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Syria's Assad Loses His Grip to Hardliners

(Reuters) Samia Nakhoul - President Bashar al-Assad is losing control to his hardline relatives, his forces are overstretched, his government is running out of money and the revolt against his rule is gathering support and funding. Given all this, analysts and Syrian-based diplomats say the international community is starting to plan for a Syria without the Assads. "Despite everything they have done over the past few weeks - killing, torture, mass arrests and raids - the protests are continuing," said one Western diplomat. "This regime will fight to the death, but the only strategy they have is to kill people, and this is accelerating the crisis." "Our assessment is that the regime will fall," predicted the Damascus-based diplomat. Several governments are encouraging Syrian generals to mutiny. "We're addressing military leaders and cabinet members to rise up. We're encouraging the generals to rise up," the diplomat said. One diplomat said Assad's cousin, the business tycoon Rami Makhlouf, recently deposited $1 billion at the central bank to stabilize the Syrian pound. "When they are no longer capable of paying the salaries of bureaucrats, the army, the police and their Alawite militia, this crisis will balloon and bring about the collapse of the regime," the diplomat said. "This is a train wreck waiting to happen." Another Syria-based diplomat said, "After three months this is not a poor man's uprising. There is significant financing from the Syrian business community and upper class. They give money for satellite phones, cameras, food, water and medical supplies....This is a broad-based movement that includes not only Syrian youth, but imams from mosques, businessmen, even former Baath party members." Residents of Syria describe a state of fear and panic among the Alawite community, saying there had been revenge attacks against Alawite army officers and security men. Alawite officers in Sunni areas have pulled their children out of school and sent their families to Alawite villages or abroad.
2011-06-17 00:00:00
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