Regional players and imperialist hypocrites
Despite there being an anti-authoritarian sentiment in Syria, the ongoing uprising is seen by many as the result of the US encouragement which gradually turned into active internal and external support for the regime’s opponents. Unlike Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen which were badly shaken by the Arab Spring, the response to the movement in Syria was lukewarm. Notwithstanding his authoritarian style of rule, Assad had succeeded in keeping the country stable despite its numerous sectarian and religious fault lines. Like Iraq under Saddam Hussain, the Syrian establishment had a secular character. On account of his close ties with Iran, Assad however did not fit into Obama’s strategy for the Middle East. Under the US encouragement, arming of the rebel forces is being financed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar while the US provides communications training and equipment to help improve the combat effectiveness of the opposition forces. A coalition of like-minded countries is being rallied to forcibly bring down the government. In November, the Arab League suspended Syria’s membership. On Thursday, the OIC followed suit. Washington is effecting what has been described as a “controlled demolition” of the Assad regime. There is every likelihood of the things getting out of control, particularly if the terrorist outfits including al Qaeda and Salafi militants manage to strike roots, which they are trying hard to do.
With Syria in hot waters, some of the regional actors which were expected to react strongly in case of an Israeli attack on Iran have been neutralized. Syria is bogged down in the insurgency and is in no position to act. The revolt in Syria has driven a wedge between Hamas and Iran after the former’s desertion of its Damascus headquarters and its decision not to support Assad.
The support for the uprising on the pretext of opposition to authoritarianism exposes the hypocrisy of the US and its allies. Washington looked the other way when pro-US regimes in Yemen and Bahrain used force to kill and maim hundreds fighting against autocracy. The regimes continue to blatantly violate human rights. The West maintains the most cordial relations with Arab regimes which suppress minorities, deny equal rights to women and practice totalitarianism. With the direct and indirect intervention by outside forces, there are uncertainties about Syria’s future. Will the divisive religious and sectarian forces remain under control as they were under a secular regime? Will it be possible to contain the extremist outfits that are using the instability to their benefit? Most important of all, will Syria remain united?