we have a lot of fighters.”

 

 

“Syria’s Unrest: What the Arab Papers Say” in The Economist – a summary of the most significant perspectives published in Arab dailies. 

“Young Protestor Sees Civil War Emerging in Syria” – in The Christian Science Monitor –  an interview with a young member of Syria’s protest movement reveals expectations of civil war. 

 

“A Multifaceted Response to Syria’s Brutality” –  by Project on Middle East Democracy – a brief calling into question Western hopes that the Syrian government will reform and providing background on Syria’s prospects for democracy and the significance of its military in the current unrest. The brief concludes with a number of policy recommendations.

 

“Syria’s Facebook Wars” – in Fast Company – Cyber warfare comes to Facebook. An article about how Facebook shut down the Syrian military’s official page and soon after, Syrian Facebook users were subject to a security certificate forging scam allegedly carried out by the Syrian government. 

 

 

The EU announced on Friday that it will impose sanctions on 13 Syrian government officials. Targeted officials will face asset freezes as well as a travel bans to the EU. The sanctions package is currently waiting approval by the 27 heads of EU governments. As with the sanctions imposed by the US against key Syrian figures, the EU sanctions do not target President Assad – a move deemed controversial by many. EU officials came forward with the names of the 13 Syrian figures against whom the Union will impose sanctions on Tuesday May 10. 

 

The EU’s decision was strongly encouraged by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague who has pushed for it to move beyond the arms embargo it imposed against the country over a week ago. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has likewise been vocal with regard to the situation in Syria, pushing for the international community to impose “the most severe sanctions” against the government.  

 

In an interview with an Italian journalist on an official trip to Rome, US Secretary of State Clinton stated that, “There are deep concerns about what is going on inside Syria, and we are pushing hard for the government of Syria to live up to its own stated commitment to reforms.” She continued, “What I do know is that they have an opportunity still to bring about a reform agenda.” Clinton’s statements prompted intense criticism of the US’s handling of the situation in Syria, as many find its relative quiet on the turmoil hypocritical. Clinton has consistently maintained that she believes the government is able and willing to enact reforms – particularly President Assad. Given the state and nature of the unrest in Syria, however, many in the international community question the accuracy of such assessments. 

 

Meanwhile, in a statement on Friday US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, “through our Ambassador [Ford], we continue to press the Syrian government to cease violence in carrying out violence against innocent citizens who are simply demonstrating and trying to state their aspirations for a more democratic future for Syria and are being met with…arbitrary arrests and violence.”

 

The crisis in Syria puts the US government in a profoundly awkward position. Obama has made engagement with the Syrian government principle among his foreign policy strategies, making a number of key moves to open up dialogue between the two countries. The Obama Administration views Syria as a key player in any efforts to advance the Middle East peace process. If Syria and Israel resolve the issue of the Golan Heights – a matter that has effectively left the two in a suspended state of war for decades – then the US believes Syria will loosen its alleged alliances with Hezbollah, Hamas and perhaps Iran. However, the unrest in Syria threatens to throw the entire region into conflict and the US maintains that it has minimal political leverage over Syria. Any failure in Obama’s policy of engagement, plays into the hands of his conservative opponents who along with his predecessor George W. Bush, maintain that engagement with Syria is an exercise in futility. 

 

On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan came forward with a harsh statement about the violence in Syria. “It’s never right for a government to fire bullets on its people, because it’s not an armed group you’re firing at… it’s just people in this case,” he said to a Turkish news agency. Erdogan went on to state that more than 1,000 civilians had died in the country’s recent unrest and warned that he did not want to see the 1982 massacre in Hama repeated again. 

 

The controversy over Syria’s bid for a seat on the UN’s Human Rights Council reached a peak early this week, after which a number of reports indicated that it might withdraw its bid to be replaced by Kuwait. An unnamed diplomat indicated that Syria would not succeed in getting the votes required to win the seat. Kuwait has also apparently expressed willingness to vie for it. The UN General Assembly, currently comprised of 192 governments, must elect 15 new members to the Council which consists of 47 nations. Council terms run three years.  Four of the seats in the current running go to states on the Asian continent, and Syria was endorsed in January as one among them. Indian and Egyptian ambassadors indicated last week that the Syrian envoy was advised to withdraw its candidacy and as Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri explained, “I think they realize they have to step out.”

 

The unrest in Syria has also put Iran’s foreign policy under severe strain. Iranian foreign policy is largely dependent on external assets and Syria is central among them, courtesy of its willingness to provide political and military support to Hezbollah. As it a result, Syria serves as Iran’s principle path toward playing a role in the Arab-Israeli conflict and if the turmoil in Syria worsens and leads to all-out civil war, or a serious change of government, Iran would likely lose the strategic access that Syria provides it. As Iran considers itself a champion of the oppressed, a reality that overlooks its stance towards its suppression of its own democracy movement, it has ironically found itself on the same side as the West in supporting the revolutions rampant across the Middle East. It has likewise stammered to respond to the crisis in Syria – a development that has left many pointing to the hypocrisy latent within its foreign policy. 

 

On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came forward with a statement indicating that Syria has the resources to resolve its “problem” in the absence of foreign intervention. As he explained, “The government and the people of Syria have reached a level of maturity to solve their own problems by themselves and there is no need for foreign intervention.”

 

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast also stated on Tuesday that “We in no way accept violent confrontation and crackdowns against those who express their demands peacefully.” He accused the international press of exaggerating a “limited [opposition] movement”. Iran stands accused by the US of aiding the Syrian government in its management of the unrest – an allegation that at present, remains unsubstantiated. 

 

 

On Sunday, May 8 the Exhibition of Iranian Goods and Products opened in Damascus. The exhibition featured over 120 Iranian companies and aimed to help forge partnerships between Iranian and Syrian companies. Syrian Minister of Industry Adnan Salakho said in a statement on Sunday, that it is important for Syria to benefit from Iranian expertise and experience while the chairman of the Syrian-Iranian Business Council Hasan Jawad, indicated that the Council will maintain a permanent exhibition of Iranian goods in Syria while his counterparts will do the same in Iran. Both sides hope to spur increased investment opportunities.

 

 

Saudi Telecom Co 7010.SE (STC) expects to win Syria’s third mobile license. According to the carrier’s CEO Saud al-Daweesh, the company is still waiting to hear when the bidding will begin. However, the company is “very optimistic” because it will “connect Syria with the rest of” its portfolio, which is between 70 and 80 percent of the Muslim world, said Daweesh. 

 

 

Syria, Iran and Iraq will soon sign a contract that will enable Iran to export natural gas throughout the Mediterranean region. A senior Iranian official announced on Tuesday May 10, that a trilateral agreement had been reached. Natural gas will be transited from Iran’s South Pars field through Iraq, Syria, and then Lebanon and the Mediterranean – eventually making its way to Europe. A total of USD 6bn is required to complete the construction of the pipeline, which will have the capacity to transfer 110m cubic metres a day. 

 

 

The tourism industry throughout the Middle East has suffered huge losses since the outbreak of revolutionary unrest in the region early this year. Syria is no exception. The violence and turmoil that have shaken many cities across the country since mid-March, have left prospective tourists wary of Syria’s security environment. Tourism accounts for an estimated 14 percent of Syria’s GDP and the number of tourists visiting the country annualy since 2004 has increased by 40 percent – up to 8m a year. Before the onslaught of unrest here, tourist numbers had already increased in the first two months of the year by 9 percent compared to 2010. Ziad Balkhi of the Syrian Ministry of Tourism, said of the issue in a recent interview, “Yes, we have been affected, but this will all be solved in the very near future…We see too much propaganda about the situation in Syria – the government has responded to legitimate demands of the people.”

 

The Dubai-based hotel management company, Rotana, has seen “a complete reduction in occupancy” in its properties in Syria. Rotana has two hotels in the country that are struggling with the steep decline in tourist travel to the country. Rotana’s projects in Libya has been delayed due to the onslaught of war there. Meanwhile, it plans to open six new hotels in the United Arab Emirates. In total, it operates 42 hotels across the region and has another 30 properties in various stages of development. 

 

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Plc (MLC), has stopped all its projects in both Syria and Libya due to security issues. The company operates over 120 hotels worldwide.