Embattled but popular among some local and regional forces, Syria's president is facing the gravest political test of his time in office, writes Bassel Oudat The protests sweeping the Arab world have arrived in Syria, with demonstrators having taken to the streets to demand an end to corruption and the country's one-party system. It is the greatest challenge yet to President Bashar Al-Assad's 11-year hold on power. Having put up with emergency laws for 48 years, Syrians are following in the footsteps of Libyans, Egyptians and Tunisians in breaking the fear barrier that kept them silent. Over the past two weeks, protests that started in the southern city of Daraa have spread to other parts of the country. What began as a sit-in by 100 youths has become a major threat to the Syrian regime. The first sign of trouble started at Daraa Mosque, where protesters called for political rights, urged an end to corruption, and demanded the release of a group of children who were rounded up by the police for scribbling anti-regime slogans on the city walls. For two weeks, the children's parents didn't know where they were being held. The rest followed what is now a familiar pattern in Arab uprisings: security forces used excessive violence to disperse the demonstrators; then they fired life ammunition, killing five participants in the sit-in. Later, an official source denied the use of excessive force, claiming that the killings were committed by "infiltrators" who posed as demonstrators. A day later, thousands took part in the funerals of the victims and they demanded a prompt trial of the security officials responsible for the carnage. Again, the protests were violently dispersed and people shot. As more victims fell, protesters retaliated by burning down the headquarters of the ruling Baath Party. They also torched mobile phone stores owned by a cousin of the president. The turbulence in Daraa claimed 50 lives within the first five days, according to rights groups. With no end in sight for the confrontation, demonstrators called for massive protests following Friday prayers. To ease the tension, the regime began offering concessions. On Thursday, the government offered a package of reforms that would end emergency laws and lift some of restrictions on the press and on the formation of free parties. The government also promised to stamp out corruption and increase the salaries of its employees. In an unprecedented move, the government also apologised for having denounced the sit-in participants as an "armed gang". It promised to refrain from using violence against protesters in the future. But on Friday the authorities used violence again to disperse thousands participating in funeral processions and protest marches across the country. By then the tide was already unstoppable, and as the death toll went on rising, the protests became a full-fledged uprising. Ten other Syrian cities saw anti- regime action. The headquarters of the Baath Party were burned, pictures of Bashar Al-Assad were torn, and a statue of his father, Hafez Al-Assad, was brought down. Protesters also denounced Maher Al-Assad, brother of the president and chief of the Republican Guard. They called him a liar and said that he should be fighting the Israelis in the Golan Heights -- occupied since 1967 -- instead of firing at them. Taboos were being broken. And what began as calls for reform matured into a desire to topple the regime. When the regime did the unthinkable, sending its troops to disperse protesters at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the anti- regime movement picked up pace even further. Figures from the Syrian opposition say that the new promises by Al-Assad recall other promises made in the past and that were never fulfilled. The regime's promises of reform were widely seen as insincere. Political activists suspected the regime of double talk. Fayes Sara, a political activist, said that the regime was not doing enough to clear its name. "The people don't want more promises. They want to see action. The Syrian leadership could have pulled out its security forces and intelligence from Daraa. It could have handed over security to the police. That would have helped appease the demonstrators," Sara said. Popular doubt is justified. The regime has made promises in the past and failed to keep them. In 2005, during the Baath Party national congress, sweeping reforms were promised. None of it came about. Among the protesters, the impression is that the Syrian leadership is saying anything to save its skin. Baathist official Fayes Ezzeddin swears that the leadership is serious about change, but few believe him. "The [government's] decisions [concerning reforms] were not a kneejerk reaction. The objective conditions for reform exist and the time is right for reformist resolutions. The Syrian street shouldn't ask for guarantees that reforms will take place. Al-Assad has every intention of meeting the people's demands," Ezzeddin said. Meanwhile, the Republican Guard and armed members of the Syrian intelligence have been clamping down on protesters. In Daraa alone, nearly 100 people were killed in the first 10 days of turbulence. Three people have been killed in Damascus, six in Latakia, and three in Homs, and these are but initial figures. A political activist speaking on condition of anonymity told Al-Ahram Weekly that the regime has no intention of offering lasting or genuine solutions. It is offering the minimum of concessions needed to retain its hold on power. The Syrian leadership, he added, is not yet convinced that the country is on the verge of a meltdown and that serious action is needed. So what needs to be done? Protesters answer this question with a long list of demands. Foremost among them is the release of political prisoners, the end the interference by intelligence services in all aspects of public life, and the scrapping of emergency laws. According to Nagati Tayyara, a political activist from Homs, "What we see is the exact opposite of the promises made by the leadership. We see random arrests, bans on demonstrations, and brutal suppression of protesters. But this is not going to thwart us, for the barrier of fear has fallen." Desperate to discredit the protesters, the government maintains that the protests have sectarian motivations. Botheina Shaaban, adviser to the Syrian president, said what happened was "an attempt to cause sectarian sedition in Syria". Her claim has been dismissed by activists, the opposition, and ordinary citizens. So far, observers have reported no sectarian slogans or sentiments among protesters. Then came the accusation of "foreign agendas" acting behind the scenes, a charge being often reiterated in the Syrian press, which also accuses Americans and "Zionists" of plotting against the country. As government- run newspapers spoke of vehicles loaded with guns and fighters entering Syria from Jordan, the Syrian prime minister denounced "agendas coming from neighbouring countries". A Jordanian spokesman denied the charges, saying that, "media allegations will not impede good relations between the two countries". To appease the demonstrators, the Daraa governor has been relieved from his post. The Syrian authorities have also released nearly 260 political detainees. The opposition welcomed the move, but said that it was "inadequate". Veteran lawyer Haitham Al-Maleh believes that there are more than 4,000 political prisoners in Syria whose fate remains unknown, and he is demanding a list of all those held without trial in the country. The White House has meanwhile denounced the excessive force used against the protesters, urging the Syrian government to punish the perpetrators of the violence. Syria should follow the Egyptian model, where the army refrained from firing at demonstrators, a White House official said. Others have echoed this sentiment. The French president called on Syria to stop all violence against demonstrators, saying that the international community may otherwise have to take action. France called for the release of all prisoners of conscience and for an investigation into the violence. The UN secretary-general stated that the use of violence against demonstrators in Syria was unacceptable and urged the Syrian government to listen to its people. UK officials denounced the violence and advised Damascus to introduce reforms. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also stated that he had warned Al-Assad ahead of time, telling him that reforms couldn't wait much longer. The Baath Party, which has ruled Syria for 48 years, bans all forms of opposition, public speech, and political freedom, while allowing widespread corruption and doing little to improve the economic lot of ordinary citizens. But Al-Assad is not an isolated leader. His backing of resistance groups and his dogged opposition to US policies in the region have earned him some popularity. Some believe that, should he offer credible political and economic reforms, he may ride out the crisis.
