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Syrian Rebellion

(Economist-UK) Could the central Syrian city of Hama come to define Bashar Assad's rule in the same way it did his father's? Over 70 were shot dead during protests on June 3. Fearing escalation beyond its control, the regime temporarily pulled out most forces. Free to protest, tens of thousands took to the streets. Some reports suggest 300,000 people, including women and children, turned out on July 1, the biggest protest to date. Today's protesters have different aims and use different means to fight the regime. Far from being violent Islamists, many wish for a secular democracy and have not picked up weapons - at least not so far. "We were left to die the first time. We won't this time," says one defiant city resident. Like his father, Bashar could forever be tainted by blood shed in Hama. The city has unmatched reserves of defiance that make it the most likely site of an eventual bid by protesters to win control of territory and hold on to it.
2011-07-08 00:00:00
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