A Political Solution IS Better than Hell

I sympathize with a traumatized and cynical Syrian public's dismissal of Lakdhar Brahimi's initiative as too little, too late.  If more killing and more physical and psychological destruction of the country can be avoided by a political solution, however, I am all for it. One argument is that since the opposition is gaining the upper hand, at least militarily, then it is not time to stop until this murderous regime is completely dismantled.  That scenario presupposes that the regime is capable of realizing when it is defeated and when to throw in the towel. The last twenty one months have shown that this delusional, insular regime is incapable of such a rational decision; they will still be sending their MIGs on bombing missions when the rebel forces are gates of the presidential palace.

It is precisely because the rebels have the upper hand militarily that the opposition should opt for a political solution.  They will have the upper hand and can set the conditions of the transition especially now that the regime's staunchest backers, the Russian government, has essentially abandoned them. Actually, a political solution is a misnomer as it suggests some kind of negotiated compromise. It should more accurately be called a political transition; the only negotiations are on the terms of surrunder. It should be a forgone conclusion that there will be no room for Bashar or his inner circle in the transition but it will be vital to keep technocrats and middle and low level governments officials in place to maintain a functioning governmental structure.  The mukhabarat should be dismantled completely and the Syrian Army leadership should be restructured carefully.  Even the most thoughtful political transition, however, will be difficult and fraught with danger and yet the alternative of letting this drag on to a military victory will mean that the Syrian state will have to be built from scratch. Starting with a clean slate may have its attractions given the ingrained corruption fostered by two generations of Baathist rule but it is too simplistic a notion when dealing with a complex nation that has undergone the most profound period of strife since its independence. The lingering scars of war, displacement, economic hardship, the prospects of sectarian strife and breakdown of a structured governance system means that the situation will be nothing like a clean slate.

Bashar can opt for an ignominious end in some drainage ditch on the outskirts of Damascus or he can save his skin and be whisked off to some distant land. If the latter saves the Syrian people from the hell they are presently going through, then I am for it, provided he leaves without the people's money and that he and his cronies remain within reach of the international criminal court. In the end though, just as decision to militarize peaceful protests was in the hands the Syrian regime so too is the decision to stop it in favor of a political solution.  It is remains to be seen if the regime has broken out of its delusional bubble and now "gets it". If not then it is up to Bashar's allies, Russia and Iran, for their own political priorities to burst the delusional bubble that they helped create.

Translation of Sheik Moaz Khatib's Speech

After many months of hopelessness and desperation about the fate of the Syrian revolution comes the trio of Riad Seif, Suheir Atassi and Sheikh Moaz al Khatib.  I, like many other Syrians feel energized and hopeful again.  Below is my translation, imperfect as it is, of Sheik al Khatib's remarkable speech.  

Sheik Moaz Al Khatib, head of the newly established Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces

November 11, 2012, Qatar

The Syrian people are the product of 10,000 years of civilization.  The great people of Syria are facing daily, a programmed war of extermination and savage destruction.  It can be safely said that there is not a citizen that has not been harmed by this regime.  Many parties have exerted much effort to pull this regime out of its primitiveness, its savagery and its stupidity but have been put off by its stubbornness and its arrogance.  The regime has destroyed all aspects of normal life and turned Syria into ruins; it has worked for fifty years to negate the will of the people and to play on its contradictions using them to tear apart our people. After a long struggle, numerous patriotic groups have now united as one to stop the massacre to which our people are being subjected to daily as the rest of world passively listens and watches.  Our primary task is to provide emergent humanitarian relief to our people and to stop the torrent of blood the runs day and night, as we unite our ranks to remove this tyrannical regime with all it symbols and build a righteous society based on justice and the dignity that is bestowed by god on every human being. I would like to alert you to certain issues, even if I deviate a little from the norms of diplomatic protocol.  The first issue is that our revolution is a peaceful revolution from its beginning to its end and it is the regime alone that bears the moral and legal responsibility; for it is the regime that forced our people to resort to armed resistance to defend themselves, their families, their propery and their religion.  In dozens of cities flowers were carried during demonstrations by thousands of young men and women. They carried flowers and cold water to give to members of the security forces to ask for their right, to simply express themselves. This monstrous regime responded with arrests, jail and torture and then proceeded to destroy the physical, social and economic structure of the country after destroying its intellectual and moral fabric for the past fifty years.  We salute the struggle of this great people, men, women and children and we salute their legendary courage in the face of oppression and destruction as we stand with respect in memory of the souls of our martyrs.  We also salute with loyalty all of the fighters of the Free Syrian Army who defend the revolution in the face of tyranny.  The regime has destroyed our people, our country and our army that we honor and feel the pain at the sight of every coffin of a dead soldier. This is the army built by the people’s hard work, sweat and tears to defend the country only to be turned by the regime against the people. Our people’s demands were very simple, brothers, all our people wanted is for every individual to be able to go to sleep without fear.  This was the demand of our people, brothers, and the regime did not respond to this simple demand, and today there are no acceptable decisions short of the departure of the regime and the complete dismantling of its monstrous structure.   The second issue has to do with the Islamization of the revolution and what is said, day and night, about the savagery of the Syrian people and its rebels.  Oh brothers, and I take full responsibility for what I say, every fighter is looking for freedom but some are driven to extremes by the savagery of the regime’s forces.  Efforts are underway by legal councils to regulate the behavior of the rebel fighters even when it comes to their dealings with enemies.  This revolution uses “takbir”(the chanting of Allah is great) in all its corners, not to push anyone away for our brothers from all faiths are our partners. Many of our Christian brothers have joined us as we started demonstrating from within mosques and chanted “Allahu Akbar” in the face of the tyrant.  The Islam that we carry with us is an Islam that builds civilizations and honors human beings, an Islam that embraces Christianity in the most sacred of lands, an Islam that unites people not divides them, an Islam that considers that strength is in diversity no in isolation.  And at the wake of the first martyrs in Douma, it was made very clear that we are demanding freedom for every Sunni and Alawi, every Christian and Durzi, every Ismaili and Syriani.  We feel the pain of every one of them, from the injustices perpetrated against our Arabism to the injustices perpetrated against the great Kurdish people and to the injustices dealt to every segment of our society.  What is present in our country is not only coexistence but true compassion and love for the other.  Our work will end, and I say this specifically to our brethrens inside Syria, as soon as free elections are held.  Every legal and constitutional question is suspended until then so that the people will decide on their legal system and their constitution with free elections after the fall of the regime and in an atmosphere of total freedom and equality.  Thirdly, the revolution distances itself from the idea of revenge against anyone and there will be judiciary committees to hold accountable anyone who commits crimes against innocent citizens.  I also plea, knowing that many Syrian army officers and soldiers are honorable people suppressed by iron and fire as we all were, I plea with them to prepare to defect from this corrupt body and to help us build the Syria of the future.  The majority has suffered and the minorities have suffered and the regime has turned us against each other; it is time to unite in love to face the long night.  Fourthly, we as individuals and communities, do not and will not pledge allegiance to any side or cause that is harmful to our people, our unity or our land and this blood is the signature of our commitment.  We pledge in front of our people to protect their interests, their land, their religion, their morals, their freedom and the rule of law.  The coming Syria will be for all its sons and daughters.  I pledge personally in front of my brothers, to be at the service of my people, to unite them and that every decision made in their interest to regain their dignity.  Fifthly, we call on the international community, on its governments to honor pledges of help to our people.  Our people, Oh brothers, are not a primitive or marginal people, they are the makers of a great civilization and when our people’s rights are returned they will rise again and create a great civilization after the fall of the regime.  We ask for all forms of humanitarian, political and economic support.  In the name of all of our absent brothers in Syria, I extend my thanks to the government of Qatar and its people, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.  I thank our partners in civilization and history, our Turkish brothers as well as our brothers in Libya, Jordan and Egypt.  I hope we can work together to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.  I would also like to thank all of our brothers who worked tirelessly over many nights to put together this coalition.  I would also like to thank the Syrian National Council for working with us as brothers, because in the end we are brothers. Finally I want to address our great people with reverence and kiss the hand of every mother and father.  I also want to salute the steadfastness of our young men and women.  I want to salute especially the Syrian woman, the greatest woman on this earth, who made the human beings who conquered iron and blood.  I would also like to address our children with they have my unconditional love and tell them that we will shed our blood so that they can go to bed happy, with a smile on their lips and with love and peace in their dreams.  I want to tell all Syrians that if you find good in what I do then keep me, but otherwise ask me to leave; I love you all and I ask god for success, praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

(Translation: Rabi Tawil)

Time to Move On

The events of the two weeks week have left me shaking my head in disgust. Apocalyptic right wing Christian zealots and a convicted felon, bent on igniting a culture war, strike the match by downloading their a repulsive video. On the receiving end, Salafis, eager to oblige, feign outrage and whisper into the ears of unemployed and underemployed youths on the Arab "street" resulting in predictable, pointless mayhem and destruction. And the juvenile political theater goes on, mostly for local consumption, as the rest of world looks on in puzzlement. The minister of railroads in Pakistan offers a bounty of 100,00 dollars for whoever kills Mr. Nakoula.  This, after 20  die needlessly around the country from protest turning into riots.  Hizbullah, rapidly loosing popularity and relevance puts on a carefully choreographed protest both to show that they are as pious as the Salafists and to contrast with the unruly Sunni rioters who torched a KFC in Tripoli, depriving many of their own brethren of their livelihood. Mr. Nakoula, or whatever his real name is, and reverend Jones must be exchanging high fives right about now as it is exactly the reaction that they wanted. They played the Muslim world like a marionette on a string.

That piece of trash of a video is not worth spending a second on, so why the disproportionate reaction? Many explanations reasonable explanations are given: that it is only a minority that rioted or became violent, that it is politically motivated and that there is a double standard in the west regarding protected speech and censorship.  These explanations are all valid to a degree. Beyond the riots and the angry young men of the Arab/Muslim street, however, many Muslims who ought to know better, seem disproportionately worked up about the video.  Some of it is certainly the perception of the continuing attack on their faith from the west both on the  political and cultural fronts that does not seem to have abated a decade after 9/11. The problem is that this perception clouds rational thinking as most of the most urgent problems in the Muslim world are not related to the culture war, but rather to the inept, autocratic governments, corruption, poverty, lack of education and the lack of employment.

There is plenty to be outraged about in our own backyards; just look at Syria.  It is time for us Muslims to move beyond the teenage temper tantrum and start addressing the real problems inflicting our societies. Mature, confident, successful societies would have been totally oblivious to such a video and would have thus made it completely irrelevant.

Syria: Turning Tanks into Swings

A Syrian twist on the saying: "turning swords in plougshares. The people of the town of Talbisah turn a destroyed Syrian regime tank into a swing for the kids on the occasion of Eid, the celebration of the end of the month of Ramadan. Despite the horrors imposed on them by the Assad regime, the people of Syria have maintained their sense of humor and their hope in a better future, one with dignity and peace.

From the Assad Dynasty's Archives of Horror

For those who still believe that there is something redeemable about the Assad dynasty comes this sinister and chilling piece of oral history published in Al Ayyam by Amal Hanano. Keep in mind, in 1965 the Baath regime was in its infancy and father Hafez was plotting his ascendance to the presidency. Is it any wonder that with forty seven year of practice, the Assad dynasty has perfected its brutal ways. Bashar was born to evil and nurtured by evil, he knows nothing else.

"In 1965, I was a medical intern in the National Hospital in Damascus. One day in September, we received an order to empty a room in the pediatric department because a certain VIP baby was being transferred from the maternity ward. ..."

Syria: Mourning in Silence

One memorable photograph of  my visit to Syria in 2008, is the stunning panoramic view of Salaheddine's fortress, the castle that always tickled my childhood imagination as we drove up from Lattakia to my grandfather's modest summer house in Slenfeh.  I took the photograph from the ridge across the valley from the fortress at the edge of the town of Haffeh.  I remember it then as an ordinary, modest mountain town. Slenfeh, in turn has become unrecognizable.  With its swanky villas and a presidential retreat -the former villa of the French governor of Lattakia- it has become the summer playground of Syria's elite. Little did I know what awaited the people of Haffeh four years later. While the stench of death and destruction now fills the air in Haffeh, it is safe to say that the air in Slenfeh remains fresh and the villas untouched..


I have not written much lately because I find little left to say that has not been said before.  How many ways can one express outrage and disgust at the escalating barbarity of the regime? how many ways can one express sorrow and sadness at the loss of life and despair at the enormity of the physical destruction and destruction of whole communities? So I mourn, get outraged and despair in silence. Mixed in with the sorrow I am also brimming with pride at the unbelievable courage, tenacity and intelligence of the young Syrian peaceful civic activists whose work is overshadowed by the macabre carnival of violence and destruction put on by the Assad regime.  When the regime makes its final exit, as it surely will, I want these activists to have a major influence over the shape of the new Syria.

Waiting for the upcoming demise of the Assad dynasty is proving to be excruciatingly painful. Not only is the regime's fight to the death self-destructive, their incitement of sectarian hatred spells disaster for their own Alawite community.  The word civil war has been tossed around and rejected by regime and opposition.  The reality is that if it is not already, a couple more Houla-like massacres and we are there.  The depravity of violence is starting to remind me of Beirut in 1975.  The breakdown of law and order rests squarely on the shoulders of the regime.  From the very beginning of the uprising their use of the Shabiha to create havoc among the population offered them deniability all the while conveniently blaming foreign armed terrorists.  But as the government loses control to territory, regime violence could be replaced by other types of violence. While I trust army deserters to maintain some discipline among their ranks,  there will certainly be armed criminal as well as armed freelancers with grudges and no scruples who will behave as despicably as the Shabiha.  When this starts to happen on a large scale, then we got ourselves a civil war.

Whether Syria descends into civil war depends on how long the conflict continues before the Assad regime is  toppled.  The Assad regime bares full responsibility for this eventuality for they are the only ones who could, if they chose to, organize an orderly transition of power.  Delaying this eventuality by sustaining the regime are their enablers, Russia, China and those leftists, Arab and otherwise, who believe that regime's claim to the mantle of "resistance" somehow excuses their slaughter of their own people.

Marginalizing the Syrian Revolution

International solidarity with the Syrian opposition (Caricature by Ali Ferzat)

Why is the Syrian revolution being relegated to the back pages of the world's media?  There was a time when people the world over recoiled at the Syrian regime's savagery and marveled at the courage of the Syrian protesters. Neither the savagery nor the courage have abated and yet the world seems to have lost interest. Here, I think, are some of the reasons:

• Out of sight, out of mind: Gone are the days of compelling videos from Homs. Baba Amr is now a destroyed, walled-off, largely deserted part of Homs.  No more live reports from Danny or other local citizen journalists; no more foreign journalists brave enough to enter Syria illicitly and risk the wrath of Bashar's thugs.  Blood and guts shown in real time makes for sensational journalism and high ratings.  Talking about the thousands rotting away, invisibly, in dark, damp cells is just not that "interesting" a story. Unfortunately, in a world with a short attention span no images means no story.
• All politics is local: Europe's debt crisis and the US presidential elections have grabbed the headlines and continue to preoccupy the Western media.  Obama is keeping the Syrian crisis at arms length; he does not want a foreign policy quagmire during a presidential election.  Besides, to the American electorate, he has already proven his foreign policy credentials with the assassination of Bin Laden. Europeans on the other hand are dealing with an evolving economic crisis and are too distracted to care much about what is happening in Syria.
• Arab Spring Fatigue Syndrome: This affliction is seen both East and West.  In the West it is the specter of rising political power of Islamist that is a major cause of concern as are the trials and tribulations of post revolutionary Egypt and Libya.  The chaotic situation in Yemen and the protracted uprising with no end in sight in Syria have contributed to this fatigue.  After being caught off-guard, then quickly reversing directions and pushing hard to get their former cronies out of power, they are holding back when it comes to tightening the screws on Bashar.  Arab Spring fatigue is, predictably, also affecting the Arab world. Some are wary of the intentions of the Islamists but many especially in the affected countries are tired of the post-revolutionary uncertainty, the economic stagnation and increased insecurity.  
• A discombobulated opposition: The Syrian opposition has remained disjointed and ineffective.  They have not gone on the offensive to effectively articulate the objectives of the revolution and illuminate a path forward out of the present crisis.  The opposition leaders be it from the SNC or other groups have been largely absent from the world media - at least the American media.  Even more critical, this failure to articulate a unified view has failed to convince many Syrians sitting on the fence to come over to the side of the opposition.  There is little question that that the regime's willingness to use any force necessary has cowed a segment of the Syrian population.  However, aside from the true Assad loyalists, there is a not insignificant segment of the Syrian population who remain silent because they fear what post revolutionary Syria will bring.  Winning over this latter segment of the population could tip the balance in favor of the opposition if only the opposition can  convincingly outline a vision of an inclusive post-revolutionary Syria.
• The inane Annan UN peace plan: Kofi Annan's peace plan is turning out to be the perfect cover for the regime.  They pretend to accept this largely unenforceable plan, cherry pick observers and then begin their shell game.  Guns go silent when observers arrive only to restart when the observers leave.  The observers are kept distracted enough with the overt violence that they unable are unable accomplish the second part of their mandate, stopping the mass arrest and torture of civilians. In fact the regime's campaign of mass arrests seems to be intensifying and becoming more erratic and arbitrary since the arrival of the UN observers.  Witness the recent imprisonment and torture of a Palestinian writer and the citizen journalist from Daraa recently sentenced to death for an interview he gave to Al Jazeera. 

The relegation of the Syrian crisis to the backpages has had no effect in Syria where the people have long since given up on any substantial help from the international community. In one sense, it is preferable for Syrians not to be indebted to anyone as the Libyans are now to NATO.  In return, however, the Syrian people will pay a higher price for their freedom in lost lives, shattered and displaced families, increased insecurity and economic hardship. But perhaps the most distressing and destructive result would be the emergence of open sectarian animosity.  If the Assad regime was betting on outlasting the opposition, they have failed.  What might seem like a deadlocked battle to the outside is actually a continued erosion of the power and control of the regime.  Despite all the ongoing violent crackdown, protests continue, now significantly and repeatedly in Aleppo, Syria's largest city.  Defections continue and are eroding the strength and cohesiveness of the army.  Change will happen, it is only a matter of time.  It is critical at this juncture that the momentum not be lost.  Fatigue is not an option for Syrians who strive for a free and representative country.  

Going Through the Motions

Another day, another outrage by the regime whose indecency knows no boundaries.  Today, they went after the students at Aleppo University who dared air their disapproval of Bashar. Not only were at least three students killed but they also raided the dorms beating and arresting numerous students and closing the University.

Why do I get the distinct sense that the world community is just going through the motions when it comes to the Syrian crisis; no one seems to want to try too hard.  How else can one explain the lackadaisical pace with which the UN is trickling in the next to useless monitors.  Perhaps everyone knows that the whole mission is doomed before it starts.  Why else would you put at its command the most uncharismatic and unenergetic Swedish major general. No one seems to care that the regime continues to play its shell game, refusing visas to monitors it deems unfriendly and breaking the spirit and the letter of the Annan agreement every minute of every day. The daily death of innocent Syrian citizens and the incarceration of many more doesn't seem to register anymore; the Syrian revolution has become nothing more than background noise, static to be ignored. With every major outrage, tepid pronouncements followed by toothless threats are made by foreign ministers but nothing changes. Meanwhile, sensing the global inertia, the thuggish regime acts like victory is around the corner and continues with its violent crackdown.

What the regime hasn't counted on, however, is the resilience and perseverance of the Syrian revolution.  As the Aleppo University Students have shown, the revolution has not fizzled under the massive crackdown. Fear, as vast numbers of demonstrators have shown, is no longer an effective deterrent. Witness the increasingly daring acts of young peaceful activists in the heart of  Damascus and elsewhere.  The world may be dithering, and that may be just as well, but the Syrian revolution remains strong an unbroken.

Draft Posts (I): Love and Longing

I suspect that many bloggers like me start writing a post and for one reason or another never finish it and yet let it linger as a draft never to see the light of day. I have now decided to post some of them.  Some are personal expressions that I felt I needed to transmit, while others, mostly regarding Syria, retrace some of my thoughts leading up and including the Syrian uprising. Some are left unfinished and some are recently finished (blue font). The posts will be grouped in themes.

Love and Longing:

11/20/2010: I turn onto the gravel...

I turn onto the gravel yard a short distance from the horse stables, turn off the engine and wait.  Lehman farm is not unlike many in rural upstate New York, modest and unpretentious.  The barns are old and disheveled in appearance, but functional; and strewn behind the main building is the requisite assortment of derelict farm equipment.

About ten minutes later, I recognize the silhouette of my daughter against the late afternoon light, walking slowy towards the car. She had just finished her riding lesson. Along the path, a kitten trots up to her and rubs against her leg demanding her attention.  Yasmina cannot resist; she stops to pet the kitten for several minutes oblivious to my presence. Tired after a long day's work, I wanted to get going.  Then it occured to me as I watched my first born gently pet the kitten, that next year she will be an adult and away at college. A jumble of melancholic thoughts cloud my mind; it seemed like yesterday that I was rocking my baby girl to sleep. The clouds lifted quickly, however, when Yasmina, with her disarming smile, came up to the car window to show me her new feline friend.

12/6/2011 Hubbi

It had only been two days since you left and yet seeing your smiling face in the email picture was like a warm tonic for my heart. I felt like a teenage boy, smitten by a mixture of longing and love. There was something in your smile I had not seen in a while, a sense of ease, of contentment. Perhaps it was that levantine sun and blue Mediterranean in the background that has reinvigorated you or just the warm comforting embrace of your family. It is a funny thing about our respective places of birth, as much as they have been sources of grief, tragedy and displacement in our lifetime, it is where we feel most comfortable, most at ease. 

"Father Forgive Me": Young Aleppan Demonstrator Dies in his Father's Arms

As the UN Security Council deliberates about unarmed observers to be sent to Syria to oversee the Annan brokered ceasefire, or what's left of it, Bashar Al Assad's regime continues in its mendacity, ignoring the ceasefire when it deems convenient to continue killing it own unarmed civilians.  Below is perhaps one of the saddest and most poignant video clip from the Syrian uprising.  During demonstrations in Aleppo, a young boy, not older than fourteen is shot by security forces. In the clip the injured boy, ashen faced and his shirt blood stained, is seen running up to his father saying "forgive me father" as he lays his head on his father's shoulder and seems to lose ocnsciousness as he is quickly carried away by other demonstrators.

According to the Local Coordination Committee website, 27 Syrians lost their lives today, eight of whom died in Aleppo including the young boy in the video clip.  Not only has the killing gone on, the tanks and heavy artillery remain in place in violation of the Annan agreement.  It will take more than 30 unarmed observers to deal with this criminal regime!

The Real Bashar Al-Assad: War Criminal

The title is a different take on Camille Otrakji's recent post on Creative Syria titled: "The Real Bashar Al-Assad". That post seeks to whitewash Bashar's reputation with tired old irrelevant arguments.  Studiously absent from the arguments is the plain fact that Bashar Al-Assad, the authoritarian president of Syria and its commander in chief, has unleashed the full fire power of  the regular Syrian army as well as that of a non-uniformed militia loyal to him, indiscriminately against his own citizens. That very fact trumps any other argument about his actual versus perceived popularity, the actual size of any particular anti- or pro-Assad militia, any laudatory statements made about him by anyone prior to March 2011 and certainly not the fig leaf of his being the keeper of the flame of resistance against Israeli hegemony . In fact, based on the scale and the mutlifaceted abuse of his own citizens, Bashar Al Assad has become, by any of several definitions, a war criminal.

What constitutes a war crime has evolved over the last century. Encyclopedia Britannica's definition of war crime, in international law, it that of serious violation of the laws or customs of war as defined by international customary law and international treaties.  War crimes were initially meant to codify the rules of conduct between two uniformed armies from two countries in a armed conflict  The definition has expanded to include the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts.  These rules were codified in Geneva in 1977 in the protocol II addition to the 1949 Geneva Convention.  The rules of protocol II, which Syria signed and ratified, are specifically applicable to the events of the Syrian uprising starting in March 2011.  As you read the list the principal articles of protocol II, it becomes evident that the Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad has violated if not all, certainly the majority of the relevant articles of the protocol. This ranges from the lack of due process, forced confessions and torture of prisoners; brutal violence against civilians including children, collective punishment, failure to provide medical care for the wounded; attacks on places of worship and attacks on medical personnel.

The documentary evidence to support the contention that war crimes were committed in Syria re overwhelming.  There are tens of thousands of amateur videos showing the misconduct of the government towards its own citizens.  The Local Coordinating Committees (LCC) has compiled numbers and eyewitness reports. Syria Tracker, a crowd sourced effort by US-based Syrians, re-purposed a health care software accurately track the number of victims of the Syrian uprising. The numbers they generate are said to be the most valid estimates of the number of casualties.  As of March 25, they count 11,813 deaths across Syria. In addition, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the UN Human Rights commission have all come out with reports outlining the human rights abuses in Syria. Most damning has been the recent report by Amnesty International entitled: 'I want to die':Syria's torture survivors speak out. The report is based on extensive interviews of  dozens of ex-detainees who fled to Jordan and who hail from across Syria. This report is not for the faint of heart; the brutality of the regime's henchmen is vividly outlined including a description of the various modalities of torture used in the Syrian regime's detention facilities.

Bashar Al-Assad may think he is winning as he uses the last three days before the agreed upon UN cease fire deadline to inflict maximum pain on his citizenry -127 died today Saturday, April 7th.  However, to all objective observers, he stands no chance of reestablishing his authority. So whether he is gone in six months or in a year, the world will be waiting with a massive trove of evidence against him that will surely land him a spot in that rogue gallery of convicted war criminals.

Syrian Activists' Internet Radio

April 2, 2012

We can't tell you where Hussam and Rania live, but we can tell you they used to live in Syria's capital, Damascus.

Hussam was a creative director at a small marketing company he founded with a friend. Rania was the morning host for a radio station owned by the cousin of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Then came the protests all around Syria. Then came the phone call.

"The radio station called me, at home, and they said, 'Rania we have to say the truth,' " Rania says.

The "truth," they said, was that there were no protests and no demonstrations in Syria. Rania maintained it wasn't her job to talk about politics on the air, but her bosses persisted (read more)

New Beginning 

As the World Keeps Dithering, Syrians Keep Dying

I haven't posted much lately because there is not much new to say. Every honest and objective person now knows that the regime is one of thugs and murderers who will do whatever it takes to keep themselves in power. Meanwhile the criminal regime keeps pushing Syria headlong into the abyss, damn what the world says or thinks. Bashar is fully aware that no one has the stomach to intervene or enforce any resolutions so he keeps playing his game of pretending to accept international initiatives then ignoring every provision of the initiative believing that he can outlast and overwhelm the opposition. If his "mission accomplished" visit to Homs convinced his minhibbakjis that he now has the upper hand, no one else is convinced.

Even if there is not much new to say about the regime, there is a need to keep the ongoing plight of the Syrian people  front and center in the public eye around the world.  Since the real time compelling videos from Homs and elsewhere seem to have slowed down to a trickle, so has the visibility of the Syrian revolution in news media outlets.  This is noticeably so in the US where cable news channels cater to an audience with a notoriously short attention span.  But this lack of visibility is not only noticeable in cable media, even major newspapers seem to have relegated news about Syria to the back pages; this despite the Syrian expat community's efforts in sponsoring demonstrations and disseminating information.

To this end, I will try to disseminate and repost relevant links, videos and articles.  Here I am posting video of a flash mob demonstration against the crimes of the Syrian regime by AUB students. I am proud of the students of my alma mater for organizing this protest as in the tense environment of Lebanon, coming out publicly against the Syrian regime is not without risk.

Omar Offendum Raps the Dictator

Omar Offendum's of the N.O.M.A.D.S, sings in support of the Syrian people and against their oppressor.  The Syrian-American rapper's use of the demonstrators' chant to set the rhythm of his song is both powerful and very moving. 

Syria: Theater of the Obscene

Bashar Al-Assad's staged, meaningless referendum in the midst of a bloodbath is not only absurd, it is obscene beyond description. On the day 125  Syria citizens died at the hands of regimes security forces, the president declares the referendum on the new constitution a success as about 89% of those who voted, the government claims, approved the referendum. The actual voter turnout is in dispute; local diplomats estimate it to be as low as 5% with no voting occurring in either Hama or Homs. The state media's fanfare around the referendum was slick showing an organized voting process and polling places packed with voters. Even Bashar came out to vote surrounded by his sycophants.

The contrast between the clean organized voting stations seen on the TV and the unseen misery and deprivation  of the people of Baba Amr, decimated in the most cruel way by their very own government, was nauseating. As the government officials feign concern for the citizens that they serve, the very basic medical help  is denied the people of Homs. Clearly, the images on state TV were for foreign consumption and in support of the regime's version of reality. Somehow they think they are winning this media contest even though few people outside of Syria believe a word of it.  I continue to see regime supporters tell incredulous interviewers that the videos, coming out in real time from Homs and elsewhere are all fabricated.

They know very well that their own people don't buy this alternative version of reality and in fact it doesn't matter.  The message they want to send to the Syrian people is clear: "Make no mistake about it, if you go against us, you will suffer the same fate as Baba Amr". This attitude of arrogance, hate and unbridled cruelty is not limited to places were there is active conflict but in the security forces' daily dealings with the citizenry they were sworn to protect. Harassment, intimidation, arbitrary arrests and beatings were always part of the modus operandi of this regime,  now they are rampant.

If no one knows what to do with Syria, it is because the regime has left no options for anyone including itself. It has painted itself into a corner and will continue to battle to the bitter end.  For those who oppose the regime, there is no going back, too much blood has flowed and the oppressive fear that was the regime's control mechanism  is no longer.  The cornered beast will eventually tire and succumb; I just hope that it is soon.

Support Avaaz to Support the Syrian People

Avaaz is a global citizen activist community established in 2007 and with a growing global membership.  They have started several campaigns of petitions and direct assistance to the Syrian people providing support for citizen journalists to get information out of Syrian and organization the smuggling of medical supplies into Homs and other cities and towns in need.

• Petition to the Arab League to stop the killing of innocent civilian by the Assad regime
• Smuggle hope into Syria: This is perhaps Avaaz most direct and most effective assistance to the Syrian revolution. It is an effort to support Syrian citizen journalists and provide medical supplies to  clandestine field hospitals and clinics in Syria
• Arrest Syria's torturers:  A petition to the United Nation Security Council and the Arab League to refer to the international criminal court members of regime accused of committing crimes against humanity.

Please consider supporting Avaaz' Syria campaigns either by signing these important petitions or providing financial support.  

Freedom for Syrian Human Rights Activists

Razan Ghazzawi, the courageous and outspoken blogger and activist appeals for the release of members of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of expression. They were recently detained by the Syrian mukhabarat for unspecified reasons.

In addition to committing what clearly amounts to war crimes by any definition against their own civilian population, the Syrian regime arrested thousands of citizens.  This appeal should extend to all Syrian citizens, known and unknown, who have been arrested for nothing more than the expressing freely their opinions of the their own government, be it as bloggers, journalists,citizen activists or as peaceful demonstrators.

Please, Enough Videos of Dead and Dying Syrians!

At the start of the Syrian uprising, the stream of  grainy and gruesome YouTube videos was unavoidable.  They were the world's only glimpse inside Syria and the only visual testament of the brutality of the regime. As an expatriate, I felt a sense of guilt for being out of harm's way as my compatriots were being wounded and killed.  Watching the videos was, in a sense, penance for my good fortune. It also heightened the sense of urgency and the seriousness of the unfolding calamity in Syria. But the videos also had a corrosive effect on the psyche,

It is not that I'm squeamish. I have seen my share of death and destruction first hand as a medical student in Beirut in 1982. Feeling anger at brutality of the regime's response to peaceful protests is normal and healthy, but this anger, constantly fed, can turn into destructive rage.  After a while I stopped watching. It didn't feel right, it felt voyeuristic; with every new video there was an expectation of ever more graphic images to maintain your level of outrage and indignation.   All I needed to know is that a family of six was killed by an artillery round fired by the army that is supposed to protect them, I didn't need to see the mangled bodies. I don't blame the civilians who took those videos.  In the absence of independent professional journalists, amateur videos uploaded on the internet were the only way  to tell their very personal story, the only way to communicate the urgency of their dire situation to the outside world.

I worry, however, that the constant stream of these videos will sharpen the divide among Syrians and, as it feeds the rage among of the aggrieved, it increases the risk of equally vicious retaliatory violence.  This revolution, in the end, is not about death and destruction, it is about a new beginning.  Preparing for this unavoidable new beginning is as crucial as winning the day to day confrontation with the regime.  As the revolution turns more violent, the positive, peaceful, unifying message of the non-violent approach that launched the Syrian revolution should not be drowned out.  I don't want to remember Giyath Matar as a lifeless tortured corpse; I want to remember his radiant, magnanimous smile and his courageous, non-violent activism.  In the same way I want to remember Ibrahim Othman's herculean efforts to treat the wounded, Tal al-Mallouhi's poetry and Mazhar Tayyara's citizen-journalism and his dedication to the unity of all Syrians.

We need to remember them and hundreds of others not for their death but for the remarkable things they achieved in their short lives. Theirs are inspirational stories for a new beginning, a new definition for citizenship for the not so far away post-Assad Syria.

Syria: Where is the Outrage? Where is the Outcry?

Where is the outrage? Where are the cries for justice as the people of Homs, men, women and children, are pounded indiscriminately by a merciless tyrant son of a vile and vicious tyrant?  As the world leaders wring their hands pretending to care, Assad and his “armed gang” couldn’t care less and thumb their nose at the rest of world.  For the West, Syria does not have enough oil to matter.  They care enough to let Syria unravel to break Iran’s influence but don’t care enough to help achieve an outcome that benefits the Syrian people.  China and Russia, on the other hand, claim to be protecting Syria’s sovereignty but what they really want is to send a message to their own restive populations. Their people, however, know better.

That world leaders play their predictable games is no surprise.  What really gets my blood boiling, however, is the mealy mouthed response to the Syrian uprising from a clique of leftwing Arab intellectuals and academics, many living in the West.  They were all for the Tunisian uprising and the Egyptian uprising because it fit into their anti-imperialist, anti-colonialist world view and left-wing narrative.  There was never any question in other Arab spring uprisings about unbalanced reporting, and never a suggestion that news relayed by activists in those countries represented anything but the truth.  All that changed when it came to Syria, the self-proclaimed bastion of anti-imperialism, anti-colonialism, steadfastness, pan-Arabism and resistance against Israeli and American hegemony.  Suddenly, there are two sides to the story of the popular uprising. Activists in Syria, they claim, are part of a media conspiracy of disinformation and regularly exaggerated the numbers of the wounded and dead.  You see, the local activist lied; it was not really 200 hundred civilians who died who in Homs the other day, it was “only” 150!  Imagine that! Not only do activists lie according to them, but any media outlet that reports activist information and videos becomes complicit in this media conspiracy and is labeled pro-American or pro-Saudi.  They seem to gloss over the fact if information is hard to get in Syrian, it is because the regime has has rarely allowed independent journalists to cover the uprising.

Oh how I hate ideologues with a passion; left-wing or right-wing, they are all the same.  They so easily morph into demagogues. They speak in clichés and labels that disconnect them from reality and reasoned thought.  When you mention the Syrian uprising to a member of the aforementioned clique, the response you get is a torrent of disconnected clichés: imperialism… colonialism… conspiracy… Western hegemony…   Zionist… racist … genocidal entity…etc.  Yes,  well I know all of that, you say, but that’s not what I am talking about. I am talking about the more than 7000 Syrians killed by a Syrian genocidal maniac.  How about you get off you high horse of meaningless cliches and do something about the people whose loss you pretend to be grieving? How about supporting a divestment campaign? How about organizing a Tartous flotilla or two to get medical supplies to Homs? The worst part of this clique’s waffling attitude towards the Syrian dictatorship is that Assad and his supporters use their writings as fodder to bolster their contorted narrative of a worldwide conspiracy against the Syrian regime.

Fortunately, the people on the ground in the Middle East are not looking through the distorted prisms of fixed ideologies and have shown support for the Syrian people.  Unlike the clique in their ivory towers, the people get it. Here are Palestinians in Haifa, Lebanese citizens from south Lebanon,  Jordanians, and of course Yemenis. Here are Palestinians who clearly don't buy Assad's expedient claim to the mantel of "resistance" and exclaim "not in our name and not in Palestine's name will you commit these crimes, you murderers".  

This support will not prevent the continued carnage in Homs, but is nevertheless important for the morale of the Syrian people in their fight for freedom and dignity. 

Bashar in the Steps of Hafez

If there is any more doubt that the 2012 Assad regime is any different than the Assad regime circa 1982, the carnage in Homs today should erase all such doubts. Reports speak of up to  200 dead and 400 wounded in a single day. The timing of this escalation, a day after the 30th anniversary of the Hama massacre, makes you wonder about the mindset of those in power in Damascus: Are they insane or are they just evil beyond belief? When you listen to Al Jaafari at the UN, you get the sense that these people have so completely absorbed their delusional narrative that all they can do is respond with self-righteous indignation to anyone who opposes their world view.  When it comes to pure fanaticism, Al Qaeda, the regime's favorite boogeyman, has nothing on them. This self-righteousness begets the demagoguery that justifies any form of violence against their perceived enemies.  In its blind rage, the regime will not only destroy all that is in its path, it will invariably self-destruct.  The opposition is right, there is no room for a political solution with the regime in power, there never was.

And yet, Syria and the Syrian people cannot afford to sit and wait patiently for the regime's eventual implosion.  I was and still am a believer in the non-violent approach that formed the basis of the Syrian revolution.  However, the success of a non-violent approach is predicated on undermining the regime by getting the vast majority of the population on your side.  This is happening too slowly as a sizable portion of the population  remains silent either out of fear or self interest.  Then there are the true believers who have taken to heart the regime narrative and will continue, like lemmings,walking with them until they fall off the cliff.

With the regime's heels dug in, regime change will be costly to the Syrian people. I see little chance that the regime will respond favorably to any initiative either by the Arab League or the UN, unless they are strong-armed into it by the Russians. Even if that happens the regime will do its best to drag, delay and render the process completely useless all the while continuing its crackdown.  A slowly growing insurgency is not a good solution either. With piecemeal defections, the fragmented Free Syrian Army defectors will  achieve small victories but will ultimately be outgunned by an Army that has no qualms about sparing civilians when returning fire; that's Bashar's "iron fist" policy.  The increasing violence and retaliation will drag on ultimately creating an environment conducive to civil war.  The only chance of a quicker fall of the regime would be a revolt from within the ranks. I hope, for the sake of sparing as many lives as possible, that any person or group capable of pulling this off is offered the proper incentives to execute such a coup.

Sign: "Kill us but spare the people of Hama and Homs"

Syrian Regime Loosing its Grip on Power

Despite the regime's continued bluster in the face of Arab league and UN diplomatic maneuvering, the events on the ground suggests that its authority is rapidly unraveling. Josh Landis, in a piece with a notable change of tone about the regime, says that it is doomed but it will hang on for another year or two.   It is hard to see how it can last that long.  For several months only parts of Homs were no-go areas for the regime.  Over the last two weeks, several areas across the country have managed keep the security forces at bay with the help of the FSA. Notable areas include the town of Zabadani as well as  Douma and Saqba, minutes from the center of Damascus, the once impregnable seat of Assad's power. This will embolden opposition demonstrators and hasten the flow of deserters from the armed forces. It is also likely to rattle some Bashar's reluctant supporters and many fence-sitters enough to get them to switch sides. The real question is what the regime's insiders will do now that it has become crystal clear that unless forced, Bashar will not alter his "iron fist" policy to accommodate any political transition plan whether it came form AL or the UN. One exception might be Russia as they may have enough leverage with the regime to have them change course. Although given Russia's interest in a continued toehold in the Mediterranean, it may push Bashar aside but will not advocate for  . Several possible end game scenarios have been discussed. One of the options, predicts a palace coup that would replace Bashar and launch a transition process. Most of the others are too depressing to contemplate.

Given the violence and trauma of the last eleven months and given that any predicted transition will very likely involve a period of chaos, I fear the specter of retributive violence and its effect on the fabric of Syrian society.  In preparation for this eventuality, activists and opposition leaders should systematically quash any and all sectarian incitement and emphasize that a representative democratic state is meant to benefit all Syrians, even those who had supported the present regime. The revolution would be considered a failure if it succeeded in toppling the regime and then failed to capture the hearts of all Syrians.

Is Bashar Following in Ghaddafi's Footsteps?

Bashar's fourth speech since the uprisings was long on hot air and short on substance, not unlike his first three. In fact there is nothing, absolutely nothing new in the speech that should inspire hope that some modicum of reality or pragmatism has seeped into his thick skull. On the contrary as the crisis deepens and his regime unravels, Bashar's tone has be become more desperately defiant. The speech was rambling, full of hubris, faulty logic, paranoid delusions, outright lies and false bravado. Some the explanatory details he gave were laughable were the consequences of such a disturbed thought process not so tragic for the people of Syria. We now learn, for example, that there are 60, not 62 or 73, but exactly 60 media outlets worldwide who have conspired to tarnish the image of Syrian regime by falsifying and fabrication news about Syria.

The president  paints every last opponent of the his regime with the same terrorist, traitor, agent of foreign powers brush. It follows that they have to be crushed with an iron fist. In effect, he says, there is no opposition to talk to. As in his ABC interview, which was incidentally, according to him, also edited to make him look bad, he shows no remorse, no guilt and no admission of wrongdoing.  All the while his security forces and shabeeha thugs continue to kill, maim, imprison and torture unarmed civilians.  As Bashar mocks the AL in his speech, his henchmen are playing a shell game with Observers rendering the whole exercise a farce. Some honorable individual observers have had enough and walked out.

How can anyone then, against such a putrid background, take any of Bashar's talk of reform seriously? How can anyone  still think that there is any sliver of hope that a negotiated settlement is possible? Bashar has had 11 months to respond to this challenge of his authority and the only response has been an unrelenting and increasingly brutal crackdown. Compromise is not possible when the side with the overwhelming force, the side that can instantaneously stop the killing if it chooses to,  refuses to do so.

The regime's path is not only destructive for Syria, it is eventually self-destructive.  The only way I can foresee a somewhat orderly transition is for a palace revolt that would bring in more pragmatic elements capable of steering the country away form the abyss.  This unfortunately, is a long shot and I am increasingly worried that Bashar's path will take Syria down the same path as Libya: civil war, with or without foreign military intervention.

Is this the freedom that you want?

Off a back alley, on the floor of a small room,

you lie  in a pool of crimson blood, dying

the doctor, with nothing but a bandage 

is unable to heal your gaping wounds

Your family pleads with strangers in orange vests

from far off Egypt, Sudan and Mauritania

because your privileged compatriots in the  City

show no empathy for your ilk

You are but a hoax to them, a conspiracy,

a figment of fevered, primitive minds,

who demand the right to freedom and dignity

and place their fate in the hands of  the divine

Your protestations are disturbing to them,

you expose their fake modernity for what it is,

the basest form of human existence,

privilege as reward for absolute subservience

They are the modern slaves whose master,

a deified leader with no redeeming qualities,

demands absolute obedience and yet,

unlike your God, shows no mercy or compassion

And so when one of the privileged

stands by your expiring body and chides:

"Is this the freedom that you want?"

you answer: "Yes, God save your rotten soul....."