Syria emerged as an independent nation from the French Mandate of Syria in 1946. A series of military coups followed until 1970, when Hefez al Assad consolidated control of the government. President Assad and the ruling Baath Party established a authoritarian police state in Syria, with the government actively restricting freedoms, controlled the press, and repressing the opposition. Assad ruled for 30 years and Syria (with Egypt) emerged as a stronghold of Arab power and influence, despite the disastrous 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel. In 2000, Assad died and the Baath Party passed power down to his son, Bashar al Assad. Upon assuming power, the younger Assad engaged in modest reforms and released some political prisoners. Since then, Assad has operated Syria under ongoing emergency law, which has existed since 1963.
Recent Events:
Syria is the latest Arab nation to experience substantial public protests. As mentioned above, Syria operates under constant Emergency Law and public dissent is not tolerated. These factors facilitated a slower call to action, as protests here have only seriously escalated in the month of March. The growing protests have turned deadly on several occasions, and calls for the toppling of the Assad regime are getting louder.
Looking Forward:
In comparison, Syria resembles Egypt. With its long-term oppressive president, one-party system, and ongoing state of emergency, Assad's regime resemble that of Mubarak's former government in Egypt. Learning from the experience, Syria's government has thusfar been more successful in slowing the protest movement in its cities. With that said, the demonstrations are growing in popularity and the government is beginning to use frequent deadly force on protesters.
M.Co: "Eyes of the international community are beginning to focus on Syria, as reports of growing protests and deadly government responses trickle out of the country. With all of its institutional similarities to Egypt, it will be interesting how the Syrian government differs in its strategy in dealing with growing public dissent. So far, as expected, it has deployed deadly force and the public has responded angrily. This violent response, alone has yet to quell demonstrations in the region. It is yet to be seen what concessions, if any, the government offers and what the public response will be."
Recent Posts:
3/25/2011 - Dozens of Syrians reported Killed in Daraa
3/27/2011 - Syria to Lift Emergency Law
3/29/2011 - Syrian Government Resigns
3/30/2011 - Syrian President blames Protests on 'Conspirators'
4/2/2011 - Syrian Crackdown Follows Protests
