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Source: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=225679
Can Bashar Assad Survive the Storm?
(Jerusalem Post) Jacques Neriah - Unlike the 1982 rebellion, unrest and demonstrations this time are widespread and not limited to two towns and a specific sector of the population. The opposition is not limited to Islamic fundamentalists (although the regime is trying to create a picture according to which Syria is under a combined attack by al-Qaeda and its associates - with Israeli backing and involvement, of course). Bashar Assad knows his time is limited. The Western powers may be slow to react, but when they do, their intent is very clear: to limit his powers and end his repressive methods, with a regime change if needed. Russia's delaying role in the UN Security Council has given the Syrian regime time to cope with its domestic problems in the hope that by the time the West organizes, Syria would again be disciplined, and revolts a part of history. The writer is a former diplomatic adviser to the late Yitzhak Rabin.