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What Role for the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria's Future?

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Michael Jacobson - In calling for a demonstration in Damascus on March 10, Haitham Maleh, an opposition figure with close connections to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, proclaimed, "We are 85 percent of the country" - an apparent gesture of solidarity against Syria's ruling Alawite minority. The group of about 100 demonstrators who answered his call was reportedly dispersed by several hundred pro-government demonstrators. Along with President George W. Bush's rejection of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's ambiguous proposal for a phased or partial withdrawal from Lebanon, the incident fed speculation on whether Assad's regime will survive the current tumult. Although few would mourn the regime's collapse, many are concerned that such a development would allow an Islamist group such as the Muslim Brotherhood to take control. The writer is a Soref fellow at the Washington Institute.
2005-03-15 00:00:00
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