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THE NEW YORK TIMES. SYRIAN REBELS FIND HEARTS AND MINDS ELUSIVE
http://lurer.com/?p=69391&l=en
2013-01-16 17:23:14
As the Syrian civil war nears the two-year mark, the opponents of
President Bashar al-Assad and their international backers have failed
to win the backing of many government supporters, including minorities,
a slice of the population whose help is essential not only to resolve
the conflict, but also to keep Syria from becoming a failed state,
analysts say.
Syrian opposition leaders in exile have repeatedly offered promises
that a future Syria will guarantee equal rights to all citizens
regardless of religion and ethnicity, including members of President
Assad's minority Alawite sect, and that government officials without
"blood on their hands" will be safe. But that has done little to
win the allegiance of a significant bloc of Syrians who are wary of
the uprising.
The opposition, critics say, has missed opportunities to split
government support from within and has allowed Mr. Assad to portray
himself to fence-sitters as the best bet to keep the Syrian state
intact.
That vacuum, some analysts say, was the backdrop for Mr. Assad's
confident tone in a speech he gave on Jan. 6, when he offered to
engage in political dialogue with opponents he considers acceptable.
The concerns come not only from Russia, Mr. Assad's strongest ally,
and Mr. Annan, who resigned as international envoy to Syria when his
mediation efforts went nowhere. They are shared by a growing chorus of
Middle East analysts, Syrian intellectuals and a former Syria adviser
to the Obama administration, which has recognized the opposition as
the country's legitimate representative.
The former Syria adviser, Frederic C. Hof, wrote last month that
although the opposition has offered general assurances to the one-third
of Syrians who belong to minority groups, "probably no more than a
handful" believe it, especially as jihadist groups grow more prominent
on the battlefield and issue videotaped calls for the restoration of
the Islamic caliphate.
The coalition's only public response was a statement saying that Mr.
Sharaa's comments showed "the regime is facing its final days with
difficulty and seeks not to die alone."
Protesters in Syria have raised signs calling for a general amnesty
"for all supporters of the regime with no blood on their hands," Mr.
Harling said - a statement probably intended to reassure but with
the effect of suggesting that mere support for the government is a
crime requiring amnesty.
Meanwhile, the government has arguably invested more effort in
persuasion. It continues to pay salaries and social benefits in some
rebel-held areas. Since Mr. Assad's speech, Syrian state news media
have issued a drumbeat of reports on preparations for "national
dialogue."
http://lurer.com/?p=69391&l=en
2013-01-16 17:23:14
As the Syrian civil war nears the two-year mark, the opponents of
President Bashar al-Assad and their international backers have failed
to win the backing of many government supporters, including minorities,
a slice of the population whose help is essential not only to resolve
the conflict, but also to keep Syria from becoming a failed state,
analysts say.
Syrian opposition leaders in exile have repeatedly offered promises
that a future Syria will guarantee equal rights to all citizens
regardless of religion and ethnicity, including members of President
Assad's minority Alawite sect, and that government officials without
"blood on their hands" will be safe. But that has done little to
win the allegiance of a significant bloc of Syrians who are wary of
the uprising.
The opposition, critics say, has missed opportunities to split
government support from within and has allowed Mr. Assad to portray
himself to fence-sitters as the best bet to keep the Syrian state
intact.
That vacuum, some analysts say, was the backdrop for Mr. Assad's
confident tone in a speech he gave on Jan. 6, when he offered to
engage in political dialogue with opponents he considers acceptable.
The concerns come not only from Russia, Mr. Assad's strongest ally,
and Mr. Annan, who resigned as international envoy to Syria when his
mediation efforts went nowhere. They are shared by a growing chorus of
Middle East analysts, Syrian intellectuals and a former Syria adviser
to the Obama administration, which has recognized the opposition as
the country's legitimate representative.
The former Syria adviser, Frederic C. Hof, wrote last month that
although the opposition has offered general assurances to the one-third
of Syrians who belong to minority groups, "probably no more than a
handful" believe it, especially as jihadist groups grow more prominent
on the battlefield and issue videotaped calls for the restoration of
the Islamic caliphate.
The coalition's only public response was a statement saying that Mr.
Sharaa's comments showed "the regime is facing its final days with
difficulty and seeks not to die alone."
Protesters in Syria have raised signs calling for a general amnesty
"for all supporters of the regime with no blood on their hands," Mr.
Harling said - a statement probably intended to reassure but with
the effect of suggesting that mere support for the government is a
crime requiring amnesty.
Meanwhile, the government has arguably invested more effort in
persuasion. It continues to pay salaries and social benefits in some
rebel-held areas. Since Mr. Assad's speech, Syrian state news media
have issued a drumbeat of reports on preparations for "national
dialogue."