President Bashar Al-Asad of Syria has appointed a new head of military intelligence. Perhaps a sensible move given the demands from the West for change in Damascus. But, as with all else in Syria, this is just another opportunity to centralize power. The new intelligence chief is Major General A’sif Shawkat. He also happens to be Al-Asad’s brother-in-law.
A couple of days ago I spoke with the head of the Reform Party of Syria. I was sure he would be speaking to me from a secure line in some hidden bunker in Damascus, or perhaps a tiny village to the north. However, the crystal clear line connected me to Potomac, Maryland, a northern suburb of Washington DC.
As with many other despotic regimes in the Middle East, the truly organized opposition forces have to work outside the country. The Reform Party speaks of its “temporary absence” from Syria, but admits temporary can last an eternity. The head of the party has not visited his homeland since 1996. Anyone who speaks openly of democracy and other values cherished in the West could face the death penalty.
Herein lies the crux of the issue as far as the West should be concerned. Similar to Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the Al-Asad family has been systematically killing and silencing their own people for decades. Sure, Al-Asad can blame his support of the Hizbullah terrorist organization on Israel’s continued presence on the Golan Heights. He can also defend his housing the headquarters of key Palestinian terror movements including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but destroying all forms of domestic opposition is inexcusable.
Freedom of speech is the first thing radical Arab nations must adopt if they are to prove to the West they are at all interested in rejecting their autocratic systems of governance. Allowing someone to say “there is another way,” must be legitimized. So far, Al-Asad has crushed all such attempts. In presidential elections the Al-Asads receive some 99 percent of votes. This, they claim, is all the mandate they need to rule the roost. This, they say, is the will of the people. However, what they forget to say is there is only ever one candidate.
It is, therefore, hardly a surprise that reports from Washington suggest United States President George W. Bush has told Israel not to open peace talks with the Syrians right now. It is also not shocking that Washington has recalled its Ambassador to Damascus Margaret Scobey. Furthermore, it was to be expected that when former Lebanese premier Rafiq Al-Hariri was killed in Beirut last week, the West pointed the finger at the Syrian occupation.
If all the above is insufficient cause for concern, then note that reports of the scrapping of the arms deal between Moscow and Damascus are now said to have been premature. Apparently, Syria is about to receive some fairly advanced military hardware from the Kremlin, despite the pleas from the West.
Syria is seeking the normalization of its relationship with the countries that count. But let us be honest, not even Paris will bend towards Damascus unless it shows a real change in its policies both internationally and domestically.