Sunday, February 05, 2006

Riling Up The Masses

Syria has a few problems.
Their government's solution? Let the people blow off steam by burning down two European diplomatic missions (Danish and Norwegian). The Chilean mission was also damaged. In the old days, an attack on a government's representative was an attack on the government itself, and very much grounds for war. Today it's a political slap in the face.

If the people of Syria were storming the presidential palace, would it be defended? I think so. "President" Bashar al-Assad may be nervous about the slaying of Rafiq Hariri (a former Lebanese Prime Minister and vocal about Syrian interference in Lebanon). The UN is still formulating their opinion, but I believe the assassination could not have occurred without tacit approval from high levels in the Syrian government, maybe Mr. Assad himself. The same is true for mob control. If Syria's government can quell an opposition movement, they can protect official diplomatic missions. Allowing them to be burned is a brash political tactic, though Assad is a relavtive newcomer to dictatorship (he came to power in 2000).

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