By William Tucker
The anti-government protests in Syria that began in mid-March have prompted a rather violent crackdown by the al-Assad regime. Syria’s approach to this crisis was to promise reforms, but only when the protests ceased. Thus far the only concession offered by President al-Assad was the end of emergency rule – not that it has really mattered. Syrian government officials have cut off power and water to the regions experiencing the bulk of the unrest, and when that doesn’t suffice the military is called in. Casualty reports have varied greatly, but it appears that over 800 protesters have been killed and thousands more arrested.
Some protesters have engaged in violence against the regime, but by and large most of those involved in the unrest are peaceful. These protesters do not seem to be swayed by the violence and have simply waited for the military to leave before once again taking to the streets. Assad’s heavy handed tactics may ultimately work since his government and military have not fractured, but the pressure from the protests in the country has certainly created a crisis. The outcome of the Syrian unrest is difficult to forecast, but in the near-term we can expect the violence to increase.
Video: CNN
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