Between two Baath parties

If the children of Daraa had realized that the walls of their city were the remaining part of the eastern side of Berlin Wall, they wouldn’t have written their famous sentence “It is your turn, Doctor” and they would have been more careful about their betting on the “international community” which has been insisting for five years to give up its role in providing any help to put an end to everyday atrocities committed against the Syrians by Assad regime which keeps committing more massacres to cling to power.

The world hasn’t told the Syrian people openly that it has already known what was happening behind the wall of Baath for decades and that what makes it not surprised about the brutality of Assad regime. On the contrary the world has become more capable of adapting to it and even coexisting with its everyday horrors. 

The world which coexisted with Soviet dictators under the pretext of fighting Nazi Germany and held alliances with secular and national dictators to fight the Soviets then held other alliances with Arab dictators under the pretext of fighting terrorism doesn’t feel embarrassed in seeing Assad remains in power since he represents an option the world has long known.

The international order based on interests couldn’t find an alternative to Baath in Syria. Therefore, it keeps clinging to what is left of its structures while on the other side Assad regime realizes the West’s need for its services. Assad regime is making use of contradictions waiting the chance to rehabilitate itself unlike the experience of Iraqi Baath. 

The catastrophe in Iraq caused by Baath party is similar to the one taking place in Syria. Iraq could have been left un-destroyed before handing it in to the US. Similarly, Assad could have prevented using excessive force with peaceful demonstrators during the first months of the revolution; he worked in accordance with the will of many regional countries to change the situation in Syria into an armed conflict that won’t end unless Syria itself as a country is over. 

Mustafa Fahss in Asharq Al-Awast

Translated by Orient Net English