|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-11-08-syria-edit_x.htm
A Moment of Truth for Syria
(USA Today) Dennis Ross - Bashar Assad, who has been the Syrian president for the past five years, seems to lack his father's guile and understanding of limits that need to be respected. As a result, Syria is completely isolated both within the Middle East and outside it. Assad might soon be called on to turn Assef Shawkat, his brother-in-law (the head of Syrian intelligence), and Maher Assad, his brother (the head of the presidential guard), over for questioning or even to a non-Syrian court for trial. Ironically, the threat to the regime today might come more from those within Syria who feel that to forestall international sanctions, the regime must be removed. The alternative to Assad's Alawi faction might not be the Muslim Brotherhood but a militarily-led Sunni-Alawi-dominated regime.